_Gob_.
You will be ready Madam.
[_Exit Gob_.
_Pan_.
Yes.
_Spa_.
I do beseech you Madam, send away
Your other women, and receive from me
A few sad words, which set against your joyes
May make 'em shine the more.
_Pan_.
Sirs, leave me all.
[_Exeunt Women_.
_Spa_.
I kneel a stranger here to beg a thing
Unfit for me to ask, and you to grant,
'Tis such another strange ill-laid request,
As if a begger should intreat a King
To leave his Scepter, and his Throne to him
And take his rags to wander o're the world
Hungry and cold.
_Pan_.
That were a strange request.
_Spa_.
As ill is mine.
_Pan_. Then do not utter it.
_Spa_.
Alas 'tis of that nature, that it must
Be utter'd, I, and granted, or I die:
I am asham'd to speak it; but where life
Lies at the stake, I cannot think her woman
That will not take something unreasonably to hazard saving of it:
I shall seem a strange Petitioner, that wish all ill to them I
beg of, e're they give me ought; yet so I must: I would you were
not fair, nor wise, for in your ill consists my good: if you were
foolish, you would hear my prayer, if foul, you had not power to
hinder me: he would not love you.
_Pan_.
What's the meaning of it.
_Spa_.
Nay, my request is more without the bounds
Of reason yet: for 'tis not in the power
Of you to do, what I would have you grant.
_Pan_.
Why then 'tis idle, pray thee speak it out.
_Spa_.
Your brother brings a Prince into this land,
Of such a noble shape, so sweet a grace,
So full of worth withal, that every maid
That looks upon him, gives away her self
To him for ever; and for you to have
He brings him: and so mad is my demand
That I desire you not to have this man,
This excellent man, for whom you needs must die,
If you should miss him. I do now expect
You should laugh at me.
_Pan_.
Trust me I could weep rather, for I have found him
In all thy words a strange disjoynted sorrow.
_Spa_.
'Tis by me his own desire so, that you would not love him.
_Pan_.
His own desire! why credit me _Thalestris,_ I am no common wooer:
if he shall wooe me, his worth may be such, that I dare not swear
I will not love him; but if he will stay to have me wooe him, I
will promise thee, he may keep all his graces to himself, and
fear no ravishing from me.
_Spa_.
'Tis yet his own desire, but when he sees your face, I fear it
will not be; therefore I charge you as you have pity, stop these
tender ears from his enchanting voice, close up those eyes, that
you may neither catch a dart from him, nor he from you; I charge
you as you hope to live in quiet; for when I am dead, for certain
I will walk to visit him if he break promise with me: for as fast
as Oaths without a formal Ceremony can make me, I am to him.
_Pan_.
Then be fearless;
For if he were a thing 'twixt God and man,
I could gaze on him; if I knew it sin
To love him without passion: Dry your eyes,
I swear you shall enjoy him still for me,
I will not hinder you; but I perceive
You are not what you seem, rise, rise _Thalestris_,
If your right name be so.
_Spa_.
Indeed it is not, _Spaconia_ is my name; but I desire not to be
known to other.
_Pan_.
Why, by me you shall not, I will never do you wrong, what good I
can, I will, think not my birth or education such, that I should
injure a stranger Virgin; you are welcome hither, in company you
wish to be commanded, but when we are alone, I shall be ready to
be your servant.
[_Exeunt_.
_Enter three Men and a Woman_.
_1_.
Come, come, run, run, run.
_2_.
We shall out-go her.
_3_.
One were better be hang'd than carry out women fidling to these
shews.
_ Wom_.
Is the King hard by?
_1_.
You heard he with the Bottles said, he thought we should come too
late: What abundance of people here is!
_ Wom_.
But what had he in those Bottles?
_3_.