SCENE II.

_Another Room in_ GLISTER’S _House_.

_Enter_ MARIA _above_.[382]

MAR. Now nature’s pencil and the hand of time Give[383] life and limb to generation’s act, My shame and guilt in wordless notes appear, The argument of scorn. O now I stand The theme and comment to each liberal[384] tongue, Whilst hope breeds comfort, and fear threats my wrong! O Gerardine, how oft thy lively figure, Deeply[385] impressed in my yielding temper, Assures me thou art mine! how fancy paints Thy true proportion in my troubled sleep, Because sole subject of my daily thoughts! O, if thy vows prove feign’d and thou unjust, I say and swear in men there is no trust!

_Enter_ GERARDINE.

GER. Thus have I past the round[386] and court of guard, Without the word:[387] either conceit is strong, Or else the body where true love’s confin’d Walks as a spirit and doth force his way Through greatest dangers, frightful to those eyes That wait to intercept him.—Maria? How like to Cynthia, in her silver orb, She seems to me, attended by love’s lamp, Whose mutual influence and soul’s sympathy Do[388] shew heaven’s model in mortality. MAR. Gerardine? Aurora, now the blushing sun approaches,[389] Dart[s] not more comfort to this universe Than thou to me: most acceptably come! The art of number cannot count the hours Thou hast been absent. GER. Infinity of love Holds no proportion with arithmetic. Think not, Maria, but my heart retains A deep impression of such thoughts as these. I have been forging of a mirthful plot To celebrate our wish’d conjunction, Which now digested, come to summon thee To be an actress in the comedy. MAR. How, where, when? speak, mine ears are quick to hear; I stand on thorns already to be there. GER. At Dryfat’s house, the merchant, there’s our scene, Whose sequel, if I fail not in intent, Shall answer our desires and each content. But when sawest thou Lipsalve and Gudgeon, our two gallants? MAR. They are here in the house, so handled by mine uncle, that they are the pitifullest patients that ever you beheld. GER. No matter, he serves them in their kind: they were infamous in the court, and now are grown as notorious in the city: they may happily prove particles in our sport, and fit subjects for laughter.

Time calls me hence: adieu; prepare to meet. MAR. I shall outstrip the nimblest in my feet. [_Exeunt severally._