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LUBECK.

No, Mariana, that is not it. His love to Blanch

Was then extinct, when first he saw thy face.

'Tis thee he loves; yea, thou art only she

That is maistres and commander of his thoughts.

MARIANA.

Well, well, my Lord, I like you, for such drifts

Put silly Ladies often to their shifts.

Oft have I heard you say you loved me well,

Yea, sworn the same, and I believed you too.

Can this be found an action of good faith

Thus to dissemble where you found true love?

LUBECK.

Mariana, I not dissemble, on mine honour,

Nor fails my faith to thee. But for my friend,

For princely William, by whom thou shalt possess

The title of estate and Majesty,

Fitting thy love, and vertues of thy mind—

For him I speak, for him do I intreat,

And with thy favour fully do resign

To him the claim and interest of my love.

Sweet Mariana, then, deny me not:

Love William, love my friend, and honour me,

Who else is clean dishonored by thy means.

MARIANA.

Borne to mishap, my self am only she

On whom the Sun of Fortune never shined:

But Planets ruled by retrogard aspect

Foretold mine ill in my nativity.

LUBECK.

Sweet Lady, cease, let my intreaty serve

To pacify the passion of thy grief,

Which, well I know, proceeds of ardent love.

MARIANA.

But Lubeck now regards not Mariana.

LUBECK.

Even as my life, so love I Mariana.

MARIANA.

Why do you post me to another then?

LUBECK.

He is my friend, and I do love the man.

MARIANA.

Then will Duke William rob me of my Love?

LUBECK.

No, as his life Mariana he doth love.

MARIANA.

Speak for your self, my Lord, let him alone.

LUBECK.

So do I, Madam, for he and I am one.

MARIANA.

Then loving you I do content you both.

LUBECK.

In loveing him, you shall content us both:

Me, for I crave that favour at your hands,

He, for he hopes that comfort at your hands.

MARIANA.

Leave off, my Lord, here comes the Lady Blaunch.

[Enter Blaunch to them.]

LUBECK.

Hard hap to break us of our talk so soon!

Sweet Mariana, do remember me.

[Exit Lubeck.]

MARIANA.

Thy Mariana cannot chose but remember thee.

BLAUNCH.

Mariana, well met. You are very forward in your Love?

MARIANA.

Madam, be it in secret spoken to your self, if you will but

follow the complot I have invented, you will not think me

so forward as your self shall prove fortunate.

BLAUNCH.

As how?

MARIANA.

Madam, as thus: It is not unknowen to you that Sir Robert

of Windsor, a man that you do not little esteem, hath long

importuned me of Love; but rather then I will be found

false or unjust to the Marques Lubeck, I will, as did the

constant lady Penelope, undertake to effect some great task.

BLAUNCH.

What of all this?

MARIANA.

The next time that Sir Robert shall come in his woonted

sort to solicit me with Love, I will seem to agree and like

of any thing that the Knight shall demaund, so far foorth

as it be no impeachment to my chastity: And, to conclude,

point some place for to meet the man, for my conveyance

from the Denmark Court: which determined upon, he will

appoint some certain time for our departure: whereof you

having intelligence, you may soon set down a plot to wear

the English Crown, and than—

BLANCH.

What then?

MARIANA.

If Sir Robert prove a King and you his Queen, how than?

BLANCH.

Were I assured of the one, as I am persuaded of the other,

there were some possibility in it. But here comes the man.

MARIANA.

Madam, begone, and you shall see I will work to your desire

and my content.

[Exit Blanch.]

WILLIAM CON.

Lady, this is well and happily met.

Fortune hetherto hath beene my foe,

And though I have oft sought to speak with you,

Yet still I have been crot with sinister happs.

I cannot, Madam, tell a loving tale

Or court my Maistres with fabulous discourses,

That am a souldier sworn to follow arms:

But this I bluntly let you understand,

I honor you with such religious Zeal

As may become an honorable mind.

Nor may I make my love the siege of Troy,

That am a stranger in this Country.

First, what I am I know