_Rob._ My grave Lord Cardinal, we congratulate, And zealously do entertain your love, That from your high and divine contemplation You have vouchsafed to consummate a day Due to our nuptials. O may this knot you knit-- This individual Gordian grasp of hands, In sight of God so fairly intermixt-- Never be sever'd, as Heaven smiles at it, By all the darts shot by infernal Jove! Angels of grace, Amen, Amen, say to 't! 10 Fair lady-widow, and my worthy mistress, Do you keep silence for a wager? _Tha._ Do you ask a woman that question, my lord, when she enforcedly pursues what she's forbidden? I think, if I had been tied to silence, I should have been worthy the cucking-stool ere this time. _Rob._ You shall not be my orator, lady, that pleads thus for your self. _Enter a_ Servant.[182] _Ser._ My lord, the masquers are at hand. _Rob._ Give them kind entertainment.--Some worthy friends of mine, my lord, unknown to me, too lavish of their loves, bring their own welcome in a solemn masque. 23 _Abi._ I am glad there's noblemen in the masque, with our husbands to overrule them; they had shamed us all[183] else. _Tha._ Why? for why, I pray? _Abi._ Why?--marry, they had come in with some city show else; hired a few tinsel coats, at the vizard-makers, which would ha' made them look for all the world like bakers in their linen bases[184] and mealy vizards, new come from boulting. I saw a show once at the marriage of Magnificero's daughter, presented by Time, which Time was an old bald thing, a servant: 'twas the best man; he was a dyer, and came in likeness of the rainbow, in all manner of colours, to show his art; but the rainbow smelt of urine so we were all afraid the property was changed, and look'd for a shower. Then came in after him, one that, it seem'd, feared no colours[185]--a grocer that had trimm'd up himself handsomely: he was justice, and show'd reasons[186] why. And I think this grocer--I mean this justice--had borrowed a weather-beaten balance from some justice of a conduit, both which scales were replenish'd with the choice of his ware. And the more liberally to show his nature, he gave every woman in the room her handful. 46 _Tha._ O great act of justice! Well, and my husband come cleanly off with this, he shall ne'er betray his weakness more, but confess himself a citizen hereafter, and acknowledge their wit, for alas! they come short. _Enter in the Masque, the_ Count of MASSINO,[187] MENDOZA, CLARIDIANA, _and_ Torch-bearers. _They deliver their shields to their several mistresses--that is to say,_ MENDOZA _to the_ Lady LENTULUS; CLARIDIANA _to_ THAIS;[188] _to_ ISABELLA, MASSINO; _to_ ABIGAIL, ROGERO. _Isa._ Good my lord, be my expositor.