A new play call'd The Pragmatical Jesuit new-leven'd a comedy / by Richard Carpenter.

Act 2. Scen. 2.

Enter Lucifer as a Jesuit, Madam Hypocrisie, Pretty, Lucifuga.

Lucifer.

Devotion has been long filing and polishing him: Madam, you must needs intend and bend your utmost skill to reduce him.

Hyp.

Sir, I shall walk up close to what your Commands impose upon me: I will not lagg behind them, if my power faints not, and except I be arrested by ne∣cessity.

Lucifer.

Devotion in all her aims drives at this, to bring you and your Art and Power to nothing. A thing will run away through many changes, and put on many strange shapes if the Chymist or Alchymist pursues it, and endeavours the reduction of it to nothing: This way he comes: I will be near in ambush, that if your Plot flagg and hang down the head, I may discharge my strongest Machin upon him. Lucifuga, Wait you invisibly at his Elbow, on his heart-side.

Lucifug.

Sir, I will have him on the left side, the right side, the wrong-side, the in∣side, the out-side, the fore-side, the back∣side, every side.

Exit Lucifer.

Hyp.

Pretty, Let us now sweetly touch all the most Musical strings of Hypocrisie.

Prett.

Madam, Pretty will do all things handsomly.

Enter Aristotle Junior.

Hyp.

Maid, durst I be angry, I would chide you.

Prett.

Madam, durst I be stubborn or proud, I would excuse my fault: yet, prompted from within, I humbly say, that when I omitted my duty towards you, I was otherwise busied.

Hyp.

How mean you busied?

Prett.

I am very loath to answer, lest I should seem vain.

Hyp.

I charge you, answer me.

Prett.

It comes with leaden heels from my own mouth. In the contemplation of heavenly things.

Hyp.

I forgive you. Thou art as vertu∣ous as fair.

Prett.

Now Madam, durst I be angry, I would chide you.

Hyp.

Why, prythee?

Prett.

You call me vertuous: a name which unbecomes you to badge me with, or me to hear assigned to my self without a deluge of tears. O Madam, what have you done?

Hyp.

Amiss, dear Maid: I can mingle an Ocean of Tears with your Deluge, in expiation of my Crime: Forgive me Maid.

Pret.

Forgive me, Madam.

Hyp.

Your ear: Pretty, Dost thou act the Crocodile best now, or I?

Prett.

Both are as like to the Crocodile as the Crocodile is like to himself: All Preambles to the devouring of this Schol∣lar.

Hyp.

Let's change the Humour: Maid, where shall we select and pick forth a Me∣ditation for the present?

Prett.

We have Matter enough every where, Madam. Those two Turtles that stand billing yonder, are an Embleme of chast Love.

Hyp.

A most happy Subject: Let's part a little, and retrait inwardly.

They walk apart.

Arist.

I have discovered their several glances towards me: Prudence, assist me farther. Yonder pretty party-colour'd Ad∣der, watching in the greenest grass, is truly emblematical to me: I like not these af∣fected Pageants of Devotion, these paint∣ed Sepulchers, these Dunghils cover'd with Snow as with a fair sheet. Devotion in the Majesty and Royalty of it, is inward: In the outside, 'tis like a modest face, abus'd if painted: The more sublime the Star is, it appears the lesser: Deep waters are si∣lent: The rich Ears of Corn, and the Boughs heavy-laden with fruit, bow and humble their heads towards the earth that bears them. Chaffe and Straw ride upon

the Superfice of the waters to be seen, when heavy things sink, hide, and conceal them∣selves: The Silk-worm folds up and houses it self in the little Ball of Silk which it makes, and that from its inwards: Gold is modest in its shining: Jewels, though shining, are small: The Ayr is that by which ut medium diaphanum, all things here are seen, but the Ayr it self is not seen. The Empyreal Heaven, though so shining, that it is able to make a continual day amongst us, is hidden: Nihil in mari eminet praeter saxa: Nothing holds up the head at Sea, but Rocks. The Sun declining, the sha∣dowes encrease: Cernendi vis in albugine sita non est: the white of the Eye sees not. The Seminal and Medicinal Vertues are inward: The Soul is invisible.

Enter a Beggar, leaning upon his Crutches.

Begg.

Good Mistress, assist with your Charity a poor, old, lame man.

Hyp.

A poor man. A meditation of chast Love, is agreeably perfected by the practise of Charity: Old man, I am tender-ear'd: You must not beg of me twice at the same time. Because you are poor, I give you this; because you are old, this; and this, because you are lame.

Prett.

Alass poor man! I have no world∣ly goods to give you: I am a Servant. Yet, because you are poor, I give you readiness of good-will, and compassion; because you are old, and suburb'd near your grave, you shall partake of my best Devotions: and because you are lame, I give you tears, weep over you, cry with you.

Beg.

God bless you both, good Mistresses I thank you.

Exit Beggar.

Arist.

Methinks, this Charity is too full of words, too circumstantial.

Enter a Bagpiper. He playes.

Hyp.

O prophane! This is the Musick of the Bear-Garden, and of the Counttey-Alehouse: not heavenly Musick: Maid, chide him hence.

Prett.

Depart, O thou prophane Per∣son.

Hyp.

Desist: It may be this is his way of begging. Somtimes the poor call at the doors of rich men after this Piping man∣ner: Give him this Alms.

Prett.

Friend: Madam gives you a libe∣ral Almes. He both plaies and dances now. He doubles his Prophaneness.

Hyp.

Let him alone. Having receiv'd a large Almes, the poor man is overjoy'd. We may stop our ears, and look another way.

After a little while exit.

Arist.

In rich-furred beasts their Cases are far better than their Bodies: and in the Cinnamon-Tree the Bark is much dea∣rer than the Bulk: Suavius olet flos, cum folia nihil oleant: The Flower is more sweet∣sented, where the Leaves cannot be sent∣ed, as in the Violet, the Rose; scarlet, pur∣ple, or the fine crimson-Violet, is a royal Cloath, not by reason of the Wool but the Dye: In our actions the Byas wheels the other way. These hypocritical Juggles are execrable in themselves, and adverse to me: I cannot endure the presentation of them longer.

Enter Lucifer.

Lucifer.

Now the grand Genius of our Society be propitious, or I forfeit my much desired Prey. Honoured Sir, what do you here? This Woman is no sutable Con∣sort for you. Madam, I know you, and your fair Fairy Waiting-maid. Quit the Place.

Exeunt Hypocrisie and Pretty.

Sir, This was Madam Hypocrisie, her own

and very self; and the other was her act∣ing Girl, her play-maid.

Arist.

I divin'd some such thing: Truly Sir, whosoever you are, I have a reserve of Honour for you as you profess against Hy∣pocrisie. But pray Sir, let not my question be unpardonable: who are you?

Lu.

I am forsooth, a Father of the Socie∣ty. You see forsooth, what Swarms of Schis∣maticks we have in these parts; and how forsooth, that in all Meetings scarce two men appear, as the Schools speak, of the same numerical Judgment. Forsooth, the Truth is, the Nation is like a Forrest on the Coasts of Barbary; where every Beast proudly forrageth for himself according to the latitude of his strength, and combates with every living thing he comes near, ei∣ther upon the account of Offence or De∣fence: So that forsooth, this may truly be called, and in civil terms, as the Civilians speak, Religio Deserti, the Religion of the Forrest or Wilderness, or the wild Boar's and Bear's Religion.

Arist.

Sir, I find you are knowing: Hi∣ther I subscribe to your Discourse: And indeed I would steer any Discourse, that I might be set in as much distance from Hy∣pocrisie as the Globe of the earth would permit. But you know how harshly and untuneably change sounds in the ears of all men.

Lu.

Pray forsooth, courteously lend an ear: Then only Change is a Defect, when it is opposite or fals cross to the well-be∣ing or perfection of the thing changed, and is in some kind a degradation of it: This is forsooth, as the Rhetoritians speak, ipsa luce lucidius, clearer than the light or Sun: because the Heavens and heavenly Bodies are incessantly changed in their motions: We are changed for the better in our grow∣ings outward and inward: Every season of the year revels, and causes many changes in the world: which forsooth, cannot be imputed to the things changed as defects, but adhere to them as legitimate perfections of their Natures and Beings.

Arist.

Holy Sir, I do most highly value your Holiness, and your Learning: and humbly require of you more particular In∣formation.

Lucifer.

Child, give me leave, forsooth, to call you so: For now forsooth, you are, and shall be my Ghostly Child: I see for∣sooth, you are ingenious. I will send you first to Flanders; afterwards to Spain; then to Italy; to sublimate and heighten your Learning and Experience; and that you may learn the Arts and Sciences where they are best taught. More of this betwixt us in private.

Exeunt.

Lucifug.

The Field is ours: We have at last wrought him to us: Open Hypocrisie, Strumpet-like, is too palpable. I am now visible to you.

The Stratagem is then exalted high, When th' Hypocrite reviles Hypocrisie.

Exit.