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

About this Item

Title
Playes written by the thrice noble, illustrious and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.
Author
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.
Publication
London :: Printed by A. Warren, for John Martyn, James Allestry, and Tho. Dicas ...,
1662.
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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A53060.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Playes written by the thrice noble, illustrious and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A53060.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2024.

Pages

Scene 3.
Enter Madamoiselle Pleasure, and Grave Temperance her Gover∣ness, and five Waiting-maids, namely, VVanton, Idle, Ease, Excess, and Surfet.
VVAnton.

Women that love the Courtship of men, must change themselves into as many several humours as Protheus shapes; as sometimes gay and merry, sometimes grave and majestical, sometimes me∣lancholy, sometimes bashful and coy, sometimes free and confident, some∣times patient, and sometimes cholerick, sometimes silent, and sometimes dis∣coursive, according as they find those humours they meet with.

Ease.

Let me tell you, Wanton, they must love Courtship well, that will take such pains to transform themselves so often, to please, or rather to get Lovers.

Temperance.

You say well, Ease, but they rather lose than gain by the bar∣gain; for the charge of troublesome observance, is more than the profit they receive therefrom.

Ease.

Truly, Mistris Temperance, there is no delight in pains-taking, ask my Lady Pleasure.

Madam. Pleasure.

No truly Ease; but a sweet civility, a modest behaviour and countenance, and a pleasing speech, gains more Lovers than a metamor∣phos'd humour.

Temperance.

In truth a well-temper'd humour is easie to themselves, and delightful to others.

Wanton.

You speak for Lovers, but there is a difference betwixt Court∣ship and Love; for dull Love is contented to be entertained only with plain truth, and is constant to an honest heart, but sprightly Courtship delights in extravagancies, lives in varieties, but dies in particulars or singularities.

Pleasure.

True delight lives in true love.

Page 250

Temperanc.

And true Love lives in Temperance.

Ease.

And Temperance lives in Ease.

Idle.

And Ease lives in Idleness.

Wanton.

And Idlenesse lives in Wantonnesse, and Wantonnesse lives in Pleasure.

Pleasure.

Let me tell you, VVanton, that Pleasure doth not live in Wan∣tonnesse nor Idlenesse; for Pleasure lives in Peace, maintained by Plenty, instructed by Prudence, protected by Justice, and governed by Grave Tempe∣rance here.

Exeunt.
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