The deseruing fauorite. As it was lately acted, first before the Kings Maiestie, and since publikely at the Black-Friers. By his Maiesties seruants. Written by Lodovvicke Carlell, Esquire, Gentle-man of the Bovves, and Groome of the King and Queenes Priuie Chamber.
About this Item
Title
The deseruing fauorite. As it was lately acted, first before the Kings Maiestie, and since publikely at the Black-Friers. By his Maiesties seruants. Written by Lodovvicke Carlell, Esquire, Gentle-man of the Bovves, and Groome of the King and Queenes Priuie Chamber.
Author
Carlell, Lodowick, 1602?-1675.
Publication
At London :: Printed [by William Stansby] for Mathevv Rhodes [and John Rhodes],
1629.
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Cite this Item
"The deseruing fauorite. As it was lately acted, first before the Kings Maiestie, and since publikely at the Black-Friers. By his Maiesties seruants. Written by Lodovvicke Carlell, Esquire, Gentle-man of the Bovves, and Groome of the King and Queenes Priuie Chamber." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A17968.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 9, 2024.
Pages
Actus primus, Scoena prima.
Enter Mariana and Lysander.
Mariana.
COme, prethee tell me brother, why ar't sad.
Lys.
From thee my dearest SisterI haue not hid my neerest touching secrets:Thou know'st how truly I did loue,And how at last I gain'd my deare Clarinda.
Mari.
I doe; and wish that I could tell you such a secret of mine owne; for of all men liuing, I thinke you most happy.
Lys.
Most miserable of men.
Mari.
How can that be! is not Clarinda yours?In which (were I a man) I should beleeueMore happinesse consisted, then for to be a Monarch.
Lys.
Clarinda yet is mine.
Mari.
Nothing can take her from you but the graue,I hope she is not sicke.
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Lys.
Nothing can take her from me deare Mariana,But I must giue her.
Mar.
Why, loue you any one so wel to giue away your heartI know shee's dearer to you?
Lys.
She's so much deerer to me then my heart,That I must kill my heart if I doe giue her.
Mari.
Be plaine sweet brother.
Lys.
The Duke who is too neere a kin in loueAnd bloud to our dread Soueraigne to be deny'd,Dyes for Clarinda.
Mar.
Why, thinke you shee'l proue false?
Lys.
Shee false! Oh no:It is I must play the traytor to my selfeVertue doth vndermine my happinesse,And blowes it vp. I must release my interestIn Clarinda, that she may marry this loue-sicke Duke,And saue his Life.
Mari.
Why who compels it?
Lys.
Gratitude compels it;For to the Duke I owe my life and fortunes,My fortunes when my wicked Vncle would haueWrested from me by false witnesse that stateWhich I am now possest of; which the Duke finding,He imploy'd his power, and so I had my right:My life I then receiued: when I was rescuedBy his valour from the dreadfull bore,Which I (too young) thrust on by honor, venterd to assayle,Yet all these obligations touch me not so neere,As doth the danger of the Count Ʋtrante,(Clarinda's Father) who hath beene long a prisoner,For the same cause for which my Father fled.
Mari.
He is now at liberty.
Lys.
It is true he hath his liberty, and greater honorsAre propos'd if he can win his DaughterTo marry with the Duke, then he hath lost:But on the other side, if she denye.
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And it doth wholly lie in me to make her grant,Her Fathers head is in danger, the KingSo passionately doth loue the Duke.
Mari.
How came you by this miserable knowledge.
Lys.
Sister, you know I often visitedThe Count Ʋtrante in the prison, besidesThe wish'd occasions which I euer tookeTo waite vpon his Daughter thither;This he so gratefully accepted,That now that he hath liberty,He still sends for me, where I chanc'd to be last night,And as a friend heard when he did propound it to Clarinda.
Mari.
Then he doth no way suspect there's loue betwixt you;But tell me Brother how poore ClarindaDid receiue her Fathers deadly proposition.
Lys.
Her Father not belieuing that she would denySo great a blessing, came with ioy to tell her,That which once told, forc'd teares from her faire eyes,At which, he being amazed, desired to knowThe cause, why she receiu'd his and her happinesseWith somuch sorrow: she answer'd him with broken sighes,Offering to teare her haire; which when I would not,Giue her leaue to doe, she curst her beauty,As the cause of all this mischiefe: at lastConsidering who it was that spoke,A Father, that deseru'd an answere:Her iudgement shut her passions in a lesse roome;For hauing calm'd the tempest of her greefes,She mildly answer'd that she was happyIn his liberty, though now she sawIt was but giuen him to procure her bondage;For such she did account all ties of marriageMade by the parents without the childs consent,Though nere so rich or hononrable.
Mari.
And hauing said so, did she not cast her watry eyesVpon you, and in this sad, yet pleasing language,
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Tell you, that she would not forsake you for the Duke.
Lys.
It is true, shee did so; there is no tongueThat can expresse the hearts of those that loueLike their owne eyes: but Sister, it will be lateBefore you reach the Forrest, the Princesse tooMay wonder at your stay.
Mari.
Brother it's true; but I so seldome see you,That I'le not goe, vnlesse you promise to come and see me.
Lys.
You know the strict command,That none but those appointed should come neere the Lodge.
Mari.
That is but your excuse;I haue told you how often the PrincesseEarnestly hath desir'd to see you; yet you would neuer goe.
Lys.
Sister, I feare these sad occasions will hinder me;But I will write.
Mari.
Will you not come sixe miles to see a SisterThat so dearely loues you?
Lys.
Sister, I know you loue, nor will I be a debter;You are both my Friend and Sister.
Exeunt.
Flourish. Enter King, Ʋtrante, and Attendants.
King.
My Lord Vtrante, can you not thenPerswade your Daughter to receiue a Blessing,Which euen the greatest Ladies in this KingdomeWould desire on their knees:
Enter Duke and Followers.
Is this a Man to be neglected? Though he were notA Kinsman to your King: besides, my Lord,Remember you may draw vpon your selfeOur high displeasure by her refusall.
Duke.
Great Sir, let not your loue and care of meBarfaire Clarinda the freedome of her choyce,By threatning punishments vnto her Father,If she choose not me: for, should she, offended,Which she might iustly be, if I should seemeTo force Loue from her, it were not within your power;
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Though that you would giue all that you possesse,To make me satisfaction for the wrong.
King.
Yes, I could make you satisfaction,Though shee were offended; by forcing herInto your armes, to whom the wrong was done.
Duke.
Her Person Sir you might, but not her Minde;Which is indeed the obiect of my Loue,That's free from your subiection: for it's freeFrom Loue, a greater power by farre.
Ʋtran.
My Lord, I thinke shee's free from reason too,For did that gouerne her, she could not thus neglectHer happinesse: or rather she may yet suspect, your LordshipDoth not meane what you professe; and from that feareSeemes coy, till she be more assured.
Duke.
I cannot pluck my heart out of my brestTo shew her (I wish I could) yet liue to doe her seruice:There she might see her worth truely ingrauenIn lasting Characters, not to be razed outBy the hand of Time; nor (which is more) her scorne.
King.
Cozen, if you will be rul'd by me,I'le make her leape with ioy into your armes.
Duke.
Sir, so that it be by no way of violence,I will obey you.
King.
In act I'le vse no way of violence;Yet I must threaten it.
Duke.
Sir, if you threaten her, you ruine me;Her Sun-bright Eyes, by faithfull seruice,May in time shine gently on me, and warmeMy frozen hopes. But on the contrary,Shee knowing thar I'm the cause of these your threatnings,Will from her iust vext soule throw curses on me.I would not see thee heauen of her faire face,Clouded with any raised by my power, to be a Monarch.
King.
You know my loue, and you presume vpon it,Take your owne way of loue, deliuer vp your selfeVnto her mercy, that I would make at yours,
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Would you be ruled: go, see your Mistris,Tell her you loue her more then euer man did woman;To proue which true, pray her that shee'l command youTaskes more dangerous, then did the enuious IunoTo great Hercules: all which you will performeWith much more ease; since you by her commandShall vndertake 'em whose vertue hath the powerTo arme you 'gainst a world of dangers: doe,Make her proud with praises, and then seeHow she will torture you.
Duke.
Sir, she may torture me, and iustly too,For my presumption: since I haue daredTo tell so much perfections that I loue,Not being first made worthy by my sufferingFor her.
Vtran.
My Lord, if you'l be pleas'd to grace my houseThis day she either shall requite your sufferings,O I will deny her for a child of mine.
Duke.
My Lord, most willing, I would see faire Clarinda,But not vpon such conditions; nothingBut gentle intreaties must be vs'd: for tho the KingWere pleas'd to say that my humilityWould make her proud; I would not haue a subiectSay, not you that are her Father, that she canDoe an act or thinke a thought that tends notTo perfection.
King.
Come my Lords, we will goe hunt a Stag to day,And leaue my Cozen to his amorous thoughts.
Exe. K. Atten.
Duke.
I thanke your Maiestie for this dayes licence:My Lord Vtrante, shall I then see Clarinda,And will you lend your best assistanceTo make me Master of a happinesse, the world may enuy.
Ʋtran.
My Lord, you make an Idol of a peeuish Girle,Who hath indeed no worth but what you pleaseTo giue her in your opinion.
Duke.
I must not heare you thus blaspheme.
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You might as well say Pallas wanted wisdome,Diana chastitie, or Ʋenus beautie,As say she wanted worth, for euery seueral excellenceThat shin'd in them, and made themBy mens admirations Goddesses,Flow mixt in her; indeed shee hathToo much of Dians Ice about her heart,And none of Ʋenus heate: but come my Lord,I lose my selfe in her vast praises, and soDeferre the ioy of seeing what I so commend.
Exe.
Enter Iacomo and Lysander at seuerall dores.
Lys.
Good morrow honest Iacomo, is my young Ladie readie?
Iaco.
She is my Lord.
Lys.
And where's her Father?
Iaco.
He was this morning early sent for by the King.
Lys.
Tell your Ladie I would speake with her.
Iaco.
My Lord I will.
Exit.
Lys.
The Count Ʋtrante is happie in this honest seruant:Let me before I doe perswade Clarinda, consider well;Surely that houre in which I see her led to the Temple,And there made fast with Hymeneall rights vnto another,Will be my vtmost limit, and death is terrible;Not where there is so glorious a reward propos'd,As is her happinesse: shee shall be happie,And in her happinesse consisteth mine,Haue I not often sworne I lou'd her betterThen my selfe? and this is onely left to make it good.
Enter Clarinda and Iacomo.
Clar.
Good morrow noble Brother, for by that titleI am proud to call you, being deny'd a neerer.
Lys.
It is a title that I am blest in,Nor can there be a neerer betwixt vs two,Our soules may embrace, but not our bodies.
Clar.
Let vs goe walke into the Garden, and thereWee may freely speake, and thinke vpon some remedyAgainst this disaster.
Exeunt Lys. & Clar.
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Iaco.
What a dull Slaue was I; had not I last night ouer∣heard their louing parley, I neuer once should haue suspected that they had beene in loue: shee alwaies seem'd an enemie to loue, yet hath been long most desperate in loue with this young Lord, which quite will spoyle my hopes at Court; yet when I better thinke, it will be for my aduantage, as I may handle it and further my reuenge; for I will insinuate my selfe into the Dukes good opinion, by making a discouery of their loues: and then aduise him that there is no way to gaine Clarinda's heart, till first Lysander be remou'd by some employment; for out of sight with women out of minde; or if hee impatient of delayes; I will aduise him to vse some bloudy meanes; which if he want an Instrument to do, I will effect it my selfe, pretending that it is out of loue to him when it is indeed the satisfaction of mine owne reuenge; and when the Duke is once a partner of my vil∣lany, I will be richly paid for what I do, or else for all his great∣nesse I will affright him.
For though great men for bloudy deedsGiue money to a Knaue;Yet if hee bee a witty one like mee,Hee'l make that Lord his Slaue.
Exit.
Enter Clarinda and Lysander.
Clar.
Come, let vs sit downe, for I am tyr'dWith walking; and then I will tell youHow I am resolu'd to free vs from this torment.
Lys.
I feare there is no remedy, but we must part.
Clar.
Yes, if you will giue consent to whatI shall propound.
Lys.
First let me heare it.
Clar.
My Father, though he haue his liberty,Is not yet restor'd to his Lands: when nextThe Duke doth visit me, which I beleeue willBe to day; Ile seeme as if I did mistrust his loueTo be but fain'd; he then will striue by some strongTestimony, to proue hee truly loues:
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Then will I vrge my Fathers restorationTo his Lands, which he being once possest of,Will not be hard for me, the world knowingHow well he loues me, to get some coine and IewelsIn my power, sufficient to maintaine vsIn some other Country, where we like shepheardsOr some Country folkes may passe our time with ioy:And that we may without distrust effect this,I to the Duke will promise, that when a monethIs expir'd, if he will come and lead me to the Church,I'le not refuse to goe, doe you approueOf this Lysander?
Lys.
No, deare Clarinda,Though most men hold deceit in loue for lawfull,Lysander doth not; Ere you for me shall spotYour yet pure selfe with such a staine, as to beA deceiuer, this sword shall pierce my heart:The debt I owe you is too great already,And till I cleere some part, I shall vnto my selfeAppeare a most vngratefull man. When first I saw you,The height of all my aymes was onely to haue leaueTo loue you, so excellent I then esteem'd you:But you in time, out of your bounty,Not for my desert; for no desert can reachYour height of merit, gaue loue for loue,For which I owe my life sau'd by that mercyFrom despaire, and lent me for to serue you.
Clar.
You are too thankfull, and attribute thatTo my bounty, which was the wages of your trueAnd faithfull seruice.
Lys.
Were this granted, yet how euer I shall be ableTo free my selfe from that great burden of debtWhich your intended flight for my sakeWill lay vpon me, as yet I cannot see;For did at all value your owne happinesse,You could not thus flie the meanes
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That can best make you so.
Clar.
Lysander, to what tends this great acknowlegement?I vnderstand you not, what is your meaning?
Lys.
My meaning, deare Clarinda, is to make you happie,And I coniure you by your affection,And all that's deare to you, to lay byThat little portion of wilfulnesseWhich being a woman you are forc'd to haue,And heare me with your best attention,And with the same affection, as if I wereYour Brother, which if the heauens had pleas'dTo make me, I had beene most happy,With your best reason looke vpon your present fortune;Looke first vpon the man from whence you had your being,And see in reason what pitty it will challenge from you;A noble ancient Gentleman, depriu'd of LandsAnd honors, by iniustice, that as a strangerMight exact your pitty; but as a Child,It being within your power, it forceth your consentTo giue a remedy: If pity of your Fathers fortuneCannot moue you, pitty your owne I beseech you,Consider not of me as a tormented Louer,That hath lost his Mistris, but as a fortunate Brother,Fortunate in seeing of his Sister, whom he dearly louesMarried to one so worthy, whose meritsCompels fortune to waite vpon him, for such the Duke is,Whom you must not refuse, for such a pooreVnworthy man as I am.
Clar. Lysander,
should I grant your want of worth,I then must giue consent to the committingOf a Sacriledge against the Gods, in suffering youTo rob your selfe, you being the purest Temple,That yet they euer built for to be honour'd in:And for the Duke each worth which you expresse of him to me,Is but a doubling of your owne,The way to speake for him, were to appeare
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Your selfe lesse, worthy, in this your worths increase.
Lys.
Would you but looke with an impartiall eye,On our deseruings; you soone would find meThe lesse worthy; for euen in that, whereinYou thinke me not to be equal'd, he goesFarre beyond me, (I meane in true affection)For being but a priuate man as I am,Who would not thinke him blest to loue, and be belou'dBy you that are esteem'd the wouder of this Age:But for the Duke, within whose power it liesTo choose the most transplendent Beauty of this Kingdome,Set off wirh Fortunes best endowments; for him, I say,To choose out you amongst a world of Ladies,To make the sole Commandresse of him selfe,Deserues (if you would giue your reason leaue to rule)The neerest place in your affection.
Clar.
Doe not thus vainly striue to alter my opinion,Of your worth with words, which was so firmly groundedBy your reall actions; it is a fault, but I will striueTo wash it from you with my teares.
Lys.
These teares in her stagger my resolution;For sure he must be worthiest for whom she weepes:Clarinda, drie your eyes.
Enter Iasper.
Clar.
How now Iasper, where is my Father?
Ias.
Madame, he doth desire that you will make you ready,To come to Supper to the Dukes to night.
Clar.
He was resolued to haue sup'd heere,How hath he chang'd his mind!
Ias.
Madame he desires you not to fayle.But come and bring my Lord here with you.
Clar.
Well, I will obey him.
Exeunt.
Enter two Seruants.
1.
Come, prethee be carefull, we shall gaineMore vpon my Lords good opinion,If we please him this day, then hereafter
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In the whole seruice of our liues.
2.
Why prethee?
1.
Here will this day be his faire Mistris ClarindaAnd her Father.
2.
I thought it was some extraordinary occasion,He was himselfe so carefull; will there be none else?Will not the King be here? the entertainmentWould be worthy of him.
1.
It may be braue Lysander will be here, none else;For he is alwayes with the Count Ʋtrante.
2.
When came he home from trauaile?I did not see him since hee lay here in my Lords houseTo be cured of the wounds the bore gaue him.He owes my Lord for sauing of his life then,I helpt to bring him out of the field.
1.
My Lord was happy in sauing of so braue a Gentleman.
Enter Lysander, Ʋtrante, and Clarinda.
Lys.
Can I loue Clarinda, yet goe aboutTo hinder her of being Mistris of all this riches;Each roome we passe through is a Paradise,The Musicke like the Musicke of the Spheares,Rauishing the hearers with content and admiration;But that which addes vnto all the rest,Is the Dukes true affection; I am asham'dWhen I consider of my indiscretionThat would haue brought her to the counterpoyntOf this great happinesse.
Enter Duke and Followers.
Duke.
Noble Lysander, welcome; Excellent Lady,All the honors that my great and royall Master.Hath bestow'd vpon me, equals not this,That you haue done, in gracing at my requestThis now most glorious house, since it containes within itThe glory of the world.
Clar.
My Lord, your praises flie too hie a pitch to light on.
descriptionPage [unnumbered]
Duke.
They must doe so, or they'l fall shortOf your great worth.
Clar.
A reasonable pitch would sooner strikeMe with beliefe.
Duke.
To giue you a firme beleefe of the respectI beare you, is that I onely ayme at.
Clar.
My Lord, it lyeth in your choyce whether I shallBelieue you or no; for if you will speakeOnly that which in reason is likely to be true,I am no Infidell, I shall beleeue.
Duke.
You are so farre from being an InfidelThat you are a Saint, at whose blest shrineI offer vp my life, and FortunesWith a truer deuotion then euer Louer did.
Clar.
I see I must allow you the Louers Phrases,Which is to call their Mistris St. and their affectionDeuotion: but to let your Phrases passe,And answere the meaning of your protestation,How can I belieue that you can loue meBetter then any man did euer loue his Mistris,There being such an inequalitie in our present fortunes,When equalitie doth giue birth to more affection,And those more violent, there being no respectTo be a hindrance, I meane both the equalitiesOf Birth and Fortunes, in both which we farre differ,You being the next a kin vnto the King,And I the Daughter to a condem'd man,Though now for your owne ends at liberty.
Duke.
If it be lawfull for your deuoted seruantTo contradict you in any thing, it isIn the defence of his affection.You know that Riuers being stopt by any impediment,As rocks, or bridges, run the more fierceWhen they are from that which did incomber them;So might I say for my affection,If I should acknowledge, which yet I will not,
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That the consideration of my GreatnesseWas for a while an Impediment to the currentOf my Loue; but alas, those considerationsCould neuer finde harbor in that heartWhere loue and admiration had alreadyTaken vp their lodgng; nor doe they in my opinionDeserue to be happy, who mixe the considerationOf the good of fortune, with their affections.
Clar.
My Lord, in this last I doe vnfainedly belieue you,I meane in your opinion, which is, that true loueCannot be mixt with respects, and to shew nowHow well I belieue you, I will make it my shieldBoth to defend me against your worthy affection.(I confesse if your thoughts and words agree)And against my Fathers vniust commands;For since you confesse, that to mixe loue with respectsSpoyles the puritie of it, and that theyWho so mixe it, deserue not to be happy;It must needs be great iniustice in youAnd my Father to desire me to loue youVnworthily; since I cannot loue youWithout mixing the considerationOf the benefits my Father shall receiueBy my Marriage with your Grace, besidesThe satisfaction of me owne ambitionIn being a Dutchesse, may make any streameOf affection which can proceed from me,Vnfit to mixe with so pure a streameAs you professe yours is.
Duke.
Madame I cannot denie what you affirme,Since you ground your argument vpon my confestOpinion; but know deare Lady, that as you manifestIn this your cruell answere, your disdaine of me,Which will incense my despaire; yet on theOther side the excellence of your witWill increase my desire; for euen out of that
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Which I brought as an argument to moue youThe more to loue, you conclude that you areTo neglect, and with a seeming Iustice,Which shews that your wit can bring -ny thingTo passe, that your will shall employ it in.
Clar.
I should account my selfe happie, were ISo furnished: but my Lord, I must not lookeVpon my selfe in the flattering glasseOf your praises; for I hate flattery though a woman;And as I am my selfe arm'd against flatterie,So would I haue you be; therefore I tell youThat I can neuer be yours, to arme you againstThe flatterie of hope; yet I must tell youThat your deserts, if it were possibleFor me to loue, might sooner doe it then any other,But as I am a votresse to Diana, in whose TempleI doe shortly meane to dwell, I am freeFrom any fire that can bee kindledBy desert in Man.
Duke.
Tho your intention in this cruell answereMay bee charitable, as intendingTo allay my heat, by manifesting your boldnesse,Yet it hath wrought deadly Effects; for itForceth me tell you, that I must disobey you:For rather then I and the rest of the worldWill lose so great a blessing, there shall notBe a Temple left standing, that is sacredTo Diana within this Kingdome, when this is done,To make your crueltie admir'd. Ile buildAn Alter to selfe-lone; it is that power you obey,And not Diana's, on which some frend shall layMy bleeding heart, which now in thought,And then in act, shall be a reall Sacrifice:Smile not, nor thinke this iest;For by that Dian whom you seeme to worshipBeing your selfe a greater Deitie,When you doe cruelly performe whatYou haue rashly said, this heart
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Which now seales what my tongue hath spoke,Shall make the couenant perfect.
Clar.
I see this is no way my Lord,This rash oath you haue made, may cost you deare.
Duke.
In that consider the greatnesse of my loue.
Clar.
The greatnesse of your folly rather,That thinke by threatning punishments to your selfe,To make me pitty you, when since I doe not loue you,I am not toucht with any feeling of your greefes.
Duke.
If not for mine, yet for your Goddesse sake,Giue ouer your ill grounded resolution.
Enter Bernardo.
Ber.
My Lord the King is newly lighted at the garden gate,And in all hast cals for you.
Duke.
Madame the King, to whom my person is a subiect,Commands my presence, and I must obey him:But my heart which I haue made you Soueraigne ofShall stay to wait on you; my returne must needsBe speedy, since I leaue my heart at the mercyOf you my cruell enemy.
Clar.
My Lord I shall so martyr it before I come agen,That you will repent you.
Duke.
You cannot giue it deeper woundsThen you haue done already, and in thatConfidence Ile leaue you.
Ber.
Madame, will it please you walke into the gallery,There are some pictures will be worth your seeing.
Exeunt.
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