Philaster Part 7

_Pha_. Ladies all good rest; I mean to kill a Buck To morrow morning, ere y'ave done your dreams.

_Meg_. All happiness attend your Grace, Gentlemen good rest, Come shall we to bed?

_Gal_. Yes, all good night.

[_Ex_. Gal. _and _Meg.

_Di_. May your dreams be true to you; What shall we do Gallants? 'Tis late, the King Is up still, see, he comes, a Guard along With him.

[_Enter _King, Arethusa _and _Guard.

_King_. Look your intelligence be true.

_Are_. Upon my life it is: and I do hope, Your Highness will not tye me to a man, That in the heat of wooing throws me off, And takes another.

_Di_. What should this mean?

_King_. If it be true, That Lady had been better have embrac'd Cureless Diseases; get you to your rest,

[_Ex_. Are. _and _Bel.

You shall be righted: Gentlemen draw near, We shall imploy you: Is young _Pharamond_ Come to his lodging?

_Di_. I saw him enter there.

_King_. Haste some of you, and cunningly discover, If Megra be in her lodging.

_Cle_. Sir, She parted hence but now with other Ladies.

_King_. If she be there, we shall not need to make A vain discovery of our suspicion.

You G.o.ds I see, that who unrighteously Holds wealth or state from others, shall be curst, In that, which meaner men are blest withall: Ages to come shall know no male of him Left to inherit, and his name shall be Blotted from earth; If he have any child, It shall be crossly matched: the G.o.ds themselves Shall sow wild strife betwixt her Lord and her, Yet, if it be your wills, forgive the sin I have committed, let it not fall Upon this understanding child of mine, She has not broke your Laws; but how can I, Look to be heard of G.o.ds, that must be just, Praying upon the ground I hold by wrong?

[ _Enter _Dion.

_Di_. Sir, I have asked, and her women swear she is within, but they I think are bawds; I told 'em I must speak with her: they laught, and said their Lady lay speechless.

I said, my business was important; they said their Lady was about it: I grew hot, and cryed my business was a matter that concern'd life and death; they answered, so was sleeping, at which their Lady was; I urg'd again, she had scarce time to be so since last I saw her; they smil'd again, and seem'd to instruct me, that sleeping was nothing but lying down and winking: Answers more direct I could not get: in short Sir, I think she is not there.

_King_. 'Tis then no time to dally: you o'th' Guard, Wait at the back door of the Princes lodging, And see that none pa.s.s thence upon your lives.

Knock Gentlemen: knock loud: louder yet: What, has their pleasure taken off their hearing?

I'le break your meditations: knock again: Not yet? I do not think he sleeps, having this Larum by him; once more, _Pharamond_, Prince.

[Pharamond _above_.

_Pha_. What sawcy groom knocks at this dead of night?

Where be our waiters? By my vexed soul, He meets his death, that meets me, for this boldness.

_K_. Prince, you wrong your thoughts, we are your friends, Come down.

_Pha_. The King?

_King_. The same Sir, come down, We have cause of present Counsel with you.

_Pha_. If your Grace please to use me, I'le attend you To your Chamber.

[Pha. _below_.

_King_. No, 'tis too late Prince, I'le make bold with yours.

_Pha_. I have some private reasons to my self, Makes me unmannerly, and say you cannot; Nay, press not forward Gentlemen, he must come Through my life, that comes here.

_King_. Sir be resolv'd, I must and will come. Enter.

_Pha_. I will not be dishonour'd; He that enters, enters upon his death; Sir, 'tis a sign you make no stranger of me, To bring these Renegados to my Chamber, At these unseason'd hours.

_King_. Why do you Chafe your self so? you are not wrong'd, nor shall be; Onely I'le search your lodging, for some cause To our self known: Enter I say.

_Pha_. I say no.

[_Meg. Above_.

_Meg_. Let 'em enter Prince, Let 'em enter, I am up, and ready; I know their business, 'Tis the poor breaking of a Ladies honour, They hunt so hotly after; let 'em enjoy it.

You have your business Gentlemen, I lay here.

O my Lord the King, this is not n.o.ble in you To make publick the weakness of a Woman.

_King_. Come down.

_Meg_. I dare my Lord; your whootings and your clamors, Your private whispers, and your broad fleerings, Can no more vex my soul, than this base carriage; But I have vengeance yet in store for some, Shall in the most contempt you can have of me, Be joy and nourishment.

_King_. Will you come down?

_Meg_. Yes, to laugh at your worst: but I shall wrong you, If my skill fail me not.

_King_. Sir, I must dearly chide you for this looseness, You have wrong'd a worthy Lady; but no more, Conduct him to my lodging, and to bed.

_Cle_. Get him another wench, and you bring him to bed in deed.

_Di_. 'Tis strange a man cannot ride a Stagg Or two, to breath himself, without a warrant: If this geer hold, that lodgings be search'd thus, Pray heaven we may lie with our own wives in safety, That they be not by some trick of State mistaken.

[ _Enter with_ Megra.

_King_. Now Lady of honour, where's your honour now?

No man can fit your palat, but the Prince.

Thou most ill shrowded rottenness; thou piece Made by a Painter and a Pothecary; Thou troubled sea of l.u.s.t; thou wilderness, Inhabited by wild thoughts; thou swoln cloud Of Infection; them ripe Mine of all Diseases; Thou all Sin, all h.e.l.l, and last, all Devils, tell me, Had you none to pull on with your courtesies, But he that must be mine, and wrong my Daughter?

By all the G.o.ds, all these, and all the Pages, And all the Court shall hoot thee through the Court, Fling rotten Oranges, make ribald Rimes, And sear thy name with Candles upon walls: Do you laugh Lady _Venus_?

_Meg_. Faith Sir, you must pardon me; I cannot chuse but laugh to see you merry.

If you do this, O King; nay, if you dare do it; By all these G.o.ds you swore by, and as many More of my own; I will have fellows, and such Fellows in it, as shall make n.o.ble mirth; The Princess, your dear Daughter, shall stand by me On walls, and sung in ballads, any thing: Urge me no more, I know her, and her haunts, Her layes, leaps, and outlayes, and will discover all; Nay will dishonour her. I know the boy She keeps, a handsome boy; about eighteen: Know what she does with him, where, and when.

Come Sir, you put me to a womans madness, The glory of a fury; and if I do not Do it to the height?

_King_. What boy is this she raves at?