_Isa._ Thus innocence by craft is soon betray'd.-- My Lord Gniaca, 'tis your art must heal me; I am love-sick for your love; love, love, for loving! I blush for speaking truth; fair sir, believe me, Beneath the moon nought but your frown can grieve me. _Gni._ Lady, by Heaven, methinks this fit is strange. _Isa._ Count not my love light for this sudden change: By Cupid's bow I swear, and will avow, I never knew true perfect love till now. 80 _Gni._ Wrong not yourself, me, and your dearest friend; Your love is violent, and soon will end. Love is not love unless love doth persever; That love is perfect love that loves for ever. _Isa._ Such love is mine; believe it, well-shaped youth, Though women use to lie, yet I speak truth. Give sentence for my life, or speedy death. Can you affect me? _Gni._ I should belie my thoughts to give denial; But then to friendship I must turn disloyal. 90 I will not wrong my friend; let that suffice. _Isa._ I'll be a miracle; for love a woman dies. [_Offers to stab herself._ _Gni._ Hold, madam; these are soul-killing passions. I'd rather wrong my friend than you yourself. _Isa._ Love me, or else, by Jove, death's but delay'd. My vow is fix'd in heaven; fear shall not move me; My life is death with tortures 'less you love me. _Gni._ Give me some respite, and I will resolve you. _Isa._ My heart denies it; My blood is violent; now or else never. 100 Love me! and like love's queen I'll fall before thee, Enticing dalliance from thee with my smiles, And steal thy heart with my delicious kisses. I'll study art in love, that in a rapture[248] Thy soul shall taste pleasure's excelling nature. Love me! Both art and nature in large recompense Shall be profuse in ravishing thy sense. _Gni._ You have prevail'd; I am yours from all the world; Thy wit and beauty have entranced my soul; 110 I long for dalliance, my blood burns like fire. Hell's pain on earth is to delay desire! _Isa._ I kiss thee for that breath. This day you hunt; In midst of all your sports leave you Massino;[249] Return to me, whose life rests in thy sight, Where pleasure shall make nectar our delight. _Gni._ I condescend to what thy will implores me; He that but now neglected thee adores thee. But see, here comes my friend; fear makes him tremble. _Enter_ MASSINO,[250] ANNA, _and_ Doctor. _Isa._ Women are witless that cannot dissemble: 120 Now I am sick again.--Where's my Lord Massino?[250] His love and my health's vanish'd both together. _Mass._ Wrong not thy friend, dear friend, in thy extremes; Here's a profound Hippocrates, my dear, To administer to thee the spirit of health.