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

ACT IV.

Scene 13.

Enter the Lady Solitary, the Lady Examination, the Lady Censurer, and a Grave Matron.

EXamination.

Come let, us go abroad, for I love to refresh my self in the Serene Ayr, taking the pleasure of every Season, as when the returning Sun sp••ns Golden Beams, which interwaves into the thiner Ayr, as Golden Threads with softer Silk, making it like a Mantle, Rich and warm, which wraps the Body of each Creature in; so in the Summer when lifferous winds do fan the sultry heat; then in the Autum that's like a temperate Bath, which is neither too hot nor too cold; then in the VVinter, when free∣sing cold doth purge the Ayr, as Physick doth the Body from most corrupt humours, and binds each loose deshevered part.

Censurer.

The VVinter will bind up your active limbs, and numb your flesh, and make your Spirits chill, besides VVinter doth bedrid Nature, the spightfull malicious and wicked Season, for it doth strive for to destroy each several thing, and it yields nothing good it self; besides it doth Imprison many things, binding them fast with Icy Chains, taking away their Natural Liberty, also it doth not only frown, and lour on the bright Sun, making his light dim and dusky, but VVinter doth untwist, and doth unweave the Suns bright Golden Beams, and wind them on dark bottoms.

Solitary.

The cold sharp Ayr is as sharp unto the touch, as a Lemon to the tast, and works a-like in some effects.

Matron.

Yes be'r Lady in causing frowning, and crumpling faces.

Solitary.

Not only so, but sharp Ayr, and sharp Lemons, do both cleanse from Putrification, and keep from Corruption.

Censurer.

But hot Ayr works upon the Body, as stronge Liquors upon the Brain, for hot Ayr distempers the Body, as strong Liquors do the Mind.

Matron.

Beshrow me, I have felt some Ayres as hot, and as burning, as Brandy-wine.

Solitary.

VVhat VVine is that?

Matron.

The VVine of VVine, the Spirits of VVine.

Censurer.

Indeed that VVine, if you call it so, which is Strong-waters, will work upon the Body as soon as the hottest Ayr, causing Feavours and other Malignant diseases.

Examination.

It seems that hot and burning Ayr, works upon the Spirits as much and as soon as the hottest Liquors, and hot Liquors upon the Bo∣dy as much as hot Ayr, both causing Feavours and Frenzies.

Matron.

In truth, and I heard that Ayr is liquid, and so is Drink, and Drunkards, like frantick persons, will do mad tricks sometimes.

Examination.

And there are several sorts of Ayr, as there are several sorts of Drinks, some colder, some hotter, some moist, and some hath dry effects, and some Ayr refreshes and quenches heat, other some dissipates and ex∣pels cold, some revives the Spirits, and some inrages them, some corrupts Bodyes, and some preserves them.

Matron.

By my Faith, I perceive Ayr and Drink have many good and bad qualities, but I had rather have good Drink and bad Ayr, than bad Drink and good Ayr, there is some substance in the one, but the other is like unto that which I have heard of but could never see, which is Incorporality; for that which is not subject to my sight, I can hardly believe it is any thing.

Censurer.

Indeed very thin Ayr is next unto nothing.

Exeunt.

Scene 14.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1 GEnt.

Tom. Adventurer is gone to be a Souldier.

2 Gent.

Yes, and he may chance to get a glorious Fame.

1 Gent.

But particular Fames are like particular Creatures, some dye and decay sooner than others, but few live to old Nestors years, and some lye Bedrid, and a great Company are decrepid and lame, others are croked and deformed from their Birth, and some by evill Fortune; and many are Or∣phans, and aboundance Bastards and Changlings; and though War makes the lowdest noise in Fames Palace, yet Wit for the most part lives the long∣est therein; for Wit is such a delightfull Company, and such pleasant pa∣stime, as old Father Time takes great care to preserve it, lapping Wit warm in the Memory, and feeding it often with Rehersals.

Exeunt.

Scene 15.

Enter the Lady Examination, and the Lady Solitary.

EXamination.

Come, Come, you will never get you a real Lover, if you delight so much in Solitaries.

Solitary.

I desire none: for real Lovers do oftentimes prove unconstant,

whereas feigned lovers are as constant as the Contemplator would have them, and as many as they would have; besides, a crowd or multitude of thoughts may rise up in the brain, and be as Spectators of one single thought, which if the Contemplator pleases may be a Lover, and the rest of the Spectators thoughts may censure of that single thought, as of his good parts, or bad, his virtues, or vices, some may praise, others dispraise, and the like; thus a Contemplator can never want Lovers, Admirers, Censurers, nor any other Company, since the Mind can present them with what thoughts they desire, not only the thoughts of Men Women and Children, but of any other Crea∣tures that Nature hath made; for why should not our Spirits or Soul delight and content us, without the real possession of outward Good, as well as the Spirits or Soul doth torment us with a real Evill? for why may not Opinion, or Fancy, as well and as much delight us, as Opinion and Fancy affright us, as they often do?

Examination.

But an over-studious Mind doth waste the Body, for the Thoughts feeds as much upon the Body, as the Body upon the meat we eat, and the Body nourishes the Thoughts as much as meat nourishes the Body, and for the most part, as the Body is effected so is the Mind, for a distempe∣red Body makes a distempered Mind, as a Luxurious Body makes an Amorous Mind; and a Feavour in the Body makes the mind frantick, for the heat of a Feavour is like Strong-water, it makes the Spirits drunk, the Thoughts dizie, and the Mind sick.

Solitary.

Indeed the Body and the Mind do most commonly agree, as in Monarchy the King and the Subjects do, the Subjects obeying the King, and the King commanding the Subjects, yet sometimes the Subjects compel the King, and sometimes the King forces the Subjects, so sometimes the Appetite compels the Reason, at other times the Reason forces the Appetite to a Mo∣deration, and sometimes the Humours of the Body which are like the sence∣less Commonalty, and the Passions of the Soul, which are as the Nobles, of∣tentimes fall out, where sometimes the Humours of the Body usurp with an uprore the Passions of the Soul, and sometimes the Passions overcome the Humours by a wise policy; but when as the Kingdome of Man is in Peace, the Imaginations in the head send down thoughts, as metal into the heart, wherein they are melted and minted into current Coin, each thought as each peece having a several stamp, some is stamped with Hate, some Spight, others Malice; some with Jealousy, some Hope, some with Fear, some Pitty, some Love, but that of Love is of the highest vallew; but these Coins serve for Commerce and Traffick in the Body, from the Authority of the Mind or Soul, whose stamp or Image each piece bears.

Exeunt.

Scene 16.

Enter Sir William Admirer, and the Lady Peaceable.

ADmirer.

Dear Mistriss how I love you!

Peaceable.

I wish I had Merits worthy your Affections.

Admirer.

You are all a man can wish in women kind, for you are young, fair, virtuous, witty and wise.

Peaceable.

Alas all youth hath more follies than years, whereas those that are old, have or ought to have more years than follies.

Admirer.

You might be thought old by your speech and actions, by rea∣son you speak so experienced, and act with such prudence and discretion; wherefore I should judge you were instructed by those that are old, and knew much.

Peaceable.

Indeed my Educators were Aged, and my Tutors, like as Pain∣ters, drew with the Pencil of the Tongue, and the Colours of Sense, and the white of Truth, on the Platform of my Brain, many figurate discourses for the Understanding to view, but my Understanding hath weak Eyes.

Admirer.

Your Understanding neither wants sight nor light, but the Lady Faction wants both, or else she had not been so uncivil to you as she was when I was with you last; were not you very Cholerick with her?

Peaceable.

I am of too Melancholy a Nature to be very Cholerick.

Admirer.

Why, are those that are Melancholy never Cholerick?

Peaceable.

I cannot say never, but yet very seldome, by reason they want that heat which makes Choler; for though the Spirits of Melan∣choly persons may be as quick as those that are Cholerick, yet they are not so fiery, for there is as much difference betwixt Melancholy and Choler, as freesing and burning, the one contracts into a sad silence, the other expulses in blows, and many extravagant actions, and angry words; but those persons which are seldome angry, as all Melancholy persons are, who are of a pati∣tient, peaceable Nature, yet when they are angry are very angry; to those persons that are naturally Melancholy, that are seldome seen to be merry or to laugh, yet when they are merry, their mirth is ridiculous, and they will laugh extremely, as at nothing, or at any thing; so those that are naturally Contem∣plative, when they do speak, they speak beyond all sense and reason, their speech flows like as a Torrent, rough and forceable; thus we may perceive that extremes one way run into extremes another way.

Admirer.

I can truly witness that you are not apt to be angry, or at least not to appear angry; for I did wonder at your humble behaviour, civil ans∣wers, patient demeanors towards the Lady Faction.

Peaceable.

I may suffer an injury patiently when I cannot avoid it, but I will never injure my self in doing such actions, or speaking such words as are unbesitting, unworthy and base.

Exeunt.