,
And likings of a ten days' growth, use courtesies,
And show red eyes at parting. Who bids "Farewell!"
In the same tone he cries "God speed you, sir?"
Or tells of joyful victories at sea,
Where he hath ventures; does not rather muffle
His organs to emit a leaden sound,
To suit the melancholy dull "farewell,"
Which they in Heaven not use?--
So peevish, Margaret?
But 'tis the common error of your sex
When our idolatry slackens, or grows less,
(As who of woman born can keep his faculty
Of Admiration, being a decaying faculty,
Forever strain'd to the pitch? or can at pleasure
Make it renewable, as some appetites are,
As, namely, Hunger, Thirst!--) this being the case,
They tax us with neglect, and love grown cold,
Coin plainings of the perfidy of men,
Which into maxims pass, and apothegms
To be retail'd in ballads.--
I know them all.
They are jealous when our larger hearts receive
More guests than one. (Love in a woman's heart
Being all in one.) For me, I am sure I have room here
For more disturbers of my sleep than one.
Love shall have part, but love shall not have all.
Ambition, Pleasure, Vanity, all by turns,
Shall lie in my bed, and keep me fresh and waking;
Yet Love not be excluded. Foolish wench,
I could have loved her twenty years to come,
And still have kept my liking. But since 'tis so,
Why, fare thee well, old playfellow! I'll try
To squeeze a tear for old acquaintance' sake.
I shall not grudge so much----

_To him enters_ LOVEL.

_Lovel_. Bless us, Woodvil! what is the matter? I protest, man, I
thought you had been weeping.

_Wood_. Nothing is the matter; only the wench has forced some water
into my eyes, which will quickly disband.

_Lovel_. I cannot conceive you.

_Wood_. Margaret is flown.

_Lovel_. Upon what pretence?

_Wood_. Neglect on my part: which it seems she has had the wit to
discover, maugre all my pains to conceal it.

_Lovel_. Then, you confess the charge?

_Wood_. To say the truth, my love for her has of late stopped short
on this side idolatry.

_Lovel_. As all good Christians' should, I think.

_Wood_. I am sure, I could have loved her still within the limits of
warrantable love.

_Lovel_. A kind of brotherly affection, I take it.

_Wood_. We should have made excellent man and wife in time.

_Lovel_. A good old couple, when the snows fell, to crowd about a
sea-coal fire, and talk over old matters.

_Wood_. While each should