Playes written by the thrice noble, illustrious and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

ACT IV.

Scene 11.

Enter the Lady Sanspareille, and takes her place, her Father, and her Audience about her, being all Morall Philosophers.

When she had done her respects speaks.

SAnsp.

By my fathers relation to me, I understand, that all this worthy As∣sembly, are students in morality; wherefore I shall treat this time of pas∣sions, wherein I make no question, being all sage, that you have not only learnt to distinguish them, but have practiced, how to temper, and govern them; but perchance you will say to your selves, what need she speak of that, which have been so often treated of, only to make repetitions of former Authors; but you all know without my telling you, that new applications may be made, on often preached Texts, and new arguments may be drawn from old principles, and new experiences may be learnt from former follies; but howsoever, my discourse shall not be very long, least redious impertinen∣cies should make it unpleasant to your eares, & cause too great a loss of time, to your better imployments; but my discourse is, as I said on the passions, which I will first divide, as the Ancient Philosophers, into two, love, and hate. First, I will treat of pure love, which is self-love, for love to all other things is but the effects thereof. And is derived therefrom, self-love is the sole passi∣on of the Soul, it is a passion pure in it self, being unmixt, although all other passions do attend it, this passion, called self-love, is the legitimated Child of Nature, being bred in infinite, and born in eternity; yet this passion of self-love, being the Mother of all other love is oftentimes mistaken for a fond, or a facile disposition, bred from a weak constitution of the body, or a strong, or rather exstravagant appetite of the Senses; or from a gross constitution, or evill habit, or custome of life, or an ill example of breeding; but these Childish humours, facile, and easy dispositions, foolish and earnest desires, gross, and greedy appetites, Inconstant, and evill Natures, these are not pure love, as the effects of self-love, for it doth it self hurt; but they are the effects of the body, and nor of the Soul, for some of them proceeds from a gross strength of body, hot, and active spirits, others from a tenderness, and weak∣ness of body, and faint spirits; but the true passions of love, which is self-love, but mistake me not, for when I say self-love, 〈…〉〈…〉, as is apper∣taining

thereto, as love of honour, love of virtue, humane love, naturall love, pious love, Sympatheticall love, which are the true begotten Children of self-love: This love, hath no other object, but perfection, it hath an absolute command over life, it conquers death, and triumphs over torments, but every soul hath not this pure love, for there is a seeming self-love, and a reall self-love; but as I said, every soul hath it not, for it is with souls, and the passi∣ons therein, as with bodyes, and the sensuall life, some bodyes are more healthfull, and strong, others infirm and weak, some are fair, and well favou∣red, others foul and ill favoured, some are straight & well shapt, others crook∣ed and deformed, some high, some low, some are of long life, others of short life, some lifes have more actions than others, some more sensitive relishes, than others, some good Natures, some bad, and all of that sort of Animals, we call mankind, and as the body and sensitive Spirits, so for the Soul and rationall Spirits, for some hath (as I may say) more Soul than others, as some hath larger Souls than others, some purer than others, as being more Serene; & some hath more ingenuity, and understanding than others. So passions, although one and the same sorts of passions, yet in some Souls, they are more Serene, and ele∣vated than others; but many times the pure passions of the Soul is so allyed, with the gross humours of the body, as they become base, and of no good use; but in the passion of pure love, for the most part, dwels naturally Melan∣cholly: I mean, not that dry, cold, sharp humour, bred in the body, which makes it Insipid, inclosing the Soul, (as it were,) within Walls of stone, which causeth a dull, heavy, and stupid disposition, as it oppresseth, and lyes, like a heavy burthen on the Soul, hindering the active effects thereof; but this naturall Melancholly, dwells not in every Soul, but onely in the noblest; for it is the noblest effect, of the noblest passion, in the noblest Soul. As for the passion of hate, it is not that lothing, or aversion, which is caused by a full, or sick Stomack, or surfetted Senses, or glutted Appetites, or cross hu∣mours, or an Antipathy of dispositions, or evill fortunes, or the like; but the true passion of hate, is, in the Soul, not bred in the body; yet hate is a bastard passion of self-love, begot by opposition, bred from corruption, and born with disturbance, this hate as it is derived, from the bowels, and loynes of self-love, so it pursues self-loves enemyes, which is suspect falshood, and neg∣lect: With this passion of hate, anger is a great Companion; these two pas∣sions being seldome assunder; but anger is oftentimes mistaken, as all the rest of the passions are, but this passion of anger, is one of the uselest passions of the Soul, and is so far from assisting forritude, as many think it doth; as it is an opposite enemy to it, for it cannot suffer patiently, and oftimes knows not what it Acts, or on what it Acts, or when it Acts; this passion is one of the furyes of the Soul, which oftimes deposes reason; but a Chollerick dispo∣sition, is sooner to be pardoned, and less to be feard, being bred in the body, and as the humour ebbes, and flowes, this disposition is less, or more. But to return to the two Principle passions, which is love, and hate; I will at this time similize them, to two several Kingdoms, or Regions, love being the lar∣gest, for it reaches to the shades of death, and strongest, for it can indure, and hold out the assaults of any torment, being intrenched with fidelity, fortifi∣ed with constancy, imbatled with courage, victualled with patience, and ar∣med, or manned with resolution; and were it not for the many labyrinths of feats, running in and out, with continuall doubts, wherein, the con∣tent of the mind, is oftentimes lost, otherwayes it would be as pleasant a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as it is a strong one, having large prospects of honour, and Land-Skips

of perfection; green Meddows of hopes, wherein grows sweet Prim∣roses of Joy, and clear springs of desires, runs in swift streams of industry, by the banks of difficulty, besides this Kingdome is allwayes serene, for the Sun of Fervency of allwayes shines there: In this large Kingdome of love, reigns naturall Melancolly, who is the Heroick Royallest, soberest, and wisest Prince born, in the mind, he directs his Actions with pru∣dence, defends his Kindome with courage, indures misfortunes with patience, moderates his desires with temperance, guides his Senses with judgment, orders his Speech with Sence, and governs his thoughts with reason, he is the commander of the Appetites; living in the Court of ima∣ginations, in the City of silences, in the Kingdome of love, in the little world called Man; and the greatest favorite to this Prince, is wit, and the Muses, are his Mistrisses, to whom he applies his Courtship, recreating himself in their delightful! Company, entertaining himself with Balls, Maskes, Pasto∣rills, Comedyes, Tragedyes, and the like, presenting them in the Bowers of fancy, built in the Gardens of Oratory, wherein growes flowers of Rhetorick; but the greatest enemies to this Prince, is unseasonable mirth, which oftimes disturbes his peace, by bringing in an Army of empty words, sounding their loud Trumpets of laughter, shooting of bald jests, beating the drums of idle∣ness, with the sticks of ridiculous Actions. But hate, although it be a King∣dome that is very strong, by reason it hath high mountainous designes, hard Rocks of cruelties, deep pits of obscurity, many Quagmires of subtilty, by which advantages, this Kingdome is inpregnable; yet the Kingdome of its self is barren, and Insipid, bearing nothing but thorny Bushes, of mischief and moss, of ill Nature, no noble thoughts, or worthy Actions, the climate is various, for the Aire of the mind is gross, having thick mists of envy, which causeth several sicknesses of discontent, other whiles it is very cold and sharp with spight, other times it is sulphury hot, with malice, which flashes light∣ning of revenge, which in a thundery fury breaks out: In this Kingdome of hate, reigns anger, who is a Tyrant, and strikes at every smale offence, and many times on Innocence, and so unjust, as he seldome takes witnesses, pride, and jealousy, are his favourites, which governs all with scorn, and executes with fury; he imposes taxes of slander, and gathers levies of detracti∣on; exception is his secretary, to note both wordes and Actions, he accu∣seth the Senses with mistakes, and beheads the Appetites, on the Scaffolds of dislike, he strangles truth, with the Cords of Erronious opinions, and tor∣tures the thoughts one Wheels of foul suspition, whipping imagination with disgrace, he confounds the Speech with disordered hast, that neither Sence, nor wordes, can take their right places; but anger dyes as most Tyrants doth, being kild by repentance, and is buryed in salt teares; betwixt these two Kingdoms of love, and hate, runs a salt Sea, of sorrow, which sometimes breaks into the Kingdome of love, and sometimes into the Kingdome of hate, from this Sea arises thick vapours of grief, which gathers into dark Clouds of sadness, which Clouds dissolves into showring tears, or windy sighs; but if this Sea be rough with the storms of misfortunes, or fomented with the tempest of impatience, it makes a dolourous noise of complaints, and laments, roleing with restless bellowes of discontent, this is the King∣dome of love, but when this Sea breaks into the Kingdome of hate, it makes a hidious noise, a roaring, with exclamations, and cursings. Also from this Sea flowes four rivers, quite through these two Kingdoms; two through the Kingdome of hate, and two through the Kingdome of love, those two

through the Kingdome of love, are pitty, and compassion; which when they meet makes a full tide, of Charity, and overflowes with bounty; but those that runs through the Kingdome of hate, are the two rivers, of fury, and despair, when these two rivers meet, they make a full tide of madness, and overflowes with mischief; but fearing I should drown your patience with my overflowing discourse, I shall desist for this time.

After a Civill respects

She goeth out.

And one of the Company after she was gone speaks thus.

My Lord Marquess writ this following speech.

Were all dead Moralls Writers, risen again, and their each several souls crusht into one, that Soul would languish, till it sted the earth, in deep des∣pair, to see their gloryes last, and all their vaster writings, so dispised.

Thus by the Musick of a Ladyes tongue, Whose Cords, with wit, and judgment, is thus strung.

Ex.

Here ends my Lord Marquess.

Scene 12.

Enter the Lady Innocence and Adviser, an old Man, of the Lord de l'Amours, as following the Lady Innocence.

ADviser.

Pray young Lady stay, and take good Counsel along with you.

Lady Innocence.

Good Counsel is a guest I would willingly entertain, and be glad of his acquaintance, and endeavour, to make a perfect friendship with, and a constant Companion.

Adviser.

Then pray Madam have a care of the Lady Incontinent, for she is full of designs against you, as I perceive by what I hear her say to my Lord.

Lady Innocence.

Your Lord is a person of so much worth, and merit, as he will not yield to plots of destruction, to destroy the Innocent, he hath more Charity to heal a wound, than cruelty to make one; his tender Nature, and compassionat disposition, will strive to dry wet eyes, not force dry eyes to weep.

Adviser.

My Lord, Madam, is a generous, and noble Lord, but she is a dissembling crafty Lady, and knowes how to attract my Lord, and to winn him, to be of her beliefe, and I give you warning as a faithfull Servant, both to my Lord and you.

Lady Innocence.

I thank you friend, for your advertising me of this Lady; but I shall trust my self to heavens protection, fortunes favour, and your ••••••ds noble, and just Nature.

Ex.

Scene 13.

Enter two Men.

1. GEntleman.

The Lady Sanspareilles wit, is as if it would over-power her brain.

2. Gentleman.

O no, for her brain seems so well tempered, as if there were no conceptions, which springs therein, or propositions, or knowledge, pre∣sented thereunto; but it doth digest them with great ease, into a distin∣guishing understanding, otherwise she could not deliver her mind, and ex∣press her conceits, or opinions, with such method, and facility, as she doth.

1. Gentleman.

She hath a Monstrous wit.

2. Gentleman.

No, her wit is not a Monstrosity, but a generosity of Na∣ture, it is Natures bounty to her.

1. Gentleman.

Certainly, Nature was never so bountifull, to any of that Sex, as she hath been to her.

2. Gentleman.

The truth is, she favours the Female Sex, for the most part, more than she doth the Masculine Sex; because she is of the Female kind herself.

1. Gentleman.

Faith, I could wish that I never wisht before.

2. Gentleman.

What wish is that?

1. Gentleman.

Why, I wish, I were a Woman, but such a Woman as the Lady Sanspareille.

2. Gentleman.

Ovid speaks of a Woman, that wisht her self a Man, and the Gods granted her with, and she became a Man; but I never heard of a Man that was changed into a Woman.

1. Gentleman.

That was, by reason they never wisht that change.

2. Gentleman.

That is a sign they thought the change would be far the worse.

1. Gentleman.

Indeed, generally it would be so.

2. Gentleman.

Well, for thy sake, I wish thou hadst thy wish.

Ex.

Scene 14.

Enter the Lady Innocence, as musing by her self alone.

Then Enter her Maid Passive.

PAssive.

My dear Mistriss, what makes you so studious, as you are become pale with musing?

Lady Innocence.

The reason is, that my Soul is flown out of my body, with the wings of desire, to seek for love; and my thoughts laboriously wanders after it, leaving my Senses, to a soiltary life, and my life to a Melancholly musing.

Passive.

Faith, I had rather be buryed under the ruins of hate, than have a Melancholly life.

Lady Innocence.

And I am Melancholly, for fear I should be so buryed.

Passive.

If you would have love, you must give love.

Lady Innocence.

Indeed love is like a Coy-Duck, it goeth out to invite, or draw in others.

Passive.

Nay faith, a Coy-Woman cannot do so, for the Coyer she is, the fewer Lovers she will have, for Coynes starves Lovers, wherefore, if you would not starve your beloved, you must be free, and twine about him, as the Ivy doth the Oke.

Lady Innocence.

Modesty forbids, it but were it lawfull, and that it did not infring the Lawes of modesty, I could hang about his neck, as the earth to the Center, but I had rather starve my delights, than do an Act immodest, or sursite his affection.

Ex.