(a) Felifbravo. LOVE, and HONOUR, pull two ways; Love fays no; thy stay here make. Sir R. FANSHAWE's tranflation of Querer pro folo Querer. (b) Alphonfo. But Honour fays, not so. Siege of Rhodes, Part I. p. 19. (c) Ent. Palladius foftly reading 2. letters. Both t'one and t'other: Both may not prevaile. PR Rize not your honour fo much as to difprize her that honours you, in choofing rather to meet Death in the field, then Pulchrella in her defires. Give my affection leave once more to diffwade you from trying Conqueft with fo unequall a Foe: Or if a Combate must be tryed, make a Bed of Roses the Field, and me your Enemie. The Intereft I claim in you is fufficient warrant to my defires, which according to the place they find in your Respects, confirme me either the happiest of all Ladies, or make me the most unfortunate of all women. PULCHRELLA. A Charme too strong for Honour to represse. Mus. A heart too poore for Honour to possesse. Pall. Honour must stoop to Vows. But what faies this? [Reads the other Letter. TH My Lord, HE hand that guides this Pen, being guided by the ambition of your honour, and my owne affection, presents you with the wishes of a faithfull fervant, who defires not to buy you safety with the hazard of your Reputation. Goe on with courage, and know, Panthea fhall partake with you in either fortune: If conquer'd, my heart shall be your Monument, to preserve and glorifie your honour'd ashes; If a Conqueror, my tongue fhall be your Herault to proclaime you the Champion of our Sex, and the Phoenix of your own, honour'd by all, equall'd by few, beloved by none more dearly then Your owne Panthea. I fayle betwixt two Rocks! What shall I doe? What Marble melts not if Pulchrella wooe? Or what hard-hearted eare can be fo dead, As to be deafe, if faire Panthea plead ? Volfcius fits down. Vols. How has my paffion made me Cupid's fcoff! To quit loud fame, and make that Beauty mine. My Legs, the Emblem of my various thought, Shew to what fad diftraction I am brought. Sometimes, with stubborn Honour, like this Boot. My mind is guarded, and refolv'd to do't: Sometimes, again, that very mind, by Love Difarmed, like this other Leg does prove. JOHNS. What pains Mr. Bayes takes to act this speech himself! SMI. I, the fool, I fee, is mightily transported with it. Vols. Shall I to Honour or to Love give way? Go on, cryes Honour; tender Love says, nay : [Exit with one Boot on, and the other off. JOHNS. By my troth, Sir, this is as difficult a Combat as ever I faw, and as equal; for 'tis determin'd on neither fide. BAYES. Ay, is't not, I gad, ha? For, to go off hip hop, hip hop, upon this occafion, is a thousand times better than any conclufion in the world, I gad. But, Sirs, you cannot make any judgement of this Play, because we are come but to the end of the fecond Act. Come, the Dance. [Dance. Well Gentlemen, you'l fee this Dance, if I am not mistaken, take very well upon the Stage, when they are perfect in their motions, and all that. Whom fhall I please? Or which fhall I refuse? Pulchrella melts me with her love-fick teares, True Worth and Honour, with Affection joynes. I turne all fierie, and I grasp for armes. Betwixt two Lords, (not knowing which t' obey) So toft am I, bound to such straht confines, Both cannot speed: But one that must prev. le. SMI. I don't know 'twill take, Sir; but I am fure you sweat hard for't. BAYES. Ay, Sir, it costs me more pains, and trouble, to do these things, than almost the things are worth. SMI. By my troth, I think so, Sir. BAYES. Not for the things themselves, for I could write you, Sir, forty of 'em in a day; but, I gad, these Players are fuch dull persons, that, if a man be not by upon every point, and at every turn, I gad, they'l miftake you, Sir, and spoil all. Enter a Player. What, is the Funeral ready? Play. Yes, Sir. BAYES. And is the Lance fill'd with Wine? BAYES. Stay then; I'l do it BAYES. A match. But, Mr. Johnfon, I gad, I am not like other perfons; they care not what becomes of their things, fo they can but get money for 'em : now, I gad, when I write, if it be not just as it should be, in every circumstance, to every particular, I gad, I am not able to endure it, I am not my self, I'm out of my wits, and all that, I'm the ftrangeft perfon in the whole world. For what care I for my money? I gad, I write for Fame and Reputation. [Exeunt. Finis Actus Tertii. 1 Colonel Henry Howard, Son of Thomas Earl of Berkshire, made a Play, call'd the United Kingdoms, which began with a Funeral; and had also two Kings in it. This gave the Duke a juft occafion to fet up two Kings in Brentford, as 'tis generally believed; tho' others are of Opinion, that his grace had our two Brothers in his thoughts. It was Acted at the Cock-Pit in Drury-Lane, foon after the Restoration; but miscarrying on the stage, the Author had the Modefty not to Print it; and therefore, the Reader cannot reasonably expect any particular Paffages of it. Others fay, that they are Boabdelin and Abdalla, the two contending Kings of Granada, and Mr. Dryden has in most of his ferious Plays two contending Kings of the fame Place. Key, 1704. |