ACT I. SCENE I.

_A Gallery in_ GLISTER’S _House_.

_Enter_ GLISTER, MISTRESS GLISTER, _and_ MARIA.

GLI. Tricks and shows! Protestations with men are like tears with women, forgot ere the cheek be dry. Gerardine is a gentleman; his lands be in statutes: ’a[178] is not for thee, nor thou for him: ’a is a gallant, and young thoughts be most unconstant. MAR. Yet young vines yield most wine. MIS. G. But old vines the best. Believe not these great-breeched[179] gallants; they love for profit, not for affection: if ’a brings thee to a fool’s paradise, ’a will forsake thee. GLI. Which fortune God send my enemy! Love is a cold heat,[180] a bitter sweet, a pleasure full of pain, a huge loss, and no gain. Why shouldest thou love him only? MAR. Words cannot force what destiny hath seal’d. Who can resist the influence of his stars, Or give a reason why ’a loves or hates, Since our affections are not rul’d by will, But will by our affections?[181] ’Tis blasphemy ’Gainst love’s most sacred deity, to ask[182] Why we do love, since ’tis his only power That sways all our affections: all things which be, Beasts, birds, men, gods, pay him their fealty. GLI. Tut, love is an idle fantasy, bred by desire, nursed by delight, an humour that begins his dominion in Leo the lion, the sign of the heart; and ends in Aries the ram, the sign of the head: his power is to stir the blood,—pricks up the flesh, fills all the body with a libidinous humour, and is indeed the overture[183] of all ladies: which to prevent, I have banished Gerardine, your dearly beloved, my house; and as for you, since I am your guardian by my brother’s last will, I will sequester you from all other rooms in my house save this gallery and your upper chamber, till, in discretion, I shall find it convenient to enlarge you. MAR. My body you may circumscribe, confine, And keep in bounds; but my unlimited love Extends itself beyond all circumscription. MIS. G. Believe me, Maria, I have known the natures of divers of these gallants. If they possess the unlimited love of us women in never so ample manner, without the society of the body, I know how soon their love vadeth:[184] young men’s love is like ivy; it must have somewhat to cleave to, or it never prospers. Love is like fasting-days, but the body is like flesh-days; and ’tis our English gallants’ fashion to prefer a morsel of flesh before all the fasting-days in the whole year.

_Enter_ VIAL.

GLI. The news with you, Vial? VIAL. And it like[185] your worship, here’s Club, master Purge the ’pothecary’s ’prentice, come to invite you, my mistress, and mistress Maria, to supper, and to see master Gerardine’s will sealed. GLI. Tell Club my wife and myself will be there, but Maria shall not come. [_Exit_ VIAL.]—There must be your sweetheart’s parting feast. Now ’a perceives no access to my house, ’a will to sea; a good riddance: if ’a returns not, you, forsooth, are his heir; that’s not much amiss. Yet there may be tricks: I will not be overreached. Come, to your chamber; where, till my return, you shall be in safe custody. [_Exit with_ MISTRESS GLISTER. MAR. O silly men, which seek to keep in awe Women’s affections, which can know no law! [MARIA _ascends_.[186]