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

ACT V.

Scene 17.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1 GEnt.

Well met, I was going to your Lodging.

2 Gent.

Faith if you had gone to my Lodging you had mist of my Company.

1 Gent.

But howsoever, I should have been entertained by thy old Land∣lady, for she makes me welcome in thy absence.

2 Gent.

The truth of it is, that my Landlady as old as she is, loves the Company of men, especially of young men; for if a young man will trou∣ble himself to stay in her Company, and talk to her, she is so pleased, as she makes more wrinckles with her smiles, than Time hath made, and she will simperingly put in her Chin, as if she were but fifteen.

1 Gent.

Faith I commend women, for they will never yield to ages hu∣mours, though they are forced to yield to ages infirmities; for their minds are always young, though their bodyes be old.

2 Gent.

Indeed their minds are Girls all their life time; but leaving old women, will you go see Monsieur Phantasie?

1 Gent.

Is he so well as to admit of Visiters?

2 Gent.

Yes, for he is in a recovering condition, and state of Health.

1 Gent.

Come let us go then.

Exeunt.

Scene 18.

Enter Monsieur Heroick, and Madamoiselle La Belle.

MOnsieur Heroick.

Madam, the fame of your Beauty and Virtue hath drawn me hither, to offer my service on the altar of your commands.

Madamoiselle La Belle.

You are so great a favourite to Nature and For∣tune, and are so splenderous with their gifts, as you are able to put the confi∣dence of our Sex out of Countenance, especially I, that am by Nature bash∣full; wherefore it is unlikely I should command you.

Monsieur Heroick.

I had rather be commanded by you Lady, than to com∣mand the whole World, and should be prouder to be your Slave, than to be that sole Monarch.

Madamoiselle La Belle.

I should be sorry so gallant a man as fame reports

you to be; should have so sick a Judgment, and so ungoverned a Passion, as to yield up your liberty to a woman, and to ty your life to her vain fool∣ish humours.

Monsieur Heroick.

It is impossible that in so heavenly a form, a foolish Soul should be; for I perceive by your beautifull person, Nature hath out∣wrought her self, having not Art or skill to make a Second, and what man would not be proud to serve the only she?

Madamoiselle La Belle.

O Sir, take heed you wrong not your noble worth and merit, in being over civill; for complements are all dissembling, and dissembling runs in the ways of perjury.

Monsieur Heroick.

Pray Madam conster not my love-service and admira∣tion to an idle Visit, a vain Discourse, and false Profession; for if you ap∣pear not so beautifull to all the World, as you appear to me, yet I dare boldly tell the world, I think you so, and will maintain it with my life.

Madamoiselle La Belle.

I believe then I am more beholding to your Eyes that have contracted me into a beautifull form, than unto Nature that hath made me of a vulgar shape.

Monsieur Heroick.

Your Tongue Lady hath the power of Circes wand, to charm the Senses, and transform the shape, making all men it speaks to, ei∣ther to appear Monsters or Gods.

Madamoiselle La Belle.

You have Inthroned me with your Favours, and Crowned me with your Commendations.

Monsieur Heroick.

My desire is, that you will Crown me with your Love.

Exeunt.

Scene 19.

Enter Madamoiselle Detractor, Madamoiselle Malicious, and Madamoiselle Tell-truth.

TEll-truth.

I hear that Madamoiselle Bon shall marry her unconstant Ser∣vant, Monsieur Phantasie.

Detractor.

Faith that is a comfort, that any woman can get a Husband, whilst the Graces are young and in being.

Tell-truth.

The Graces never grow old.

Detractor.

Let me tell you, Time decays and withers all things.

Tell-truth.

No, not the Gods.

Detractor.

But Time doth waste Devotion, wears out Religion, burns up the Sacrifice of Praise, puts out the Lamp of Charity, and quenches out the Vestal fire of Zeal.

Malicious.

But then there are new Religions brought in the place or room of the old

Detractor.

Yes, and new Gods with new Religions, and new Religions and Opinions are like young beautifull Ladyes when they appear first to the view of the World; they are followed, admired, worshiped, sought, sued, and prayed to; but when they grow old, all their Servants and followers forsake them, and seek out those that are younger: so the last and newest Opinions and Religions, are accounted the best, and stuck to for a time the

closest, and followed by the greatest numbers, and have most zealous sup∣plicants; thus the Gods dy in effect.

Tell-truth.

The truth is, that all things that are young, are Strong, Vi∣gorous, Active and Flourishing; and whatsoever is old, is VVeak, Faint, Sick, and witheringly dyes.

Enter Madamoiselle Spightfull.

Spightfull.

I can tell you news.

Tell-truth.

VVhat news?

Spightfull.

VVhy Monsieur Nobilissimo to is marry Madamoiselle Amor, and his Brother Monsieur Heroick is to marry her Sister Madamoiselle La Belle.

Tell-truth.

And who is to marry the third Sister Madamoiselle Grand Esprit.

Spightfull.

She is resolved to live a single life.

Detractor.

I am glad they have chose Husbands out of the numbers of there Suters; for when they are married, I hope out of the number of there remainders, we may have some offers for Husbands.

Malicious.

For my part I shall despair, unless the third Sister Madamoi∣selle Grand Esprit would marry also; for the whole bulk of Mankind will sue to her, and never think of any other woman, whilst she is undisposed of.

Tell-truth.

But she it seems hath declared she will never marry.

Malicious.

That is all one, for men will persue their desires, and live of Hopes so long, as there is any left.

Spightfull.

Well, the worst come to the worst, we shall only live old Maids.

Tell-truth.

But not old Virgins.

Exeunt.

Scene 20.

Enter Madamoiselle Grand Esprit, her two Sisters Madamoiselle Amor, and Madamoiselle La Belle as Brides, and Monsieur Nobilissimo, and Monsieur Heroick his Brother, as Bridegrooms, and a Company of Bridal guests all as her Audience.

GRand Esprit.

Great Hymen, I do now petition thee, To bless my Sisters, not to favour me; Unless I were thy subject to obey, But I am Diana's and to her do pray; But give me leave for to decide the cause, And for to speak the truth of marriage laws; Or else through ignorance each man and wife, May rebels prove by Matrimonial strife.

Noble and Right Honourable,

From the root of Self-love grows many several Branches; as Divine, Love, Moral Love, Natural and Sympathetical Love, Neighbourly and Ma∣trimonial Love; Divine Love is the Love to the Gods, Moral Love is the

Love to Virtue, Natural Love is the Love to Parents and Children, Sympa∣thetical Love is of Lovers, or Friendships, Neighbourly Love is the Love of Acquaintance, and true Matrimonial Love is the Love of United Souls, and Bodyes; but I shall only insist or discourse at this time for my Sisters sakes, of Matrimonial Love; this Matrimonial Love, is the first imbodyed Love that Nature created; for as for Divine Love, and Moral Love, they are as incorporeal as the Soul, and Sympathetical and Matrimonial Love, which I will joyn as Soul and Body, were before Natural, or Neighbourly Love, for Marriage beget, Acquaintance, and none lives so neer nor converses so much as man and wife; and there was a Sympathy and Conjunction of each Sex, before there were Children, and there could be no Parents before there were Children; thus Matrimonial Love was the first substantial Love, and being the Original and producing Love, ought to be honoured and preferr'd as the most perfect and greatest Love in Nature; but mistake me not Noble and Right Honourable, when I say the greatest Love in Nature, I mean not the Supernatural Love, as Divine Love as to the Gods; but this Matrimonial Love, I say is to be the most respected, as the Original Love, like as Nature is to be honoured and preferred before the Creatures she makes; so Matri∣monial Love ought to be respected first, as being the cause of Friendly, So∣ciable, Neighbourly, and Fatherly Love; wherefore man and wife ought to forsake all the world, in respect of each other, and to prefer no other delight before each others good or content; for the Love of Parents and Children, or any other Love proceeding from Nature, ought to be waved when as they come in Competition with the Love man and wife; for though Matri∣monial Love is not such a Divine Love as from man to the Gods, yet it is as the Love of Soul and Body, also it is as a Divine Society, as being a Union; but Right Honourable, to tell you, my opinion is, that I belive very few are truly married; for it is not altogether the Ceremony of the Church nor State that makes a true marriage; but a Union and indissoluble Conjunction of Souls and Bodyes of each Sex; wherefore all those that are allowed of as man and wife, by the Church, State, and Laws, yet they are but Adul∣terers, unless their Souls, Bodyes, and Affections, are united as one; for its not the joyning of hands, speaking such words by Authentical persons, nor making of vows, and having Witnesses thereof, that makes a true marriage, no more than an Absolution without a Contrition, makes a holy man: wherefore dear Sisters, and you two Heroick Worthies, marry as you ought to do, or else live single lives, otherwise your Children will be of a Bastard kind, and your associating but as Beasts, which are worse than Birds, for they orderly chuse their Mates, and lovingly fly and live together, and equally labour to build their nest, to feed their young, and Sympathetically live, and love each other, which order and love few married persons ob∣serve, nor practice; but after all this, even those marriages that are the per∣fectest, purest, lovingest, and most equallest, and Sympathetically joyned, yet at the best marriage is but the womb of trouble, which cannot be avoided, also marriage is the grave or tomb of Wit; for which I am resolved for my part to live a single life, associating my self with my own Thoughts, marrying my self to my own Contemplations, which I hope to conceive and bring forth a Child of Fame, that may live to posterity, and to keep a-live my Memory; not that I condemn those that marry, for I do worship married persons, as accounting them Saints, as being Martyrs for the good cause of the Common-wealth, Sacrificing their own Happiness and Tranquillity,

for the weal publick; for there is none that marries that doth not increase their Cares and Pains; but marriage Unites into Familyes, Familyes into Villages, Villages into Cities, Cities into Corporations, Corporations into Common-wealths; this increase keeps up the race of Mankind, and causes Commerce, Trade, and Traffick, all which associates men into an Agree∣ment, and by an Agreement men are bound to Laws, by Laws they are bound to Punishments, by Punishments to Magistrates, and by Magistrates and Punishments to Obedience, by Obedience to Peace and Defence, in which Center of Peace my dear Sisters, I wish you may live, and be guarded with the Circumference of Defence, that nothing may disturb or indanger you or yours; and that you may live in true marriage,and increase with united love, blest with Virtuous Children, and inrich'd with prudent Care, and Industry: also I wish and pray that Jealousy may be banished from your Thoughts, Pains and Sickness from your Bodyes, Poverty from your Fami∣lyes, evill Servants from your Imployments, Disobedience from your Children.

And that Death may not rob you of your breed, But after your life your Children may succeed.

FINIS.