Part 36

Tam. Poore man! O, my father! Father, look up! O, let me downe, my lord, And I will write.

Mont. Author of prodigies! What new flame breakes out of the firmament That turnes up counsels never knowne before? 160 Now is it true, earth moves, and heaven stands still; Even heaven it selfe must see and suffer ill. The too huge bias of the world hath sway'd Her back-part upwards, and with that she braves This hemisphere that long her mouth hath mockt: 165 The gravity of her religious face (Now growne too waighty with her sacriledge, And here discern'd sophisticate enough) Turnes to th'Antipodes; and all the formes That her illusions have imprest in her 170 Have eaten through her back; and now all see How she is riveted with hypocrisie. Was this the way? was he the mean betwixt you?

Tam. He was, he was, kind worthy man, he was.

Mont. Write, write a word or two.

Tam. I will, I will. 175 Ile write, but with my bloud, that he may see These lines come from my wounds & not from me. Writes.

Mont. Well might he die for thought: methinks the frame And shaken joynts of the whole world should crack To see her parts so disproportionate; 180 And that his generall beauty cannot stand Without these staines in the particular man. Why wander I so farre? here, here was she That was a whole world without spot to me, Though now a world of spots. Oh what a lightning 185 Is mans delight in women! What a bubble He builds his state, fame, life on, when he marries! Since all earths pleasures are so short and small, The way t'enjoy it is t'abjure it all. Enough! I must be messenger my selfe, 190 Disguis'd like this strange creature. In, Ile after, To see what guilty light gives this cave eyes, And to the world sing new impieties.

He puts the Frier in the vault and follows. She raps her self in the arras.

Exeunt [Servants].

LINENOTES:

by the haire. A omits.

1-4 O, help . . . my lord. A omits.

21 than that. A, than it.

28 secret. A, hateful.

32 tread. A, touch.

35 your terrors. A omits.

35-6 Good . . . distracted. B punctuates:--

Good father cease: your terrors Tempt not a man distracted.

40 Heaven. A, God. you. A, ye.

42-4 Father . . . safety. A omits.

45 brest. A, heart.

46 Stand the opening. Emend, ed.; A, Ope the seven-times heat; B, Stand the opening.

48 woes. A, cares.

51 devouring. A, enraged.

60 Heaven. A, God.

68 rig'd with quench for. A, laden for thy.

91 devoure. A, distract. consort. A, state.

95 faults. A, sins.

129 with any shew . . . cruelty. A omits.