The deepest love, yet most discreet
And secret is he. Lady sweet,
Give entry to this best of men,
And he through you shall live again.
And now we pray that you this fair
Fresh chaplet wrought of flowerets rare
Will to Fair-Welcome give, dear dame,
As offering in the Lover’s name,13130
’Twill comfort him a thousand fold
More than a hundred marks of gold.
The Duenna.
The Duenna’s fears
God help me! I would gladly aid
Your purpose, cried she, but afraid
Am I lest Jealousy should know
Thereof, and thence would ruin grow
To me and mine, and much I fear
Lest Evil-Tongue should waken her.
He ever is engaged to spy
Whate’er we do, by Jealousy;13140
Unlet or hindered doth he shout
And chaunt each thing he knows about.
And when his knowledge he hath spent,
No scruple feels he to invent
Lies by the hundred, ’twere among
My chiefest joys to see him hung.
But if to Jealousy he told
This thing, she’d do worse things than scold.
The Four make answer.
No more of Evil-Tongue have dread,
Cried out the four, he lies stark dead,13150
