t. | _Psyche_,
| _Acrasia_,
| _Veritas_,
| _Oblivio_.

_The scene is Microcosmus[167] in a grove.
The time from morning till night_.

LINGUA.

ACTUS PRIMUS, SCAENA PRIMA.

LINGUA _apparelled in a crimson satin gown, a dressing of
white roses, a little skene[168] tied in a purple scarf,
a pair of white buskins[169] drawn with white ribbon, silk
garters, gloves, &c_. AUDITUS _in a garland of bays
intermingled with red and white roses upon a false hair,
a cloth of silver mantle upon a pair of satin bases, wrought
sleeves, buskins, gloves, &c_.

LINGUA, AUDITUS.

LIN. Nay, good Auditus, do but hear me speak.

AUD. Lingua, thou strik'st too much upon one string,
Thy tedious plain-song[170] grates my tender ears.

LIN. 'Tis plain indeed, for truth no descant needs;
Una's her name, she cannot be divided.

AUD. O, but the ground[171] itself is naught, from whence
Thou canst not relish out a good division:
Therefore at length surcease, prove not stark-mad,
Hopeless to prosecute a hapless suit:
For though (perchance) thy first strains pleasing are,
I dare engage mine ear the close[172] will jar.

LIN. If then your confidence esteem my cause
To be so frivolous and weakly wrought,
Why do you daily subtle plots devise,
To stop me from the ears of common sense?
Whom since our great queen Psyche hath ordain'd,
For his sound wisdom, our vice-governor,
To him and to his two so wise assistants,
Nimble Phantastes and firm Memory,
Myself and cause I humbly do commit.
Let them but hear and judge; I wish no more.

AUD. Should they but know thy rash presumption,
They would correct it in the sharpest sort:
Good Jove! what sense hast thou to be a sense!
Since from the first foundation of the world,
We never were accounted more than five.
Yet you, forsooth, an idle prating dame,
Would fain increase the number, and upstart
To our high seats, decking your babbling self
With usurp'd titles of our dignity.

LIN. An idle prating dame! know, fond Auditus,
Records affirm my title full as good,
As his amongst the five is counted best.

AUD. Lingua, confess the truth: thou'rt wont to lie.

LIN. I say so too, therefore I do not lie.
But now, spite of you all, I speak the truth.
You five among us subjects tyrannise;
Making the sacred name of Common Sense
A cloak t