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

Scene 7.

Enter Madamoiselle Pleasure, and Monsieur Tranquil∣litous Peace.

PLeasure.

Passions are begot betwixt the Soul and the Body, the Reason and the Sense; and the Habitation of the Passions is the Heart, which is in the midst of man, as betwixt the Rational part, the Head, and the Sen∣sual Part.

Tranquill.

What part is that, Madam?

Pleasure.

The bestial part.

Tranquill.

What part is the bestial part? for I cannot perceive but beasts and men are alike in most parts.

Pleasure.

I am not a Lectural Reader of parts.

Tranquill.

One would think you were by your former Discourse.

Pleasure.

Why, I may mention parts, without Preaching on parts.

Tranquill.

But if Women would Preach of the parts of the Body, and leave Preaching of the Spirit and Soul, it would be better for themselves, their Husbands, Friends, and Neighbours, than it is: And if men would do the like, it would be better for themselves, their wives, and neighbours: But they preach altogether of the Soul, and yet know not what the Soul is.

Pleasure.

How would you have them preach of the Body?

Tranquill.

First, as for themselves, if they would consider: for they must consider before they Preach, which is, to Teach: If they would consider, I say, how frail the parts of Mankind are, how tender and weak every part of the body is, how apt they are to sickness & diseases, how they are subject more to pain than to pleasure, how difficult it is to keep the body from harm, how soon the body withers, decays, and dies: If Mankind did consider this of the body, they would study what was the guard, and the preservation of every part of the body; in which study they would find Temperance the only preser∣vation of parts, and life of pleasure: for in Excess pleasure dies, and pains possess the body. Thus we can destroy the body sooner by Excess, and pre∣serve it longer by Temperance, than otherwise it would be.

Secondly, for those that are maried, temperance keeps both man and wise chaste, patient, and healthful, because gluttony, debauchery, and intemperate anger, hurts the body, and destroys the body. Thus temperance keeps the place of Wedlock: for a Wife being patient, the Husband lives peaceably, being chaste, he lives honourably, being healthful, he lives comfortably; and the Husband, being temperate, he will neither be a Glutton, a Drunkard, an Adulterer, nor Gamester: for gaming hurts the body, with vexing at the losses, and sitting still, which hinders the Exercise of the body, or keeping unseasonable hours, which is pernicious to the health of the Body, as to the quiet of the Mind, and waste of their Estates. Thus a man and wife lives free from jealousies and fear of poverty

Thirdly, for their Neighbours: If they be temperate, they will neither be covetous, quarrelsome, nor envious, which will keep them from doing injury or wrong, and will cause them to be friendly and kind: for if they covet not their neighbours goods, they will not strive to possess their neighbours right; if they be not envious, they will be sociable, and helpful to each other, as good neighbours ought to be: thus they will not vex each other with Law∣sutes, and quarrelling Disputes, nor Adulteries, and the like: And if men live peaceably, it is good for the Common-wealth, as being free from faction and tumult: Besides, Peace and Love are the ground whereon all the Com∣mands of the Gods are built on.

Pleasure.

You may preach temperance, but few will follow your Do∣ctrine.

Tranquill.

Yes, Pleasure will: for without temperance there can be no la∣sting pleasure.

Exeunt.