A Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. III | Page 8

body, thus, and that both our sides were slit, and concorporat
with Organs fit to effect an individuall passage even for our very
thoughts; suppose we were one body now, and I charge you beleeve it;
whereof I am the hart, and you the liver.
Cla. Your Lordship might well make that division[12], if you knew the
plaine song.
Mo. O Sir, and why so I pray?
Cla. First because the heart, is the more worthy entraile, being the first
that is borne, and moves, and the last that moves, and dies; and then
being the Fountaine of heate too: for wheresoever our heate does not
flow directly from the hart to the other Organs there, their action must
of necessity cease, and so without you I neither would nor could live.
Mom. Well Sir, for these reasons I may be the heart, why may you be
the liver now?
Cla. I am more then asham'd, to tell you that my Lord.
Mom. Nay, nay, be not too suspitious of my judgement in you I beseech
you: asham'd friend? if your love overcome not that shame, a shame
take that love, I saie. Come sir, why may you be the liver?
Cla. The plaine, and short truth is (my _Lord_) because I am all liver,
and turn'd lover.

Mom. Lover?
Cla. Lover, yfaith my Lord.
Mom. Now I prethee let me leape out of my skin for joy: why thou wilt
not now revive the sociable mirth of thy sweet disposition? wilt thou
shine in the World anew? and make those that have sleighted thy love
with the Austeritie of thy knowledge, dote on thee againe with thy
commanding shaft of their humours?
Cla. Alas, my Lord, they are all farre out of my aime; and only to fit
my selfe a little better to your friendshippe, have I given these wilfull
raynes to my affections.
Mom. And yfaith is my sower friend to all worldly desires ouer taken
with the hart of the World, Love? I shall be monstrous proud now, to
heare shees every way a most rare woman, that I know thy spirit, and
judgement hath chosen; is she wise? is she noble? is she capable of thy
vertues? will she kisse this forehead with judiciall lipps where somuch
judgement and vertue deserves it? Come brother Twin, be short, I
charge you, and name me the woman.
Cla. Since your Lordship will shorten the length of my follies relation,
the woman that I so passionately love, is no worse Lady then your
owne Neece, the too worthy Countesse Eugenia.
Mom. Why so, so, so, you are a worthy friend, are you not, to conceale
this love-mine in your head, and would not open it to your hart? now
beshrow my hart, if my hart danse not for joy, tho my heeles do not;
and they doe not, because I will not set that at my heeles that my friend
sets at his heart? friend, and Nephews both? nephew is a far inferior
title to friend I confesse, but I will preferre thee backwards (as many
friends doe) and leave their friends woorse then they found them.
Cla. But, my noble Lord, it is almost a prodegie, that I being onely a
poore Gentleman, and farre short of that state and wealth that a Ladie
of her greatnesse in both will expect in her husband--

Mom. Hold thy doubt friend, never feare any woman, unlesse thyselfe
be made of straw, or some such drie matter, and she of lightning.
Audacitie prospers above probability in all Worldly matters. Dost not
thou know that Fortune governes them without order, and therefore
reason the mother of order is none of her counsaile? why should a man
desiring to aspire an unreasonable creature, which is a woman, seeke
her fruition by reasonable meanes? because thy selfe binds upon reason,
wilt thou looke for congruity in a woman? why? there is not one
woman amongst one thousand, but will speake false _Latine_, and
breake Priscians head. Attempt nothing that you may with great reason
doubt of and out of doubt you shall obtaine nothing. I tell thee, friend,
the eminent confidence of strong spirits is the onely witch-craft of this
World, Spirits wrastling with spirits as bodies with bodies: this were
enough to make thee hope well, if she were one of these painted
communities, that are ravisht with Coaches, and upper hands,[13] and
brave men of durt: but thou knowest friend shees a good scholler, and
like enough to bite at the rightest reason, and reason evermore _Ad
optima hortatur_: to like that which is best, not that which is bravest, or
rightest, or greatest, and so consequently worst. But prove what shee
can, wee will turne her, and winde her, and make her