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

Scene. 25.

Enter Sir Francis Inconstant, alone, as being very melancholy.

INconstant.

I will read this Letter once again, although it shakes my Soul, and makes me almost mad.

He reads aloud the Letter.

Sir,

THe wrongs you have done me, are more than Heaven can give me patience to endure; for which wrongs, may thick black clouds of Infamy overspread your Memory; and may my Sorrows beat upon your Soul, as Northern Winds upon the Sea, and raise up all your thoughts in discontent, as raging billows, causing your voice to roar out loud with hideous noise, confounding all the Actions of your Life; and way your hopes be drown'd in the salt water of despairing Tears. The Heavens can∣not condemn me for cursing a man which hath betray'd my Youth by Flattery, violated my Chastity by Proteslations, tormented my harmless thoughts with Perjury, disquiet∣ing my peaceable Life with Misfortunes. But the burthen of my wrongs being too weighty for life to bear, hath sunk it to the Grave, where I hope all my disgrace will ••e buried with me, though not the revenges of my Wrongs; for those will punish you when I am dead: For the Gods are just, although Mankind is not.

Enter Nic Adviser, Sir Francis Inconstants man.

Inconstant.

O Nick, what a Villain am I!

Adviser.

For what Sir?

Inconstant.

For Perjury and Murther: for I did not only break those Bonds I had sealed with holy Vows, but my Falshood hath kill'd a fair young La∣dy: for she hearing I had forsaken her, and was to be maried to another, she dy'd for grief.

Adviser.

Alas Sir, we are all by Nature both frail and mortal: wherefore we must complain of Nature, of her Inconstancy and Cruelty, in making our Minds so changeable, and our Bodies so weak, the one being subject to Death, the other subject to Variety. But Sir, in my Opinion, you have no cause to grieve, but rather to rejoyce: for what you have erred by Nature, you have repaired by Fortunes favour: for if that Lady which is dead, had lived, you would have been incumber'd with many troubles.

Inconstant.

As how Nick?

Adviser.

Why you would have been as a young Bear baired by two young Whelps; the forsaken Lady railing and exclaming against you in all Com∣pany she came into, and your Wife tormenting you with sharp words and loud noise, insomuch as you would have neither ear, drank, or slept in quiet. Thus both abroad and at home you would have heard noth gbut your own reproaches.

Inconstant.

But shall not I be the same now she is dead, think you?

Adviser.

No faith Sir: for Death hath stopt the mouth of the one, and Kisses may chance to muzzle the mouth of the other; but if you be melan∣choly, your Lady will think you do repent, and will believe that you do pre∣fer the memory of your dead Mistris, before the enjoyment of your living Wife; besides, women are so jealous, as they will not allow their Husbands to think (that makes them talk so much as they do) for they think Thoughts are Bauds to Adulterous Actions, and that Imaginations commit Fornicati∣on with the Ghosts and Spirits of the dead.

Inconstant.

Well Nick I will take thy counsel, and cast off melancholy, and be merry in Jovial Company.

Exeunt.