Volume Ix Part 82 (1/2)

[_They fight, and are parted by_ MENDACIO.

MEN. You shall not fight as long as I am here. Give over, I say.

HEU. Mendacio, you offer me great wrong to hold me: in good faith, I shall fall out with you.

MEN. Away, away, away; you are Invention, are you not?

HEU. Yes, sir; what then?

MEN. And you Remembrance?

ANA. Well, sir, well?

MEN. Then I will be Judicium, the moderator betwixt you, and make you both friends; come, come, shake hands, shake hands.

HEU. Well, well, if you will needs have it so.

ANA. I am in some sort content.

[MENDACIO _walks with them, holding them by the hands_.

MEN. Why, this is as it should be; when Mendacio hath Invention on the one hand, and Remembrance on the other, as he'll be sure never to be found with truth in his mouth, so he scorns to be taken in a lie. Eh, eh, eh, my fine wags? Whist!

[COMMUNIS SENSUS _and the rest are seen to approach_.]

ANA. Whist!

HEU. Whist!

SCAENA SECUNDA.

COMMUNIS SENSUS, MEMORY, PHANTASTES, HEURESIS, ANAMNESTES, _take their places on the bench as before_, AUDITUS _on the stage, a page before him, bearing his target, the field Sable, a heart Or; next him_ TRAGEDUS _apparelled in black velvet, fair buskins, a falchion, &c.; then_ COMEDUS, _in a light-coloured green taffeta robe, silk stockings, pumps, gloves, &c_.

COMMUNIS SENSUS, MEMORY, PHANTASTES, HEURESIS, ANAMNESTES, &c.

COM. SEN. They had some reason that held the soul a harmony, for it is greatly delighted with music; how fast we were tied by the ears to the consort of Voice's power! but all is but a little pleasure; what profitable objects hath he?

PHA. Your ears will teach you presently, for now he is coming. That fellow in the bays, methinks I should have known him; O, 'tis Comedus, 'tis so; but he has become nowadays something humorous, and too-too satirical up and down, like his great grandfather Aristophanes.

ANA. These two, my lord, Comedus and Tragedus, My fellows both, both twins, but so unlike, As birth to death, wedding to funeral.

For this, that rears himself in buskins quaint, Is pleasant at the first, proud in the midst, Stately in all, and bitter death at end.

That in the pumps doth frown at first acquaintance, Trouble in the midst, but in the end concludes, Closing up all with a sweet catastrophe.

This grave and sad, distain'd with brinish tears; That light and quick with wrinkled laughter[281] painted; This deals with n.o.bles, kings, and emperors, Full of great fears, great hopes, great enterprises.

This other trades with men of mean condition: His projects small, small hopes, and dangers little.

This gorgeous-broider'd with rich sentences: That fair and purfled round with merriments.

Both vice detect and virtue beautify, By being death's mirror, and life's looking-gla.s.s.