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

Scene 6.

Enter the Lady Prudence, and her Audience, and her Suter, who is a Souldier, there being two standing places, opposite to each other a purpose, one for the Suter to wooe and plead his sute, and another for the Lady to stand whilst she gives her Answer.

This rooing Souldier was written by the Lord Marquiss of New-castle.

Souldier.

Madam, I am come here to offer you a Man, a Gentleman, and a Souldier, three Titles in me, the Person that loves you, honours you, and will serve and obey you, and think it no disgrace thus to alter the Care∣chism of our old written Matrimony: If you command the breeches, you shall not only have them, but the coat too; and when you are pleased to change the name of the Sex, the gray Mare shall be the better Horse: for 'tis ashame for a man to controll a woman, but always to obey and please them from the least to the greatest of their commands: for man never seems so much man, nor masculinely inthron'd under the cloth of State, in his Royal Chair of Courage, as when he is taken prisoner, and led captive by the Fe∣male Sex. Thus, fair Divine Lady, conquer'd, thus I beg, thus I yield, thus submit: VVherefore Lady, take me, and make your self happy and me.

No Musk nor Civet courtly words I use, Nor Frenchez-pan promises to abuse Your softer Sex, nor Spanish sweets to tell, And bribe your quicker nostrils with the smell, Or let a false tear down my cheek to fall, And with dissembling kneeling therewithall, Sigh my self into Air: these fools disdain, These quarter-wits, O kick them back again: Nor am I like a Justice of the Peace, That woo's you just as he would buy a lease; Nor like an Heir, whose Tutor for his sake So many lyes of Joynter-houses make; Nor like a Lawyer that would fain intail, And when he's try'd, doth make a Jeofail; Nay thousands more, that always do dissemble For your sake, make my loving heart to tremble, Lest you should be deceiv'd.

Admired Lady, fear not my Profession, All my Drum-heads, I'll beat them to soft silence, And every warlike Trumpet shall be dumb: Our feared Colours now shall be torn off, And all our Armour be condemn'd to rust, Only my Sword I'll wear, the badge of man, Por to defend you and your Honour-still. Then Madam take me thus your loving Vassal, When lying bragging Castrils will forsake you.

Oh take a man, and joy in him for life, A Sword-man knows the virtue of a Wife.

Here ends my Lord Marquisses writing.

The Lady Prudence's Answer.

Lady Prudence.

Gallant Sir, should I accept of your Sute, I should be ei∣ther an Enemy to my self, or you, or my Country: As for my self, should I marry a Souldier, I should be tormented with the cruellest passions: for if I love my Husband, as sure I shall, I shall be perpetually frightned with his dangers, grieved for his absence, despair of his life: Every little misfortune will be as his Passing-Bell; I shall never be at rest asleep nor awake; my Dreams will present him to my view, with bleeding wounds, mangled bo∣dy, and pale visage; I shall be widow'd every minute of an hour, in my own thoughts: for as the Senses are to the Body, so the thoughts are to the Mind, and Imaginations in these, or the like cases, are as strong as a visible presence: for passions live in the Soul, not in the senses; for a man is as much griev∣ed when he hears his friend is dead or kill'd, as if he saw him dead or slain: for the dead friend lives in the mind, not the mind in the dead friend: But with these Dreams and Imaginations I shall grow blind with weeping, weak with sighing, sick with sorrowing, and deaf with listning after reports: And should you desist from that noble Profession for my sake, I should prove as a Traitor to my Country, by taking away part of the strength and support, lea∣ving the weakness to the force of the Enemy: for a good Souldier is a strong Fort and Bulwark of Defence: Indeed a skilful Commander is to be pre∣fer'd before a numerous Army: for a number of men without Order, are like dust, which the least puff of wind blows about; so an Army, not being well commanded, is quickly dispers'd, and suddenly routed upon the least errour; besides, should you desist, you would bury your name in Oblivion, when by your valiant Actions, and prudent Conduct, your memory will be placed in Fames high Tower, and writ in large Characters of praise. 'Tis true, should I marry, I should prefer my Husbands honour before his life, yet would I not willingly marry a man, whose life shall be set at the stake, and Fortune still throwing at it, for that would make me live miserably: And who would wilfully make themselves miserable, when Nature forbids it, and God commands it not?

Exit Lady.

The Lover goes sighing out