Scene 1.]

_Enter the dumb shew of the marriage, Lentulus, Tully, and the rest.

Enter Hostis in Getticaes apparel, Getic. in hers, & Mistris Dama_.

Hostis. Come, Gossip, by my troth, I cannot keepe my hood in frame.

Cittie wife. Let me helpe ye, woman.

Get. Sir, we shall be troublesome to ye.

Gra. Oh urge not that I pray ye.

Get. I pray ye what shewe will be heere to night? I have seen the Babones already, the Cittie of new Ninivie[320] and Julius Caesar, acted by the Mammets.

Grac. Oh, gentlewoman, those are showes for those places they are used in; marry, heere you must expect some rare device, as Diana bathing herself, being discovered or occulated by Acteon, he was tranfigured to a hart, & werried to death with his own dogs.

Cit. W. Thats prettie in good truth; & must Diana, be naked?

Gra. Oh of necessitie, if it be that show.

Hostis. And Acteon, too? that's prettie ifaith.

Enter Caesar, Lent: Tully, Teren: Flavia.

Caes. Now, gallant Bridegroomes, and your lovely Brides,
That have ingeminate in endlesse league
Your troth-plight hearts, in your nuptial vowes
Tyed true love knots that nothing can disolve
Till death, that meager pursevant of Jove
That Cancels all bonds: we are to [sic] clowdie,
My spirit a typtoe, nothing I could chid so much
As winged time, that gins to free a passage
To his current glasse and crops our day-light,
That mistie night will summon us to rest,
Before we feele the burthen of our eylids.
The time is tedious, wants varietie;
But that I may shew what delightful raptures
Combats my soule to see this union,
And with what boundles joy I doe imbrace it,
We heere commaund all prison gates flye ope,
Freeing all prisoners (traitors all except,)
That poore mens prayers may increase our daies,
And writers circle ye with wreathes of bayes.

Grac. S'foot, Accutus, lets lay hold of this to free our captive.

Acu. Content; ile prosecute it.

Tul. Dread soveraigne, heaven witnesse with me
With what bended spirit I have attainde
This height of happinesse; and how unwillingly,
Till heavens decree, Terentias love, and your
Faire consents did meet in one to make
Me Lord thereof: nor shall it add one scruple
Of high thought to my lowly minde.
Tully is Tully, parentage poore, the best
An Orator, but equall with the least.

Lent. Oh no doubt, Accutus, be the attempt
My perill, his royall promise is past
In that behalfe. My soveraigne, this Gentlemans
Request takes hold upon your gratious promise
For the releasement of a prisoner.

Cos. My promise is irrevocable, take it; But what is hee and the qualitie of his fault?

Acut. A gentleman, may it please your grace; his fault Suspition, and most likly innocent.

Caes. He hath freedome, and I prethee let him be brought hither.

[Exit[321] Acut.

Perhaps in his presence we shall win some smiles,
For I have noted oft in a simple braine,
(Only striving to excell it self)
Hath corrupted language, that hath turnd
To pleasant laughter in juditious eares;
Such may this proove, for now me thinkes
Each minute, wanting sport, doth seeme as long
And teadious, as a feaver: but who doth knowe
The true condition of this Accutus?

Tully. My Leige, of him something my knowledge
Can discover; his spirit is free as aire,
His temper temperate, if ought's uneeven
His spleene waies downe [towards] lenitie: but how
Stird by reproofe? ah,[322] then hee's bitter and like
His name Acute, vice to him is a foule eye-sore
And could he stifle it in bitterest words he would,
And who so offends to him is paralell;
He will as soon reproove the Caedar state
As the lowe shrub.

Enter Acut. and Philaut.

Phy. Nay, good Accutus, let me not enter the presence.

Accut. Oh sir, I assure you your presence will be most acceptable in the presence at this time then a farre ritcher present. May it please your majestie, this is the man.

Caes. Let him stand forward.

Cit. W. Alas, we shal see nothing; would I were neere; now hee stands forwards.

Caes.[323] What qualities hath he, Accutus?

Accut. A few good ones (may it please you); he handles a comb wel, a brush better, and will drink downe a Dutchman, & has good skill in pricksong.

Hostis. I, ile be sworne he had, when he was my Guest.

Acut. Please it your Maiestie to commaund him?

Caes. Oh, we can no otherwise, so well be pleased.

Phy. I beseech your Maiestie, I cannot sing.

Tul. Nay, your denyall will breed but greater expectation.

Acut. I, I, please it your grace to heare? now he begins.

Phy. My love can sing no other song, but still complaines I did her, &c. I beseech your Maiestie to let me goe.

Caes. With all our heart; Acutus, give him libertie.

Accut. Goe and for voice sake yee shall sing Ballads in the suburbes, and if ever heereafter ye chance to purchase a suite, by what your friends shal leave ye, or the credit of your friend, be not drunk again, & give him hard words for his labour. [Exit.

Caes. What, ist effected, Graccus?

Gra. I have wrought the foole; Scilicet comes alone, & his Lady keepes the women company.

Accu. Tush, weele have a room scantly furnisht with lights that shall further it.

Caes. What sound is that?

Acut. I, would ye so fain enter? ile further it: please it your Maiestie to accept what is not worth acceptance? heere are a company to Gratulate these nuptials, have prepard a show—I feare not worth the sight—if you shall deeme to give them the beholding of it.

Caes. Else should we wrong their kindnes much. Accutus, be it your care to give them kindest welcome; we cannot recompence their loves without much beholdings.

Acut. Now for the cunning vizarding of them & tis done.

Hostis. Now we shall beholde the showes.

Get. Acteon and his Dogs, I pray Jupiter.

Enter the maske and the Song.

Chaunt birds in everie bush,
The blackbird and the Thrush,
The chirping Nightingale,
The Mavis and Wagtaile,
The Linnet and the Larke,
Oh how they begin, harke, harke.

Scil. S'lid, there's one bird, I doe not like her voice.

Sing againe & Exeunt.

Hostis. By my troth, me thought one should be my husband, I could even discerne his voice through the vizard.

Cittie wife. And truely by his head one should be mine.

Get. And surely by his eares one should be my sweet heart.

Caes. Accutus,[324] you have deserved much of our love, but might we not breake the law of sport so farre as to know to whome our thankes is due, by seeing them unmaskt and the reason of their habits?

Acut. Most willingly, my Soveraigne, ile cause their returne.

Hostis. Oh excellent! now we shal see them unmaskt. [Exit.

Get. In troth, I had good hope the formost had bene Acteon, when I saw his hornes.

Cit. wif. Sure the middlemost was my husband, see if he have not a wen in his forehead.

Enter Maskers.

Host. God blesse thee, noble Caesar, & all these brave bridegroomes, with their fine little dydoppers, that looke before they sleep to throw away their maiden heads: I am host of the Hobbie, Cornut. is my neighbour, but wele pull of his bopeeper; thou't know me by my nose, I am a mad merie grig, come to make thy grace laugh; sir Scillicet my guest; all true canaries, that love juce of grapes, god blesse thy Maiestie.

Acut. How now, mine Host?

Host. Ha, ha, I spie a jest. Ha, ha, Cornutus, Cornutus.

Acut. Nay, mine host, heeres a moate in your eye to [sic].

Scil. S'lid, I hope they have not serv'd me so; by the torrid y'are an asse, a flat Asse, but the best is I know who did it; twas either you or some body else; by gad, I remember it as wel as if it were done now.

Host. T[h]ou shalt answer it to my leige, ile not be so misused, ye have a wrong element, theres fire in my face, weele mount and ascend. I'me misused, the mad comrades have plaide the knaves. Justice, my brave Caesar.

Accut. Ile answer it, mine Host. Pardon, greate Caesar:
The intent was merriment, the reason this:
A true brow bends to see good things a misse,
Men turned to beasts, and such are you mine Host;
Ile show you else, you are a Goate, look here!
Now come you, this is your's, you know it, doe you not?
How old are you? are you not a Goate now?
Shall I teach you how to use a wife and keepe her
In the rank of goodnes? linke her to thy soule,
Devide not individium, be her and she thee,
Keepe her from the Serpent, let her not Gad
To everie Gossips congregation;
For there is blushing modestie laide out
And a free rayne to sensual turpitude
Given out at length and lybidinous acts,
Free chat, each giving counsell and sensure
Capream maritum facere, such art thou Goate.
Be not so secure. And you, my grand Cornutus,
Thou Ram, thou seest thy shame, a pent-house
To thy eye-browes, doost not glorie in it, doost?
Thou'lt lye in a Trucklebed, at thy wives bed feete,
And let her goe a Gossiping while thou sweepest the kitchin.
Look, she shall witnesse[325] against thee.

Corn. My wife there? I must be gone then.

Acut. Oh fye, betray not thy self so grossely.

Cor. I pray ye pardon me.

Accut. I dare not.

Cor. I sir, but afterward may come after claps. I know the world well enough.

Accut. Mischiefe of the Devill, be man, not all beast, do not lye,——both sheetes doe not.

Cit. w. I warrant this fellow has as many eies as a Lamprey, hee could never see so farre into the world else.

Accu. And thou pure asse, meere asse, thy eares become thee well, yfaith.

Scil. I think you merit to make a Musition of me, you furnish me with a good eare.

Accut. Thou deservdst it, thou't make thy self a Cucckold, be it but for company sake; thou hast long eares, and thinkest them hornes, thy onceites cuckolds thee, thou art jealious if thou seest thy wives —— with another mans palme. And foole, thy state in that sense is the best; thou art claspt with simplicitie, (a great badge of honestie,) for the poore foole has pawnd her cloathes to redeeme thy unthriftines; be jealious no more unlesse thou weare thine eares still, for all shall be well, and you shall have your puppie againe.

Get. Shall I? by my troth, I shall be beholding to you then.

Acu. Now to ye all, be firmaments to stars,
Be stars to Firmaments, and, as you are
Splendent, so be fixed, not wandering, nor
Irregular, both keeping course together.
Shine not in pride and gorgeous attire,
When clouds doe faile the pole where thou art fixt.
Obey, cherish, honor, be kinde enough,
But let them weare no changeable stuffe;
Keepe them, as shall become your state,
Comely, and to creepe ere they goe.
Let them partake your joyes and weep with you,
Curle not the snarles that dwell upon these browes.
In all things be you kinde: of all enough,
But let them weare no changeable stuffe.

Host. Fore God a mad spirit.

Hostis. Will ye beeleeve what such a bisket brain'd fellow as this saies? he has a mouth like a double cannon, the report will be heard all ore the towne.

Cittie wife. I warrant he ranne mad for love, because no good face could indure the sight of him, and ever since he railes against women like a whot-shot.

Len. Nay, nay, we must have all friendes,
Jarring discords are no marriage musick;
Throw not Hymen in a cuckstoole; dimple
Your furrowed browes; since all but mirth was ment,
Let us not then conclude in discontent,
Say, shall we all
In friendly straine measure our paces to bed-ward?

Tul. Will Terentia follow?

Teren. If Tully be her Leader.

Host. Good bloods, good spirits, let me answer for all, none speake but mine Host; hee has his pols, and his aedypols, his times and his tricks, his quirkes, and his quilits, and his demise and dementions. God blesse thee, noble Caesar, and all these brave spirits! I am Host of the Hobby, Cornutus is my neighbour, Graccus, a mad spirit, Accutus is my friend, Sir Scillicet is my guest; al mad comrades of the true seede of Troy, that love juce of Grapes; we are all true friends, merrie harts live long, let Pipers strike up, ile daunce my cinquepace, cut aloft my brave capers, whirle about my toe, doe my tricks above ground, ile kisse my sweet hostesse, make a curtesie to thy grace; God blesse thy Maiestie and the Mouse shall be dun.

Cor. Come wife, will you dance?

Wife. Ile not daunce, I, must you come to Court to have hornes set on your head? I could have done that at home.

Host. I, I, be rulde at this time; what? for one merrie day wele find a whole moone at midsommer.

Daunce.

Caes. Gentles, wee thanke yee all, the night hath spent
His youth, and drowsie Morpheus bids us battell.
We will defie him still, weele keep him out
While we have power to doe it. Sound
Your loudest noise: set forward to our chamber.

Gra. Advance your light.

Caes. Good rest to all.

Omn. God give your grace God-night.

[Exeunt.

FINIS.