Bya.   That loves the young man.

Mar.   I and hold thee there wench: what a grief of heart is't?
When Paphos Revels should rowze up old night,
To sweat against a Cork; to lie and tell
The clock o'th lungs, to rise sport starv'd?

Liv.   Dear Sister,
Where have you been, you talk thus?

Mar.   Why at Church, wench;
Where I am ti'd to talke thus: I am a wife now.

Liv.   It seems so, and a modest.

Mar.   You are an ass;
When thou art married once, thy modesty
Will never buy thee pins.

Liv.   'Bless me.

Mar.   From what?

Bya.   From such a tame fool as our cosin Livia?

Liv.   You are not mad.

Mar.   Yes wench, and so must you be,
Or none of our acquaintance: mark me Livia;
Or indeed fit for our sex: 'Tis bed time.
Pardon me yellow Hymen, that I mean
Thine offerings to protract, or to keep fasting
My valiant Bridegroom.

Liv.   Whither will this woman?

Bya.   You may perceive her end.

Liv.   Or rather fear it.

Mar.   Dare you be partner in't?

Liv.   Leave it Maria,
I fear I have mark'd too much, for goodness leave it;
Divest you with obedient hands, to bed.

Mar.   To bed? no Livia, there are Comets hang
Prodigious over that yet; there's a fellow
Must yet before I know that heat (ne'r start wench)
Be made a man, for yet he is a monster;
Here must his head be Livia.

Liv.   Never hope it.
'Tis as easie with a Sive to scoop the Ocean, as
To tame Petruchio.

Mar.   Stay: Lucina hear me,
Never unlock the treasure of my womb
For humane fruit, to make it capable;
Nor never with thy secret hand make brief
A mothers labor to me; if I do
Give way unto my married Husband's Will,
Or be a Wife in any thing but hopes,
Till I have made him easie as a child,
And tame as fear, he shall not win a smile,
Or a pleas'd look, from this austerity,
Though it would pull another Joynture from him,
And make him ev'ry day another man;
And when I kiss him, till I have my Will,
May I be barren of delights, and know
Only what pleasures are in dreams, and guesses.

Liv.   A strange Exordium.

Bya.   All the several wrongs
Done by Imperious Husbands to their Wives
These thousand years and upwards, strengthen thee:
Thou hast a brave cause.

Mar.   And I'll do it bravely,
Or may I knit my life out ever after.

Liv.   In what part of the world got she this spirit?
Yet pray Maria, look before you truly,
Besides the obedience of a wife;
Which you will find a heavy imputation,
Which yet I cannot think your own, it shews
So distant from your sweetness.

Mar.   'Tis I swear.

Liv.   Weigh but the person, and the hopes you have,
To work this desperate cure.

Mar.   A weaker subject
Would shame the end I aim at, disobedience.
You talk too tamely: By the faith I have
In mine own noble Will, that childish woman
That lives a prisoner to her Husbands pleasure,
Has lost her making, and becomes a beast,
Created for his use, not fellowship.

Liv.   His first wife said as much.

Mar.   She was a fool,
And took a scurvy course; let her be nam'd
'Mongst those that wish for things, but dare not do'em:
I have a new dance for him.

Liv.   Are you of this faith?

Bya.   Yes truly, and will die in't.

Liv.   Why then let's all wear breeches.

Mar.   Now thou com'st near the nature of a woman;
Hang these tame hearted Eyasses, that no sooner
See the Lure out, and hear their Husbands hollow,
But cry like Kites upon 'em: The free Haggard
(Which is that woman, that hath wing, and knows it,
Spirit and plume) will make an hundred checks,
To shew her freedom, sail in ev'ry air,
And look out ev'ry pleasure; not regarding
Lure, nor quarry, till her pitch command
What she desires, making her foundred keeper
Be glad to fling out trains, and golden ones,
To take her down again.

Liv.   You are learned, Sister;
Yet I say still take heed.

Mar.   A witty saying;
I'll tell thee Livia, had this fellow tired
As many wives as horses under him,
With spurring of their patience; had he got
A Patent, with an Office to reclaim us,
Confirm'd by Parliament; had he all the malice
And subtilty of Devils, or of us,
Or any thing that's worse than both.

Liv.   Hey, hey boys, this is excellent.

Mar.   Or could he
Cast his wives new again, like Bels, to make 'em
Sound to his Will; or had the fearful name
Of the first breaker of wild women: yet,
Yet would I undertake this man, thus single,
And, spight of all the freedom he has reach'd to,
Turn him and bend him as I list, and mold him
Into a babe again; that aged women,
W[a]nting both teeth and spleen, may Master him.

Bya.   Thou wilt be chronicl'd.

Mar.   That's all I aim at.

Liv.   I must confess, I do with all my heart
Hate an imperious Husband, and in time
Might be so wrought upon.

Bya.   To make him cuckold?

Mar.   If he deserve it.

Liv.   Then I'll leave ye Ladies.

Bya.   Thou hast not so much noble anger in thee.

Mar.   Go sleep, go sleep, what we intend to do,
Lies not for such starv'd souls, as thou hast Livia.

Liv.   Good night: the Bridegroom will be with you presently.

Mar.   That's more than you know.

Liv.   If ye work upon him,
As you have promised, ye may give example,
Which no doubt will be followed.

Mar.   So.

Bya.   Good night: we'll trouble you no further.

Mar.   If you intend no good, pray do no harm.

Liv.   None, but pray for you. [Exit Livia.

Bya.   Cheer wench.

Mar.   Now Byancha,
Those wits we have, let's wind 'em to the height.
My rest is up wench, and I pull for that
Will make me ever famous. They that lay
Foundations, are half-builders, all men say.

Enter Jaques.

Jaq.   My Master forsooth.

Mar.   Oh how does thy Master? prethee commend me to him.

Jaq.   How's this? my Master stays forsooth.

Mar.   Why let him stay, who hinders him forsooth?

Jaq.   The Revel's ended now,
To visit you.

Mar.   I am not sick.

Jaq.   I mean to see his chamber forsooth.

Mar.   Am I his Groom? where lay he last night forsooth?

Ja[q].   In the low matted Parlour.

Mar.   There lies his way by the long Gallery.

Jaq.   I mean your chamber: y'are very merry Mistriss.

Mar.   'Tis a good sign I am sound hearted Jaques: