Ouid. Lib. i. Amo. Ele. 15. Nuie, why twit'ft thou me, my time's fpent ill? EN And call'ft my verfe, fruits of an idle quill? Wars duftie honours I purfue not young? 50 Or that I ftudie not the tedious lawes; And proftitute my voyce in euerie caufe? Thy fcope is mortall; mine eternall fame: Which through the world shall euer chaunt my name. 55 And fo fhall Hesiod too, while vines doe beare, No loffe fhall come to Sophocles proude vaine. Whil'ft harlots flatter, fhall Menander flourifh. 60 ENNIVS, though rude, and Accivs high-reard ftraine, 65 Of Varro's name, what eare shall not be told? Whil'ft Rome of all the conquer'd world is head. Kings fhall giue place to it, and kingly showes, 70 75 The bankes ore which gold-bearing Tagus flowes. Y Act \. Scene n. Ovid Senior, Ovid Junior, Lvscvs, Our name fhail liue indeed, fir; you fay true: but 80 85 the eyes and eares of the beft and graueft Romanes, that you thinke not on: you neuer fo much as dreame of that. Are thefe the fruits of all my 5 trauaile and expenfes? is this the fcope and aime of thy ftudies? are thefe the hopefull courfes, wherewith I haue fo long flattered my expectation from thee? verfes? poetrie? Ovid, whom I thought to fee the pleader, become Ovid the play-maker? OVID iu. No, fir. 1Ο OVID. fe. Yes, fir. I heare of a tragwdie of yours comming foorth for the common players there, call'd Medea. By my houfhold-gods, if I come to the acting of it, Ile adde one tragick part, more then is yet 15 expected, to it: beleeue me when I promife it. What? fhall I haue my fonne a ftager now? an enghle for 84 Ile be] I be G 83 The frost-drad Q SCENA SECVNDA. Q A& . . . Pyrgus.] Enter Ovid senior, followed by Luscus, Tucca, and Lupus. G, N I Ouid sen. Q, 1716+ 6 travel 1692, 1716 players? a gull? a rooke? a fhot-clogge? to make (uppers, and bee laught at? Pvblivs, I will fet thee on the funerall pile, firft. OVID iu. Sir, I befeech you to haue patience. Lvsc. Nay, this tis to haue your eares damm'd vp to good counfell. I did augure all this to him aforehand, without poring into an oxes panch for the matter, and yet he would not be fcrupulous. [28o] Tvcc. How now, good man flaue? what, rowle powle? all riualls, rafcall? why my Mafter, of worfhip, do'ft heare? Are thefe thy beft proiects? is this thy deffeignes and thy difcipline, to fuffer knaues to bee competitors with commanders and gentlemen? are wee paralells, rafcall? are wee paralells? Ovid. fe. Sirrah, goe get my horfes ready. You'll ftill be prating. Tvcc. Doe, you perpetuall ftinkard, doe, goe, talke to tapfters and oftlers, you flaue, they are i' your element, goe: here bee the Emperours captaines, you raggamuffin rafcall; and not your cam'rades. Lvpv. Indeed, Marcvs Ovid, thefe players are an idle generation, and doe much harme in a ftate, corrupt yong gentrie very much, I know it: I haue not beene a Tribune thus long, and obferu'd nothing: befides, they will rob vs, vs, that are magiftrates, of our refpect, bring vs vpon their ftages, and make vs ridiculous to the plebeians; they will play you, or me, the wifest men they can come by ftill; me: only to bring vs in contempt with the vulgar, and make vs cheape. Tvcc. Th'art in the right, my venerable cropfhin, they will indeede: the tongue of the oracle neuer twang'd truer. Your courtier cannot kiffe his miftris flippers, in quiet, for 'hem: nor your white innocent gallant pawne his reuelling fute, to make his punke a 23-4 before-hand 1716+ 26-7 rowly powly 1692+ Knight of worshippe Q 37 [Exit Luscus. G, N 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 27 my comrades Q, supper. An honeft decayed commander, cannot skelder, cheat, nor be feene in a bawdie houfe, but he fhall be ftraight in one of their wormewood comedies. They are growne licentious, the rogues; libertines, flat liber- 55 tines. They forget they are i' the flatute, the rafcals, they are blazond there, there they are trickt, they and their pedigrees; they neede no other heralds, Iwiffe. Ovid. fe. Mee thinkes, if nothing elfe, yet this alone, the very reading of the publike edicts fhould fright thee from commerce with them; and giue thee diftafte enough of their actions. But this betrayes what a ftudent you are: this argues your proficiencie in the law. 60 OVID. Im. They wrong mee, fir, and doe abufe you 65 more, That blow your eares with thefe vntrue reports. I am not knowne vnto the open ftage. Nor doe I traffique in their theaters. Of fome neere friends, and honorable Romanes, I haue begunne a poeme of that nature. Ovid. fe. You haue, fir, a poeme? and where is't? that's the law you ftudie. CORNELIVS GALLVS borrowed it to reade. 70 OVID. iu. OVID. fe. Cornelius Gallvs? There's another 75 gallant, too, hath drunke of the fame poifon: and Tibvllvs, and Propertivs. But thefe are gentlemen of meanes, and reuenew now. Thou art a yonger brother, and haft nothing, but thy bare exhibition: which I proteft fhall bee bare indeed, if thou forfake not thefe vnprofitable by-courfes, and that timely too. Name me a profeft poet, that his poetrie did euer afford [281] him fo much as a competencie. I, your god of poets there (whom all of you admire and reuerence fo 58 I wiss 1692+ 80 59 Methinks 1692+ (uni70 neere] meere 1640 meer 1692, 1716, W near G, N 54 strait 1692 formly) 78 Reuenewes Q much) Homer, he whofe worme-eaten ftatue muft not bee fpewd againft, but with hallowed lips, and groueling adoration, what was he? what was he? Tvcc. Mary, I'le tell thee, old fwaggrer; He was a poore, blind, riming rafcall, that liu'd obfcurely vp and downe in boothes, and taphoufes, and fcarce euer made a good meale in his fleepe, the whoorfon hungrie begger. Ovid. fe. He faies well: Nay, I know this nettles you now, but anfwere me; Is't not true? you'le tell me his name fhall liue; and that (now being dead) his workes haue eternis'd him, and made him diuine. But could this diuinitie feed him, while he liu'd? Could his name feaft him? Tvcc. Or purchafe him a Senators reuenue? could it? Ovid fe. I, or giue him place in the commonwealth? worfhip, or attendants? make him be carried in his litter? Tvcc. Thou fpeakeft fentences, old Bias. Lvpv. All this the law will doe, yong fir, if youle follow it. OVID. fe. If he be mine, hee fhall follow and obferue, what I will apt him too, or, I profeffe here openly, and vtterly to difclaime in him. Ovid. iu. Sir, let me craue you will, forgoe thefe moodes; 85 90 95 100 105 I will be any thing, or ftudie any thing: I'le proue the vnfafhion'd body of the law Pure elegance, and make her ruggedft ftraines Ovid. fe. Propertivs elegies? good! Lvpv. Nay, you take him too quickly, MARCVS. OVID. fe. Why, he cannot fpeake, he cannot thinke out of poetrie, he is bewitcht with it. Lvpv. Come, doe not mif-prize him. 99-102 om. Q N prints in brackets. 86 with] om. N 115 108 difclaime in] discaim 1716 |