Lucrece. But one hour more, and you shall all to rest. Now that your lord is absent from this house, And that the master’s eye is from his charge, We must be careful, and with providence Guide his domestic business; we ha’ now Given o’er all feasting and left revelling, Which ill becomes the house whose lord is absent; We banish all excess till his return, In fear of whom my soul doth daily mourn. 1st Maid. Madam, so please you to repose yourself Within your chamber; leave us to our tasks; We will not loiter, though you take your rest. Lucrece. Not so; you shall not overwatch yourselves Longer than I wake with you; for it fits Good huswives, when their husbands are from home, To eye their servants’ labours, and in care And the true manage[5.40] of his household state, Earliest to rise, and to be up most late. Since all his business he commits to me, I’ll be his faithful steward till the camp Dissolve, and he return; thus wives should do, In absence of their lords be husbands too. 2nd Maid. Madam, the Lord Turnus his man was thrice for you here, to have entreated you home to supper; he says his lord takes it unkindly he could not have your company. Lucrece. To please a loving husband, I’ll offend The love and patience of my dearest friend. Methinks his purpose was unreasonable, To draw me in my husband’s absence forth To feast and banquet; ’twould have ill become me To have left the charge of such a spacious house Without both lord and mistress. I am opinioned thus: wives should not stray Out of their doors, their husbands being away. Lord Turnus shall excuse me. 1st Maid. Pray, madam, set me right into my work. Lucrece. Being abroad, I may forget the charge Imposed me by my lord, or be compelled To stay out late, which, were my husband here, Might be without distaste, but he from hence, With late abroad, there can no excuse dispense. Here, take your work again, a while proceed, And then to bed; for whilst you sew I’ll read. [_They retire_. _Enter_ Sextus, Aruns, Valerius, Collatine, Horatius, _and_ Scevola. Aruns. I would have hazarded all my hopes, my wife had not been so late a-revelling. Valerius. Nor mine at this time of night a-gambolling. Horatius. They wear so much cork under their heels, they cannot choose but love to caper. Scevola. Nothing does me good, but that if my wife were watching, all theirs were wantoning, and if I ha’ lost, none can brag of their winnings. Sextus. Now, Collatine, to yours; either Lucrece must be better employed than the rest, or you content to have her virtues rank with the rest. Collatine. I am pleased. Horatius. Soft, soft, let’s steal upon her as upon the rest, lest having some watch-word at our arrival, we may give her notice to be better prepared: nay, by your leave, Collatine, we’ll limit you no advantage.