3.5.4: Act IV

SCENE I

Enter Lady Happy drest as a Shepherdess; She walks very Melancholy, then speaks as to her self.

MY Name is Happy, and so was my Condition, before I saw this Princess; but now I am like to be the most unhappy Maid alive: But why may not I love a Woman with the same affection I could a Man?
    No, no, Nature is Nature, and still will be
    The same she was from all Eternity.

Enter the Princess in Masculine Shepherd's Clothes.

PRINCESS. My dearest Mistress, do you shun my Company? is your Servant become an offence to your sight?

LADY HAPPY. No, Servant! your Presence is more acceptable to me then the Presence of our Goddess Nature, for which she, I fear will punish me, for loving you more then I ought to love you.

PRINCESS. Can Lovers love too much?

LADY HAPPY. Yes, if they love not well.

PRINCESS. Can any Love be more vertuous, innocent and harmless then ours?

LADY HAPPY. I hope not.

PRINCESS. Then let us please our selves, as harmless Lovers use to do.

LADY HAPPY. How can harmless Lovers please themselves?

PRINCESS. Why very well, as, to discourse, imbrace and kiss, so mingle souls together.

LADY HAPPY. But innocent Lovers do not use to kiss.

PRINCESS. Not any act more frequent amongst us Women-kind; nay, it were a sin in friendship, should not we kiss: then let us not prove our selves Reprobates.

They imbrace and kiss, and hold each other in their Arms.

PRINCESS. These my Imbraces though of Femal kind,
May be as fervent as a Masculine mind.

The Scene is open'd, the Princess and Lady Happy go in.
A Pastoral within the Scene.

The Scene is changed into a Green, or Plain, where Sheep are feeding, and a May-Pole in the middle.

Lady Happy as a Shepherdess, and the Princess as a Shepherd are sitting there.

Enter another Shepherd, and Wooes the Lady Happy.

Shepherd.

FAir Shepherdess do not my Suit deny,
O grant my Suit, let me not for Love die:
Pity my Flocks, Oh save their Shepherd's life;
Grant you my Suit, be you their Shepherd's Wife.

LADY HAPPY. How can I grant to every ones request?
Each Shepherd's Suit lets me not be at rest;
For which I wish, the Winds might blow them far,
That no Love-Suit might enter to my Ear.

Enter Madam Mediator in a Shepherdess dress, and another Shepherd.

SHEPHERD. Good Dame unto your Daughter speak for me.
Perswade her I your Son in Law may be:
I'le serve your Swine, your Cows bring home to Milk;
Attend your Sheep, whose Wool's as soft as Silk;
I'le plow your Grounds, Corn I'le in Winter sow,
Then reap your Harvest, and your Grass I'le mow;
Gather your Fruits in Autumn from the Tree.
All this and more I'le do, if y' speak for me.

SHEPHERDESS.. My Daughter vows a single life,
And swears, she n're will be a Wife;
But live a Maid, and Flocks will keep,
And her chief Company shall be Sheep.

The Princess as a Shepherd, speaks to the Lady Happy.

PRINCESS. My Shepherdess, your Wit flies high,
            Up to the Skie,
And views the Gates of Heaven,
Which are the Planets Seven;
Sees how fixt Stars are plac'd,
And how the Meteors wast;
What makes the Snow so white,
And how the Sun makes light;
What makes the biting Cold
On every thing take hold;
And Hail a mixt degree,
'Twixt Snow and Ice you see
From whence the Winds do blow;
What Thunder is, you know,
And what makes Lightning flow
Like liquid streams, you show.
From Skie you come to th' Earth,
And view each Creature's birth;
Sink to the Center deep,
Where all dead bodies sleep;
And there observe to know,
What makes the Minerals grow;
How Vegetables sprout,
And how the Plants come out;
Take notice of all Seed,
And what the Earth doth breed;
Then view the Springs below,
And mark how Waters flow;
What makes the Tides to rise
Up proudly to the Skies,
And shrinking back descend,
As fearing to offend.
Also your Wit doth view
The Vapour and the Dew,
In Summer's heat, that Wet
Doth seem like the Earth's Sweat;
In Winter-time, that Dew
Like paint's white to the view,
Cold makes that thick, white, dry;
As Cerusse it doth lie
On th' Earth's black face, so fair
As painted Ladies are;
But, when a heat is felt,
That Frosty paint doth melt.
    Thus Heav'n and Earth you view,
And see what's Old, what's New;
How Bodies Transmigrate,
Lives are Predestinate.
Thus doth your Wit reveal
What Nature would conceal.

LADY HAPPY. My Shepherd,
All those that live do know it,
That you are born a Poet,
Your Wit doth search Mankind,
In Body and in Mind;
The Appetites you measure,
And weigh each several Pleasure;
Do figure every Passion,
And every Humor's fashion;
See how the Fancie's wrought,
And what makes every Thought;
Fadom Conceptions low,
From whence Opinions flow;
Observe the Memories length,
And Understanding's strength
Your Wit doth Reason find,
The Centre of the Mind,
Wherein the Rational Soul
Doth govern and controul,
There doth She sit in State,
Predestinate by Fate,
And by the Gods Decree,
That Sovereign She should be.
    And thus your Wit can tell,
How Souls in Bodies dwell;
As that the Mind dwells in the Brain,
And in the Mind the Soul doth raign,
And in the Soul the life doth last,
For with the Body it doth not wast;
Nor shall Wit like the Body die,
But live in the World's Memory.

PRINCESS. May I live in your favour, and be possest with your Love and Person, is the height of my ambitions.

LADY HAPPY. I can neither deny you my Love nor Person.

PRINCESS. In amourous Pastoral Verse we did not Woo.
As other Pastoral Lovers use to doo.

LADY HAPPY. Which doth express, we shall more constant be,
And in a Married life better agree.

Prin. We shall agree, for we true Love inherit,
Join as one Body and Soul, or Heav'nly Spirit.

Here come Rural Sports, as Country Dances about the Map-Pole: that Pair which Dances best is Crowned King and Queen of the Shepherds that year; which happens to the Princess, and the Lady Happy.

LADY HAPPY TO THE PRINCESS. Let me tell you, Servant, that our Custome is to dance about this May-Pole, and that Pair which Dances best is Crown'd King and Queen of all the Shepherds and Shepherdesses this year: Which Sport if it please you we will begin.

PRINCESS. Nothing, Sweetest Mistress, that pleases you, can displease me.

They Dance; after the Dancing the Princess and Lady Happy are Crowned with a Garland of Flowers: a Shepherd speaks.

Written by my Lord Duke.

YOu've won the prize; and justly; so we all
Acknowledg it with joy, and offer here
Our Hatchments up, our Sheep-hooks as your due,
And Scrips of Corduant, and Oaten pipe;
So all our Pastoral Ornaments we lay
Here at your Feet, with Homage to obay
All your Commands, and all these things we bring
In honour of our dancing Queen and King;
For Dancing heretofore has got more Riches
Then we can find in all our Shepherds Breeches;
Witness rich Holmby: Long then may you live,
And for your Dancing what we have we give.

A Wassel is carried about and Syllibubs.

Another Shepherd speaks, or Sings this that follows.

Written by my Lord Duke.

THe Jolly Wassel now do bring,
With Apples drown'd in stronger Ale,
And fresher Syllibubs, and sing;
Then each to tell their Love-sick Tale:
So home by Couples, and thus draw
Our selves by holy Hymen's Law.

The Scene Vanishes.

Enter the Princess Sola, and walks a turn or two in a Musing posture, then views her Self, and speaks.

PRINCESS. What have I on a Petticoat, Oh Mars! thou God of War, pardon my sloth; but yet remember thou art a Lover, and so am I; but you will say, my Kingdom wants me, not only to rule, and govern it, but to defend it: But what is a Kingdom in comparison of a Beautiful Mistress? Base thoughts flie off, for I will not go; did not only a Kingdom, but the World want me.

Exeunt.

Enter the Lady Happy Sola, and Melancholy, and after a short Musing speaks.

LADY HAPPY. O Nature, O you gods above,
Suffer me not to fall in Love;
O strike me dead here in this place
Rather then fall into disgrace.

Enter Madam Mediator.

MADAM MEDIATOR. What, Lady Happy, solitary alone! and Musing like a disconsolate Lover!

LADY HAPPY. No, I was Meditating of Holy things.

MADAM MEDIATOR. Holy things! what Holy things?

LADY HAPPY. Why, such Holy things as the Gods are.

MADAM MEDIATOR. By my truth, whether your Contemplation be of Gods or of Men, you are become lean and pale since I was in the Convent last.

Enter the Princess.

PRINCESS. Come my sweet Mistress, shall we go to our Sports and Recreations?

MADAM MEDIATOR. Beshrew me, your Highness hath sported too much I fear.

PRINCESS. Why, Madam Mediator, say you so?

MADAM MEDIATOR. Because the Lady Happy looks not well, she is become pale and lean.

PRINCESS. Madam Mediator, your eyes are become dim with Time; for my sweet Mistress appears with greater splendor then the God of Light.

MADAM MEDIATOR. For all you are a great Princess, give me leave to tell you,
        I am not so old, nor yet so blind
        But that I see you are too kind.

PRINCESS. Well, Madam Mediator, when we return from our Recreations, I will ask your pardon, for saying, your eyes are dim, conditionally you will ask pardon for saying, my Mistress looks not well.

Exeunt.

The Scene is opened, and there is presented a Rock as in the Sea, whereupon sits the Princess and the Lady Happy; the Princess as the Sea-God Neptune, the Lady Happy as a Sea-Goddess: the rest of the Ladies sit somewhat lower, drest like Water-Nymphs; the Princess begins to speak a Speech in Verse, and after her the Lady Happy makes her Speech.

I Am the King of all the Seas,
All Watry Creatures do me please,
Obey my Power and Command,
And bring me Presents from the Land;
The Waters open their Flood-gates,
Where Ships do pass, sent by the Fates;
Which Fates do yearly, as May-Dew,
Send me a Tribute from Peru,
From other Nations besides,
Brought by their Servants, Winds and Tides,
Ships fraught and Men to me they bring;
My Watery Kingdom lays them in.
Thus from the Earth a Tribute I
Receive, which shews my power thereby
Besides, my Kingdom's richer far
Then all the Earth and every Star.

LADY HAPPY. I feed the Sun, which gives them light,
And makes them shine in darkest night,
Moist vapour from my brest I give,
Which he sucks forth, and makes him live,
Or else his Fire would soon go out,
Grow dark, or burn the World throughout.

PRINCESS. What Earthly Creature's like to me,
That hath such Power and Majestie?
My Palaces are Rocks of Stone,
And built by Nature's hand alone;
No base, dissembling, coz'ning Art
Do I imploy in any part,
In all my Kingdom large and wide,
Nature directs and doth provide
Me all Provisions which I need,
And Cooks my Meat on which I feed.

LADY HAPPY. My Cabinets are Oyster-shells,
In which I keep my Orient-Pearls,
To open them I use the Tide,
As Keys to Locks, which opens wide,
The Oyster-shells then out I take;
Those, Orient-Pearls and Crowns do make;
And modest Coral I do wear,
Which blushes when it touches air.
On Silver-Waves I sit and sing,
And then the Fish lie listening:
Then sitting on a Rocky stone,
I comb my Hair with Fishes bone;
The whil'st Apollo, with his Beams,
Doth dry my Hair from wat'ry streams.
His Light doth glaze the Water s face,
Make the large Sea my Looking-Glass;
So when I swim on Waters high,
I see my self as I glide by:
But when the Sun begins to burn,
I back into my Waters turn,
And dive unto the bottom low:
Then on my head the Waters flow,
In Curled waves and Circles round;
And thus with Waters am I Crown'd.

PRINCESS. Besides, within the Waters deep,
In hollow Rocks my Court I keep;
Of Amber-greece my Bed is made,
Whereon my softer Limbs are laid,
There take I Rest; and whil'st I sleep,
The Sea doth guard, and safe me keep
From danger; and, when I awake,
A Present of a Ship doth make.
No Prince on Earth hath more resort,
Nor keeps more Servants in his Court;
Of Mare-maids you're waited on,
And Mare-men do attend upon
My Person; some are Councellors,
Which order all my great Affairs;
Within my wat'ry Kingdom wide,
They help to rule, and so to guide
The Common-wealth; and are by me
Prefer'd unto an high degree.
Some Judges are, and Magistrates,
Decide each Cause, and end Debates;
Others, Commanders in the War;
And some to Governments prefer;
Others are Neptun's Priests which pray
And preach when is a Holy day.
And thus with Method order I,
And govern all with Majesty;
I am sole Monarch of the Sea,
And all therein belongs to me.

A Sea-Nymph Sings this following SONG.

1. We Watery Nymphs Rejoyce and Sing
About God Neptune our Sea's King;
In Sea-green Habits, for to move
His God-head, for to fall in love.

2. That with his Trident he doth stay
Rough foaming Billows which obay:
And when in Triumph he doth stride
His manag'd Dolphin for to ride.

3. All his Sea-people to his wish,
From Whale to Herring subject Fish,
With Acclamations do attend him,
And pray's more Riches still to send him.
Exeunt.

The SCENE Vanishes.

Work Cited

Cavendish, Margaret. The Convent of Pleasure. Plays, never before printed, edited by Mary Mark Ockerbloom, 1668. Accessed 30 June 2026. (Public Domain).