THE FAIR FAVOURITE. ACT I. SCENE I. Enter SALADINE, ALERAN, THORELLO. ALER. Troth! thou art now a pretty toy of State, Art grown as grave, and hast as great a share Of business in thy looks, as an old Legate Sent to a land of heretics. Ambassadors Of Spain compar'd to thee, are mere French posts; Dispatch'd with love letters from th' army to The Court. O, the excellency of travel! SALAD. Right, Aleran! Mark, but how much it. Your very ape. Ere he hath travel'd, And manages your English mastiff, sir, As he had lain in Pension for't at Paris. THOR. Signiors! you have very passable wits O'th' Queen's side here. Sure, they are employ'd too, When part'clar pleasures have call'd aside The nobler spirits, and left you necessary To the ladies. What! you read Alciod's* emblems *Alciatus. "Here comes Ancient and honest Alciatus with the almost endless impression of his works; some with copperplate, others with wood-engraving, decorations."- Bibliographica To'em, and the fables of Æsop in Your elegant mother tongue? SAL. Ŏ, ever sir, upon long winter nights. THOR. And, on my conscience, they believe those tales For true, whilst you put off the old morals We have the pretti'st things in petty-coats. And 'twill be held a sov'reign sign of luck, THOR. Youth and success in your amours hath made You as wanton, as maids at midnight with their lovers are. -Hark! the King! Remove, and borrow gravity a while. [Flourish. Enter PHYLENIO, KING, RADEGOND, Soldiers of his train. PHYLE. Y'arrive so early sir, that you will find The Queen asleep; if she can ever rest, Whose careful fears, both for your safety and RADEG. And this is worthy of your pity, sir, Decameron, Vol I. p. 225. Dr. Dibdin in a note on the text says: "The Library of the Marquis of Blandford [afterwards Duke of Marlborough] is supposed to contain the richest collection of emblems in the country." This was in 1817. At a later date this collection, which was rich in the productions of Alciatus, was brought to the hammer. Sir William Stirling Maxwell, of Polloc and Keir, Bart., present Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, is possessed of a very large collection of the works of Alciatus. To find a lady of her youth, KING. Advise her, Radegond, to love me less. Nature allows but one, though to a King, And it were cruelty, not kindness to Exact more love from that, than it can give. Enter QUEEN and two LADIES. PHYLE. See where she comes! Already she hath learn'd You are arriv'd, the spies of love are swift And universal, as the beams of light. Look on QUEEN. My joys are more than I can hide, Have liv'd to see my vows grow prosperous. And black dishonour with your enemies? KING. Madam, I thank you as I ought. How bless'd Had we been, if he that made such haste to join A priest, and married provinces, not us. QUEEN. Alas! This is a little sudden, sir! "Tis like a morn o'ercast with clouds, ere men May say the day doth break. No sooner can I boast my joys of seeing you, but I must Become your sorrow, and My punishment. How vainly do I wish, That, like your better angel, I could wait And never be discern'd. KING. Would you had all your wishes, Madam, and I, If it were fit to ask't of heaven, had mine. QUEEN. You are too quickly weary of our griefs! I could endure 'em,longer, sir, so I Might tarry here. But 'tis as hard for me To disobey your will, as hinder fate. KING. Be kind then to your self; you may pos sess That happiness alone, which we QUEEN. The peace, which by your valor you have brought Your people home, increase within your breast, THOR. Look Saladine! The King may well be held The chief of his profession, a grand courtier, SALAD. It is your new Court-justice now! They ever pay the want Of their affection to their wives, with overmuch |