CHURMS.
Now Phoebus’ silver eye is drench’d in
western deep,
And Luna ’gins to show her splendent rays,
And all the harmless quiristers of woods
Do take repose, save only Philomel;
Whose heavy tunes do evermore record
With mournful lays the losses of her love.
Thus far, fair love, we pass in secret sort
Beyond the compass of thy father’s bounds,
Whilst he on down-soft bed securely sleeps,
And not so much as dreams of our depart
The dangers pass’d, now think on nought but
love;
I’ll be thy dear, be thou my heart’s delight.
SOPHOS.
Nay, first I’ll send thy soul to coal-black
night. [Aside.]
CHURMS.
Thou promis’dst love, now seal it with a kiss.
FORTUNATUS.
Nay, soft, sir; your mark is at the fairest.
Forswear her love, and seal it with a kiss
Upon the burnish’d splendour of this blade,
Or it shall rip the entrails of thy peasant heart.
SOPHOS.
Nay, let me do it, that’s my part.
CHURMS.
You wrong me much, to rob me of my love.
SOPHOS.
Avaunt, base braggard! Lelia’s mine.
CHURMS.
She lately promis’d love to me.
FORTUNATUS.
Peace, night-raven, peace! I’ll end this
controversy.
Come, Lelia, stand between them both,
As equal judge to end this strife:
Say which of these shall have thee to his wife.
I can devise no better way than this.
Now choose thy love, and greet him with a kiss.
LELIA.
My choice is made, and here it is.
[She
kisses Sophos.
SOPHOS.
See here the mirror of true constancy,
Whose steadfast love deserves a prince’s worth.
LELIA.
Master Churms, are you not well?
I must confess I would have chosen you,
But that I ne’er beheld your legs till now;
Trust me, I never look’d so low before.
CHURMS.
I know, you use to look aloft.
LELIA.
Yet not so high as your crown.
CHURMS.
What, if you had?
LELIA.
Faith, I should ha’ spied but a calf’s
head.
CHURMS.
Zounds, cosen’d of the wench, and scoff’d
at too!
’Tis intolerable; and shall I lose her thus?
How it mads me, that I brought not my sword
And buckler with me.
FORTUNATUS.
What, are you in your sword-and-buckler terms?
I’ll put you out of that humour.
There, Lelia sends you that by me,
And that, to recompense your love’s desires;
And that, as payment for your well-earn’d hire.
[Beats him.
Go, get thee gone, and boast of Lelia’s love.
CHURMS.
Where’er I go, I’ll leave with her my
curse,
And rail on you with speeches vild.