Athens (Greece) -- Drama; Knights and knighthood -- Drama; Tragicomedy
DAUGHTER.
To heare there a proud Lady, and a proud Citty wiffe, howle together! I
were a beast and il’d call it good sport: one cries, ‘O this smoake!’
another, ‘this fire!’ One cries, ‘O, that ever I did it behind the
arras!’ and then howles; th’other curses a suing fellow and her garden
house. [Sings] I will be true, my stars, my fate, &c. [Exit Daugh.]
IAILOR.
What thinke you of her, Sir?
DOCTOR.
I thinke she has a perturbed minde, which I cannot minister to.
IAILOR.
Alas, what then?
DOCTOR.
Vnderstand you, she ever affected any man, ere she beheld
Palamon?
IAILOR.
I was once, Sir, in great hope she had fixd her liking on this
gentleman, my friend.
WOOER.
I did thinke so too, and would account I had a great pen-worth on’t, to
give halfe my state, that both she and I at this present stood
unfainedly on the same tearmes.
DOCTOR.
That intemprat surfeit of her eye hath distemperd the other sences:
they may returne and settle againe to execute their preordaind
faculties, but they are now in a most extravagant vagary. This you must
doe: Confine her to a place, where the light may rather seeme to steale
in, then be permitted; take vpon you (yong Sir, her friend) the name of
Palamon; say you come to eate with her, and to commune of Love; this
will catch her attention, for this her minde beates upon; other objects
that are inserted tweene her minde and eye become the prankes and
friskins of her madnes; Sing to her such greene songs of Love, as she
sayes Palamon hath sung in prison; Come to her, stucke in as sweet
flowers as the season is mistres of, and thereto make an addition of
som other compounded odours, which are grateful to the sence: all this
shall become Palamon, for Palamon can sing, and Palamon is sweet, and
ev’ry good thing: desire to eate with her, carve her, drinke to her,
and still among, intermingle your petition of grace and acceptance into
her favour: Learne what Maides have beene her companions and
play-pheeres, and let them repaire to her with Palamon in their
mouthes, and appeare with tokens, as if they suggested for him. It is a
falsehood she is in, which is with falsehood to be combated. This may
bring her to eate, to sleepe, and reduce what’s now out of square in
her, into their former law, and regiment; I have seene it approved, how
many times I know not, but to make the number more, I have great hope
in this. I will, betweene the passages of this project, come in with my
applyance: Let us put it in execution, and hasten the successe, which,
doubt not, will bring forth comfort. [Florish. Exeunt.]
Actus Quintus
Scaena 1. (Before the Temples of Mars, Venus, and Diana.)
[Enter Thesius, Perithous, Hipolita, attendants.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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