ANA. Swear! why? 'sblood, I have sworn afore now, I hope. Both you and your daughter mistake me. I have not honour'd Arete, that is held the worthiest lady in the court, next to Cynthia, with half that observance and respect, as I have done her in private, howsoever outwardly I have carried myself careless, and negligent.

Come, you are a foolish punk, and know not when you are well employed. Kiss me, come on; do it, I say.

MOR. Nay, indeed, I must confess, she is apt to misprision. But I must have you leave it, minion.

RE-ENTER ASOTUS.

AMO. How now, Asotus! how does the lady?

ASO. Faith, ill. I have left my page with her, at her lodging.

HED. O, here's the rarest water that ever was tasted: fill him some.

PRO. What! has my master a new page?

MER. Yes, a kinsman of the lady Moria's: you must wait better now, or you are cashiered, Prosaites.

ANA. Come, gallants; you must pardon my foolish humour; when I am angry, that any thing crosses me, I grow impatient straight. Here, I drink to you.

PHI. O, that we had five or six bottles more of this liquor!

PHA. Now I commend your judgment, Amorphus:-- [KNOCKING WITHIN.]

Who's that knocks? look, page. [EXIT COS.]

MOR. O, most delicious; a little of this would make Argurion well.

PHA. O, no, give her no cold drink, by any means.

ANA. 'Sblood, this water is the spirit of wine, I'll be hang'd else.

RE-ENTER COS WITH ARETE.

COS. Here's the lady Arete, madam.

ARE. What, at your bever, gallants?

MOR. Will't please your ladyship to drink? 'tis of the New Fountain water.

ARE. Not I, Moria, I thank you.--Gallants, you are for this night free to your peculiar delights; Cynthia will have no sports: when she is pleased to come forth, you shall have knowledge. In the mean time, I could wish you did provide for solemn revels, and some unlooked for device of wit, to entertain her, against she should vouchsafe to grace your pastimes with her presence.

AMO. What say you to a masque?

HED. Nothing better, if the project were new and rare.

ARE. Why, I'll send for Crites, and have his advice: be you ready in your endeavours: he shall discharge you of the inventive part.

PHA. But will not your ladyship stay?

ARE. Not now, Phantaste. [EXIT.]

PHI. Let her go, I pray you, good lady Sobriety, I am glad we are rid of her.

PHA. What a set face the gentlewoman has, as she were still going to a sacrifice!

PHI. O, she is the extraction of a dozen of Puritans, for a look.

MOR. Of all nymphs i' the court, I cannot away with her; 'tis the coa.r.s.est thing!

PHI. I wonder how Cynthia can affect her so above the rest. Here be they are every way as fair as she, and a thought, fairer, I trow.

PHA. Ay, and as ingenious and conceited as she.

MOR. Ay, and as politic as she, for all she sets such a forehead on't.

PHI. Would I were dead, if I would change to be Cynthia.

PHA. Or I.

MOR. Or I.

AMO. And there's her minion, Crites: why his advice more than Amorphus? Have I not invention afore him? Learning to better that invention above him? and infanted with pleasant travel--

ANA. Death, what talk you of his learning? he understands no more than a schoolboy; I have put him down myself a thousand times, by this air, and yet I never talk'd with him but twice in my life: you never saw his like. I could never get him to argue with me but once; and then because I could not construe an author I quoted at first sight, he went away, and laughed at me. By Hercules, I scorn him, as I do the sodden nymph that was here even now; his mistress, Arete: and I love myself for nothing else.

HED. I wonder the fellow does not hang himself, being thus scorn'd and contemn'd of us that are held the most accomplish'd society of gallants.

MER. By yourselves, none else.

HED. I protest, if I had no music in me, no courtship; that I were not a reveller and could dance, or had not those excellent qualities that give a man life and perfection, but a mere poor scholar as he is, I think I should make some desperate way with myself; whereas now,--would I might never breathe more, if I do know that creature in this kingdom with whom I would change.

CUP. This is excellent! Well, I must alter all this soon.

MER. Look you do, Cupid. The bottles have wrought, it seems.

ASO. O, I am sorry the revels are crost. I should have tickled it soon. I did never appear till then. 'Slid, I am the neatliest-made gallant i' the company, and have the best presence; and my dancing --well, I know what our usher said to me last time I was at the school: Would I might have led Philautia in the measures, an it had been the G.o.ds' will! I am most worthy, I am sure.

RE-ENTER MORUS.

MORUS. Master, I can tell you news; the Lady kissed me yonder, and played with me, and says she loved you once as well as she does me, but that you cast her off.

ASO. Peace, my most esteemed page.

MORUS. Yes.

ASO. What luck is this, that our revels are dash'd, now was I beginning to glister in the very highway of preferment. An Cynthia had but seen me dance a strain, or do but one trick, I had been kept in court, I should never have needed to look towards my friends again.

AMO. Contain yourself, you were a fortunate young man, if you knew your own good; which I have now projected, and will presently multiply upon you. Beauties and valours, your vouchsafed applause to a motion. The humorous Cynthia hath, for this night, withdrawn the light of your delight.

PHA. 'Tis true, Amorphus: what may we do to redeem it?