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Good Nurse, where is my vertuous, sweet Mistresse?
In her chamber, Sir.
VVhat is she doing?
She is reading.
VVhat Books doth she read? are they Divinity, Morality, Philosophy, History or Poetry?
Sometimes her study is of one, and then of another; But now I think, her chief study, is you, wherein she may read humanity.
Lord child! what makes you blush?
Not crimes, but my blushing, is caused by a sudden assault, or surprisal meeting him; I did not expect to meet at this time, which raised up blushes in my face; for blushing is like the full and falling tide; for the bloud flows to the face, and from thence ebbes to the heart, as passions moves the mind;
And thoughts as waves, in curling folds do rise, And lashfull eyes, are like the troubled skies.Sweet Mistress, crimes cannot stain your cheeks with blushes, but modesty hath penseld Roses there, which seems as sweet, as they look fair.
I desire my looks and countenance, may alwaies appear so, as they may never falsly accuse me; and as I would not have my looks, or counte∣nance, wrong my innocency, or deceive the Spectators, so I would not have my heart be ungratefull to bury your presence in silence; Wherefore, I give you thanks, Sir, for the noble Present you sent me to day.
I was affraid you would not have accepted of it.
Truly, I shall refuse no Present you shall send me, although it were ushered with scorn, and attended with death.
My kind Mistress, I shall never send you any Present, but what is ushered by my love, attended by my service, and presented with the offer of my life.
Child, you are very free of kind words.
And my deeds shall answer my words, is need requires; yet I am sorry if my speaking over-much, should offend; but I chose rather, to set bosses of words on the sense of my discourse, although it obscures the glosse of my speech, than my love should be buried in my silence.
Sweet Mistresse, your loving expressions gives such joy unto my heart, and such delight unto my hearing, as my soul is inthron'd in hap∣pinesse, and crown'd with tranquility.
Pray Heaven, you both may be as full of Love, Joy and Peace, when you are married, as you express to have now; But let me tell you, young Lovers, that Hymen is a very temperate, and discreet Gentleman in love, I will assure you; neither doth he expresse himself in such high poe∣tical Raptures, for his discourse is plain, and ordinary.
Nay, sometimes his discourse is extraordinary, as when he hath Wars; but Nurse, thou art old, and the fire of love, if ever thou hadst any, is put out by old Father Times extinguisher.
True love never dyes, nor can time put it out.
'Tis true, but Nurse seems by her speech, as if she had never known true love; for true love, as it alwaies burns clear, so it alwaies flames high, far infinite is the fewel that feeds it.
Well, well? young Lovers, be not so confident, but let me advise
you to ballance reason on both sides, with hopes, and doubts, and then the judgement will be steady.
But in the scales of love, Nurse, nothing must be but confi∣dence.
Yes, there must be temperance, or love will surfeit, and dye with excess.
Love cannot surfeit, no more than souls with grace, or Saints of Heaven.