Come fellow-souldiers are you ready to march 2. Commander Whether 1. Commander Into our own native Country for our General is sent sol home 3. Commander Except there be wars in our own Country we cannot go with him 1. Commander I know not whether there be wars or peace but he obeys for he is preparing for his journey 2. Commander Who shall be General when he is gone 3. Commander I know not but I hear the States offers to make our young Lieutenant-General General but he refuseth it 2. Commander Would they would make me General 3. Commander If thou wert General thou wouldst put all method out of order 1. Commander Faith Gentlemen I would lead you most prudently and give you leave to plunder most unanimously 1. Commander And we would fight couragiously to keep what we plunder 2. Commander Come let us go and inquire how our affairs goeth Exeunt Scene 22. Enter the Lord Singularity and Affectionata LOrd Singularity Now Affectionata we have taken our leave of the States I hope thy mind is at peace and freed from fears of being staid Affectionata Yes my my Lord Lord Singularity They did perswade thee much to stay Affectionata They seemed much troubled for your Lordships departure Lord Singularity Truly I will say thus much for my self that I have done them good service and I must say thus much for them that they have rewarded me well Affectionata I have heard my Lord that States seldom rewards a service done wherefore I believe they hope you will return again and sees you for that end Lord Singularity I shall not be unwilling when my Country hath no imployment for me Affectionata Methinks my Lord since you have gotten a fame abroad you should desire to live a setled life at home Lord Singularity A setled life would seem but dull to me that hath no wife nor children Affectionata You may have both If you please my Lord Lord Singularity For children I desire none since I have thee and wives I care not for but what are other mens Enter a Messenger with a Letter to the Lord Singularity Lord Singularity From whence comest thou friend Messenger From Rome my Lord Lord Singularity If you please to stay in the next room I shall speak to you presently Messenger Exit The Lord Singularity breaks up the Letter and reads Lord Singularity Affectionata From whence do you think this Letter comes Affectionata I cannot guess my Lord Lord Singularity From the Pope who hath heard so much of thy youth vertue wit and courage as he desires me to pass thorough Rome im my journey home that he might see thee Affectionata Pray Heaven his Holynesse doth not put me into a Monastery and force me to stay behind you Lord Singularity If he should I will take the habit and be incloistered with thee but he will not inforce a youth that hath no will thereto Affectionata Truly my Lord I have no will to be a Fryer Lord Singularity Indeed it is somewhat too lazie a life which all heroick Spirits shames for those loves liberty and action But I will go and dispatch this Messenger and to morrow we will begin our journey Exeunt Scene 23. Enter the Lady Wagtail and the Lady Amorous LAdy Wagtail Faith Amorous it had been a victory indeed worth the bragging off if we could have taken Sir Peaceable Studious Loves prisoner and could have infettered him in Cupid's bonds Lady Amorous It had been a victory indeed for I will undertake to inslave five Courtiers and ten Souldiers sooner and in less time than one studious Scholar Lady Wagtail But some Scholars are more easily taken than the luxurious Courtiers or deboist Souldiers Lady Amorous O no! for Luxurie and Rapine begets lively Spirits but a study quenches them out Lady Wagtail One would think so by Sir Peaceable Studious but not by some other Scholars that I am acquainted with Lady Amorous But confess Lady Wagtail do not you find a studious Scholar dull company in respect of a vain Courtier and a rough Souldier Lady Wagtail I must confess they that study Philosophy are little too much inclined to morality but those that study Theologie are not so restringent Lady Amorous Well for my part since I have been acquainted with Sir Peaceable Studious I hate all Scholars Exeunt Scene 24. Enter three Men as the Inhabitants of Rome 1. T Is a wonder such a youth as the Lord Singularity's Son is should have so great a wit as to be able to dispute with so many Cardinals 2. Man The greater wonder is that he should have the better of them 1. Man 'T is said the Pope doth admire him and is extreamly taken with him 2. Man If Iove had so much admired him he would have made him his Ganimed 1. Man He offered to make him a living Saint but he thanked his Holyness and said he might Saint him but not make him holy enough to be a Saint for said he I am unfit to have Prayers offered to me that cannot offer Prayers as I ought or live as I should then he offered him a Cardinals hat but he refused it saying he was neither wise enough nor old enough for to accept of it for said he I want Ulisses head and Nestors years to be a Cardinal for though less devotion will serve a Cardinal than a Saint yet politick wisdom is required 3. Man Pray Neighbours tell me which way and by what means I may see this wonderfull youth for I have been out of the Town and not heard of him 2. Man You cannot see him now unless you will follow him where he is gone 1. Man Why whether is he gone 2. Man Into his own Country and hath been gone above this week 3. Man Nay I cannot follow him thither Exeunt Scene 25. Enter the Lord Singularity and Affectionata as being in the Country Lord Singularity Affectionata you have promised me to be ruled by me in every thing so that you may not part from me Affectionata I have my Lord and will obey all your commands so far as I am able Lord Singularity Then I am resolved now I am returned into my own Country to get thee a wife that thy fame and worthy acts may live in thy Posterity Affectionata Iove bless me a wife by Heaven my Lord I am not man enough to marry Lord Singul. There is many as young as you that have been Fathers and have had children Affectionata If they were such as I am they might father Children but never get them Lord Singularity Thou art modest Affectionata but I will have you marry and I will chose thee such a wife as modest as thy self Affectionata Then we never shall have children Sir Lord Singul. Love and acquaintance will give you confidence but tell me truly Affectionata didst thou never court a Mistriss Affectionata No truly Sir Lord Singularity Well I will have you practice Courtship and though I will not directly be your Band or Pimp yet I
home but I will go to bed for I am not very well 1 Servant You do not look well Sir Malateste Indeed I am sick Exeunt Scene 42. Enter Madam Soeur and Monsieur Frere MAdam Soeur Lord Brother what is the reason you are come back so soon Hath not your Barb run the Race Frere No Soeur What makes you here then Frere To see you Soeur To see me why I shall give you no thanks because you left my Husband behind you Frere I do not come for your thanks I come to please my self Soeur Prethee Brother get thee gone for thy face doth not appear so honest as it uses to do Frere I do not know how my Face doth appear but my Heart is as it was your faithful Lover Soeur Heaven forbid you should relapse into your old disease Frere Let me tell you Sister I am as I was and was as I am that is from the first time I saw you since I came from Travel I have been in love with you and must enjoy you and if you will imbrace my love with a free consent so if not I 'll force you to it Soeur Heaven will never suffer it but cleave the Earth and swallow you alive Frere I care not so you be in my Arms but I will first try Heavens power and struggle with the Deities He takes her in his arms and carries her out she cries help help murther murther Exeunt Scene 43. Enter Monsieur Malateste as being not well and his Wife Madam Malateste MOnsieur Mal. Wife Is this the way to cure melancholy to sit up all night at Cards and to lose five hundred pounds at a sitting or to stay all night abroad a Dancing and Revelling Madam O yes for the Doctors say there is nothing better than good company to imploy the Thoughts with outward Objects otherwise the Thoughts feed too much upon the Body besides they say that Exercise is excellent good to open Obstructions and to disperse melancholy Vapour and the Doctors say there is no Exercise better than Dancing because there are a great Company meet together which adds Pleasure to the Labour Monsieur My other Wife did not do thus Madam Wherefore she died in her youth with melancholy but I mean to live while I am old if mirth and good company will keep me alive and know I am not so kind-hearted to kill my self to spare your Purse or to please your Humour The Lady goes out and he goes out after sighing Scene 44. Enter Madam Soeur alone as ravished Soeur Who will call unto the Gods for aid since they assist not Innocency nor give protection to a Virtuous Life Is Piety of no use or is Heaven so obdurate no holy prayers can enter Heaven-gates or penitential tears can move the Gods to pity But O my sorrows are too big for words and all actions too little for his punishment Enter Monsieur Frere all unbutton'd and his sword drawn in his hand Frere Sister I must die wherefore you must not live for I cannot be without your company although in death and in the silent grave where no Love 's made nor Passion known Soeur It 's welcom News for if death comes not by your hand my hand shall give a passage unto life Frere There is none so sit to act that part as I who am so full of sin want nothing now but murther to make up measure He wounds her to death Soeur Death thou are my griefs Reprieve and wilt unlade my Soul from heavy thoughts that miserable life throws on and sinks me to the Earth Brother farewel may all your crimes be buried in my grave and may my shame and yours be never known Oh Oh dies Frere Now she is dead my Mind is at rest since I know none can enjoy her after me but I will follow thee I come my Mistris Wife and Sister all in one Monsieur Frere falls upon the point of his sword then falls clos'd by Madam Soeur and lays his Arm over her then speaks You Gods of Love if any Gods there be O hear my prayer And as we came both from one Womb so joyn our Souls in the Elizium out Bodies in one Tomb Oh oh oh dies Scene 45. Enter Monsieur Malateste upon a Couch as sick of a Consumption his Friend Monsieur Fefy sitting by him Then enters Madam Malateste to her sick Husband MOnsieur Mal. Wife you are very unkind that you will not come to see me now I am sick nor so much as send to know how I do Madam I am loth to trouble you with unnecessary visits or impertinent questions Monsieur Is it unnecessary or impertinent to see a Husband when he is sick or to ask how he doth Madam Yes when their visits and questions can do them no good But God be with you for I must be gone Monsieur What already Madam Yes for I doubt I have staid too long for I have appointed a meeting and it will be a dishonour for me to break my word Fefy But it will be more dishonour to be dancing when your Husband is dying Lady Madam What will you teach me go tutor Girls and Boys and not me Monsieur Let her go friend for her anger will disturb me Exit Lady Fefy I know not what her anger doth you but her neglect of you doth disturb me And for my part I wonder how you can suffer her Malateste Alas how shall I help or remedy it But Heaven is just and punishes me for the neglect I used towards my first Wife who was virtuous and kind Fefy She was a sweet Lady indeed Malateste O she was But I Devil as I was to use her as I did making her a slave unto my whore and frowns conjecturing all her Virtues to a contrary sense for I mistook her patience for simplicity her kindness for wantonness her thrist for covetousness her obedience for flattery her retir'd life for dull stupidity and what with the grief to think how ill I used her and grieving to see how ill this Wife uses me wasting my Honour and Estate she hath brought me into a Consumption as you see But when I am dead as I cannot live long I desire you who are my Executor to let me buried in the same Tomb wherein my Wife is laid for it is a joy to me to think my dust shall be mixt with her pure ashes for I had rather be in the grave with my first Wife than live in a Throne with my second But I grow very sick even to death wherefore let me be removed Exeunt Scene 46. Enter Monsieur Pere and his Son-in-law Monsieur Marry MOnsieur Pere Son-in-law did your Brother say he was very ill Marry He said he had such a pain on his left side as he could not sit on his horse but must be forced to return home again Pere Heaven bless him for my heart is so full of fears and doubts as if it did Prognosticate some great
purse nor sheath'd my sword from helping the distress'd nor turn'd my back upon my assaulting Enemy I never stole good Fame nor rob'd good Names nor stab'd Innocency with slander I never scorn'd those below my self nor envy'd those above me I never infring'd the Laws of Honour nor disturb'd civil Society and though I cannot suffer an injury patiently yet I never did omit a duty willingly As for the truth of what I say I have none to witness for me as being a stranger but my own words from which this company perchance may think self-love and great desire hath brib'd my Tongue but if they do their thoughts make Truth no less no more than Eyes that are blind Ears that are deaf can rob you of your Wit and Beauty for though your Wit they do not hear nor Beauty see yet you passess them no less their want only robs you of their Admiration not of the Possession and say I am blind of one eye my other eye doth see and I have Hearing perfectly which doth inform my Knowledge and Understanding with that which makes my Admirations and Adorations perfect and sound within my Heart wherein your Picture is printed on which my Soul doth view and gazing kneels with wonder and astonishment that so much Wit Wisedom and Virtue should be in one so young fair And if you cannot love me despise me not for my pure Love is Divine as being divinely placed on you and it would grieve my Soul to have the zealous fire and immaculate flame of my Affection extinguish'd with your neglecting Thoughts and rak'd up in the ashes of your Forgetfulness But if any of my Sex shall seem to jest or scorn me for my outward form or shape My Courage and my Sword shall take my bodies part To cut their Limbs or thrust them through their Heart Prudence Worthy Sir you must excuse me from answering you at this time for I am taken on the sudden very sick Strange Wooer I wish you health although it were to be only purchas'd by my death Exeunt Scene 24. Enter Mistris Trifle and a Grave Matron MAtron What is the cause you weep Trifle Because my Father will not get me a Husband and Mistris Fondly will have a Husband before I shall have one for I hear she is to be maried she is happier in her Parents than I am for my Parents are unnatural and take no care how to get me a Husband and to see me maried Matron You may marry soon enough to repent Trifle I am sure I shall not repent for to be a Wife is a condition I am most desirous of and cannot be happy any other way Matron And Wives think Maids only happy because they are not vex'd nor troubled with a Husband Trifle Such women deserve no Husbands for certainly a Husband is a joy and a comfort as being a companion and a friend Matron But Husbands seldome keep in the company of their Wives and many times instead of a friend prove an enemy Enter a Servant Trifle What have you been at Mistris Fondly's House Servant Yes Trifle And have you inquir'd of her Maid as I bid you whether the Report is true that her Mistris is to be maried Servant Yes Trifle And what said she Servant She said that a Gentleman did Treat with her Mistrisses Father but they could not agree for the Gentleman would have more portion than her Father would give whereupon the Match is broke off Trifle I am glad of that for I would not have her maried before me for all the World But did you not see mistris Fondly Servant No for her Maid said her Mistris at the breaking off her Mariage almost broke her heart for she hath so afflicted her self and hath so wept and sigh'd as she is fallen sick and keeps her Chamber Trifle Alas good Friend I pity her extremely but I will go with her and try if I can comfort her Exeunt Scene 25. Enter the Lady Prudence to give her Answer to her Suter the Stranger The Assembly standing about the Lady and Suter take their places PRudence Noble Sir the Wit wherewith Nature Time and Education hath endu'd my tender brains is like new kindled fire that sparkling flies about the fuel being green and newly laid to burn there is more smoke than flame But since the time I heard you speak a newer fire is kindled in my Heart which equally doth burn with your profess'd Affections and though your Person is none of Natures exactest Peeces yet your Mind doth seem to be compos'd with all her best Ingredients and sure your Thoughts set notes of Honour Honestly and Love by which your Tongue plays Harmony 'T is not the sattin Skin that 's painted white and red nor near-carv'd Bodies can win my Love nor Wealth Titles Birth nor crown'd Power but Truth Sincerity Constancy Justice Prudence Courage and Temperance by which as Magistrates your life seems to be governed which life I wish the Gods may Crown with happy days and in Fames Tower long live your praise I will not ask you from whence you came nor what you are For though you seem but poor and mean Your Soul appears to me sublime Stranger And will you chuse me for your Husband Lady Prudence I shall be proud to be your Wife Sir Stranger The Gods are just to my pure Love rewarding it with your acceptance but I must beg your leave for some short time of Absence and then I shall return and claim your Promise Prudence You have the liberty Sir Exit Strange Wooer The Lady Gravity speaks to the Lady Prudence Gravity Lady surely you are in a High Feaver Prudence Why Madam Gravity As to do so extravagant an Action as to marry a man you know not what he is nor from whence he came and may prove as deformed in Mind as in Body as mean of Birth as poor in Parse as beggars that live on cold dry Charity Prudence If he be poor my Estate will make him rich if humbly born his Merits make him Honourable from whence he comes I do not care and where he will have me go I will wait upon him never questioning to what place Exit Lady Prudence Gravity Her Courage is beyond her Wit Liberty For the Example of this Lady I would have a Law made that there should be no more Publick Wooing Parle She hath cast away her self Minion Who can help it The Assembly go out holding up their hands as at a wonder Scene 26. Enter the Lady Mute as being in a melancholy Humour Enter Sir William Holdfast as meeting her HOldfast Lady why seem you so melancholy Mute My melancholy disposition is apt to catch hold on my evil Fortunes and both joyning together help to multiply my sad thoughts Holdfast Why should you be sad Mute How can I be merry when I am left destitute of Friends and unacquainted with Experience Holdfast Nature hath furnish'd you with all store you need none Mute If she
charitable ones But this damn'd money this runnagade this vagabond money 1 Gent. But if you had a statute to whip her home to her own Parish it would do well Letgo I Iack but there is no such law the more the pity but this abominable money disorders all the World What work makes it betwixt Parents and Children Husbands and Wives Brothers and Sisters Masters and Servants Landlords and Tenants Citizens and their Prentices Mistrisses and their Maids and between Kings and their subject Corrupts all the World breaks Friendship betrays Friends raises Rebellions commits Treason and corrupts Virgins It is the Pander and Bawd to all business the States-man is fed by this damn'd Lady Pecunia the Lawyer serves her the Merchants her slave the Shop-keeper her vassal and the Countryman her Tenant Lords and Ladies her pensioners and greatest Monarchs pay tribute to her the Logician argues for her the Orator pleads for her and many Ecclesiasticals preach for her the Vicar General and his Conclave are rul'd by her and the poor Poet she draws his copperas from his ink and makes him flatter her This horrid Lady Sorceress so to bewitch the World Is there no law against this Enchantress that thus doth still abuse the World and all that 's in it The very Souldiers sword is charmed by her and all his guns are silent at her presence This she-devil 3 Gentlem. But I would you had your she-devil again for all that But what Pious and Charitable Consideration had you if you had your money again Letgo Marry Sir First I would build an Hospital for decay'd Ladies that were maim'd in Venus's wars losing a nose or so never yet any care taken of them the more is the pity 2 Gent. Very good and what next Letgo Next I would buy such a piece of ground and build a Bedlam and then put in all such Divines as preach themselvs out of their power and riches and I would put all such Lawyers in as pleaded themselves out of practice and all such Citizens as petition'd themselves out of trade 3 Gentlem. These are good and pious Acts But would not you provide a place or means for such as were undone by playing at Dice and Cards and the like Letgo No they should have only Fools Coats to be known by and I would be the Master of them Exeunt Here ends my Lord Marquiss of Newcastles Writing Scene 35. Enter Mistris Parle Mistris Trifle Mistris Vanity Mistris Fondly and a Matron to the Lady Gosling These all bid her Ioy She thanks them in a low Voice and a constrain'd and formal Behaviour and a foolish grave Countenance TRifle How doth your Husband Madam Lady Gosling I hope he 's well he 's gone abroad Parle You look pale since you were maried Gosling I was not very well this morning for I could not eat my Breakfast truly I have lost my stomack since I have been maried Vanity Perchance you are breeding Gosling Oh fie no surely but yet my Maid laughs and tells me I am Matron I hope Lady you are not breeding already for you have not been maried above three days Gosling I have heard that some have been with Child as soon as they were maried and my Maid told me she served a Mistris who the next day she was maried was with Child Matron By my Faith that was very soon The Lady Gosling pulls off her Glove to take her Handkerchief a pretence to shew her Wedding-ring Fondly Me thinks it is strange to see you have a Wedding-ring on your Thumb Gosling You will come to wear a Wedding-ring on your Thumb one of these days Trifle What is the Posie Gosling I like too well to change Parle 'T is well you do for if you did not you could hardly change unless your Husband dies Gosling Heaven forbid for I would not have him die for all the World for he is one of the lovingest and fondest Husbands that ever was Matron The first Moneth is a fond Moneth Lady Parle And are you fond of him Gosling Yes truly for I hang about his neck when he is at home Matron But you will weary your Husband Lady if you hang a long time Gosling I would very fain you did see my Husband Parle We much desire so to do She calls her Maid Joan The Maid answers as within Madam Gosling Is your Master Sir Anthony Gossing come home yet Maid No Madam Gosling In truth he is too blame to stay out so long knowing I am not well when he is away Vanity Are you sick in his absence Gosling I am best pleas'd when he is with me Matron New-maried Wives are always so but after they have been maried some time they are worst pleased when their Husbands are with them Exeunt Scene 36. Enter the Lady Prudence as a Bride that 's very finely drest in glorious Apparel her Bridegroom in poor old cloaths He leads her as to the Church limping with his Wooden Leg The Bridal Guests seem to make signs of scorning as they follow They all go out but two Gentlemen 1 GEntlem. Me thinks it is a strange sight to see such a Bride and such a Bridegroom I do imagine them to be like Pluto and Proserpine 2 Gent. Nay rather they are like Venus and Vulcan 1 Gent. But she is too chaste to entertain a Mars to Cuckold him 2 Gent. It is to be hop'd she will take her liberty with variety for extravagant love is seldom constant 1 Gent. If that rule prove true he may be a Cuckold indeed 2 Gent. 'T is likely he will for women chuse to marry such deformed men a purpose first to excuse their fault thinking the World will never condemn them their Husbands being ill-favour'dly mis-shapen or thinking their Husbands will be well content knowing their own infirmities to be a sharer 1 Gent. But I wonder she did not new-cloath him for though he is not so rich to buy himself a Wedding-Suit yet she hath means enough to buy him many several suits and rich 2 Gent. There was no time to make him Wedding-cloaths because he came not till his Wedding-day 1 Gent. Well let us go see them maried and wish them joy Exeunt Scene 37 Enter Sir Thomas Letgo Sir William Holdfast and two or three other Gentlemen So far of this Scene as Sir Thomas Letgo's the Marquis of Newcastle writ LEtgo Since my losses I have such a desire of Revenge as my fingers itch to be at it and the Palsie is in my elbow with the imagination of throwing those partial bones call'd by the Vulgar Dice they say they are square fellows but I doubt it Well have at them whatsoever comes on 't for I long more for them than the great Belly that long'd to bite her Husbands Nose or to give him a box on the Ear or she that threw her loaf into a barrel of Tar and if I have not my longings in my Conscience I shall miscarry 1 Gent. Take heed Sir that you do
discourse as by things and motions beasts may have for ought we can know to the contrary The last is by Figures or Letters Prints Hieroglyphicks and painted Stories or ingraven in Metal or cut or carved in Stone or molded or formed in Earth as clay or the like in this kind of discourse the Pencil hath sometimes out-done the Pen as the Painter hath out-done the Historian and Poet This discoursing by Signs or Figures are discourses to the eye and not to the ear There is also another kind or sort of discoursing which is hardly learn'd as yet because newly invented or at lest to what I have heard which is by Notes and several Strains in Musick I only mention it because I never heard it but once and then I did not understand it but yet it was by a skilfull and ingenious Musician which discoursed a story of his Travels in his playing on a Musical Instrument namely the Harpsical But certainly to my understanding or reason it did seem a much easier way of discoursing than discoursing by actions or posture But to end my discourse of Discoursing which discoursing may be by several waies several actions and postures by several creatures and in several Languages but reasoning is the Souls Language words the Language of the Senses action the Lifes Language Writing Printing Painting Carving and Molding are Arts several Languages but Musick is the Language of the Gods Exeunt Scene 17. Enter two Gentlemen 1. Gent. HOw do you like the Ladies discourse 2. Gent. As I like discourse 1. Gent. How is that 2. Gent. Why I had rather hear a number of words than speak a number of words 1. Gent. Then thou art not of the nature of Mankind for there is no man that had not rather speak than hear 2. Gent. No it is a sign I am not of the nature of Woman-kind that will hear nothing but will speak all indeed for the most part they stop their Ears with their Tongues at lest with the sound of their Voices Exeunt Scene 18. Enter a company of Gentlemen The Speaker takes the Chair Gentleman Speaker IT were too tedious to recite the several humours of the female Sex their scornfull Pride their obstinate Retirednesse their reserved Coynesse their facil Inconstancy by which they become the most useless and most unprofitable Creatures that nature hath made but when they are joined to men they are the most usefull and most profitable Creatures nature hath made wherefore all those women that have common reason or sense of shame will never retire themselves from the company of men for what women that have any consideration of Honour Truth or touch of Goodness will be the worst of all Creatures when they may be the best but the truth of it is women are spoyled by the over-fond dotage of men for being flattered they become so self-conceited as they think they were only made for the Gods and not for men and being Mistrisses of mens affections they usurp their Masculine Power and Authority and instead of being dutifull humble and obedient to men as they ought to be they are Tyrannical Tyrannizers Exeunt Scene 19. Enter two Gentlemen 1. Gent. THe young Gallants methinks begin to be whetted with Anger 2. Gent. They have reason when the women have such dull blunt Appetites Exeunt Scene 20. Enter the Ladies of the Academy The Lady Speaker takes the Chair Matron LAdies let the Theam of your discourse be at this time of Friendship Lady Speaker This Theam may more easily be discoursed of than Friendship made by reason it is very difficult to make a right Friendship for hard it is to match men in agreeable Humours Appetites Passions Capacities Conversations Customs Actions Natures and Dispositions all which must be to make a true and lasting Friendship otherwise two Friends will be like two Horses that draw contrary waies whereas Souls Bodies Education and Lives must equally agree in Friendship for a worthy honest man cannot be a friend to a base and unworthy man by reason Friendship is both an offensive and defensive League between two Souls and Bodies and no actions either of the Souls or Bodies or any outward thing or fortune belonging thereunto are to be denyed wherefore Knaves with Knaves and unworthy Persons with unworthy Persons may make a Friendship Honest men with Honest men and worthy Persons with worthy Persons may do the like but an Honest man with a Knave or a worthy Person with a base man or an Honourable Person with a mean Fellow a noble Soul with a base Nature a Coward with a Valiant man can make no true Friendship For put the case in such friendships my Friend should desire me to do a base Action for his sake I must either break Friendship or do unworthily but as all worthy Persons make Truth their Godesse which they seek and worship Honour the Saint which they pray too Vertue the Lady which they serve so Honesty is the only Friend they trust and rely on and all the VVorld is obliged to Honesty for upright and just dealing Exeunt ACT IV. Scene 21. Enter two Gentlemen 1 GEnt. Methinks the womens Lectural discourse is better than the mens for in my opinion the mens discourses are simple childish and foolish in comparison of the womens 2 Gent. Why the subject of the discourse is of women which are simple foolish and childish 1 Gent. There is no sign of their simplicity or folly in their discourse or Speeches I know not what may be in their Actions 2 Gent. Now you come to the point for the weaknesse of women lyes in their Actions not in their VVords for they have sharp Wits and blunt Judgements Exeunt Scene 22. Enter the Ladies and Grave Matroness The Lady Speaker takes the Chair MAtronesse Lady let the Theam of your discourse to day be of a Theatre Lady Speaker A Theatre is a publick place for publick Actions Orations Disputations Presentations whereunto is a publick resort but there are only two Theatres which are the chief and the most frequented the one is of War the other of Peace the Theatre of Warr is the Field and the Battels they sight are the Plays they Act and the Souldiers are the Tragedians and the Theatre of Peace is the stage and the Plays there Acted are the Humours Manners Dispositions Natures Customes of men thereon described and acted whereby the Theatres are as Schools to teach Youth good Principles and instruct them in the Nature and Customes of the World and Mankind and learn men to know themselves better than by any other way of instruction and upon these Theatres they may learn what is noble and good what base and wicked what is ridiculous and misbecoming what gracefull and best becoming what to avoid and what to imitate the Genius that belongs to the Theatre of Warr is Valour and the Genius that belongs to the Theatre of Peace is Wit the designer of the rough Plays of Warr is a General