should I disparage my parts by thinking what to say; None but dull rogues think: witty men, like rich fellows, are always ready for all expences, while your blockheads, like poor needy scoundrels, are forced to examine their stock, and forecast the charges of the day. Here she comes; I'll seem not to see her, and try to win her with a new airy invention of my own, hem!

Enter Lady FROTH.

[Brisk sings, walking about.] I'm sick with love, ha, ha, pr'ythee come cure me.

I'm sick with, &c.

O, ye Powers! O, my Lady Froth, my Lady Froth! my Lady Froth! Heigho! Break, heart; Gods, I thank you. [Stands musing with his arms across. Lady F. O Heavens, Mr. Brisk! What's the mat

ter?

Brisk. My Lady Froth! Your ladyship's most humble servant- -The matter, madam! Nothing at all madam, nothing, 'egad. I was fallen into the most agreeable amusement in the whole province of contemplation: That is all- -(I'll seem to conceal my passion, and that will look like respect.) [Aside. Lady F. Bless me why did you call out upon me so loud?

Brisk. O lord, I, madam! I beseech your ladyship

-When?

Lady F. Just now as I came in; bless me, why don't you know it?

Brisk. Not I, let me perish-But did I? Strange! I confess your ladyship was in my thoughts; and I was in a sort of dream that did in a manner represent a very pleasing object to my imagination, but-but did I indeed ?- To see how love and murder will out. But did I really name my Lady Froth?

Lady F. Three times aloud, as I love lettersBut did you talk of love; O, Parnassus! Who would have thought Mr. Brisk could have been in love, ha, ha, ha. O, Heavens! I thought you could have no mistress but the nine muses.

Brisk. No more I have, 'egad, for I adore them all in your ladyship-Let me perish, I don't know whether to be splenetic or airy upon it; the deuce take me if I can tell whether I am glad or sorry that your ladyship has made the discovery.

Lady F. O, be merry by all means- -Prince Vol. scious in love! Ha, ha, ha.

* Brisk. O, barbarous, to turn me into ridicule ! Yet, ha, ha, ha. The deuce take me, I cannot help laughing myself, ha, ha, ha; yet by Heavens I have a violent passion for your ladyship seriously.

Lady F. Seriously!, Ha, ha, ha.

Brisk. Seriously, ha, ha, ha. Gad I have, for all I laugh.

Lady F. Ha, ha, ha! What d'ye think I laugh at? Ha, ha, ha.

Brisk. Me, 'egad, ha, ha!

Lady F. No, the deuce take me if I don't laugh at myself; for hang me if I have not a violent passion for Mr. Brisk, ha, ha, ha.

Brisk. Seriously?

Lady F. Seriously, ha, ha, ha.

Brisk. That's well enough, let me perish, ha, ha, ha. Omiraculous, what a happy discovery! Ay, my dear charming Lady Froth!

Lady F. Oh, my adored Mr. Brisk!

Enter Lord FROTH.

Lady F. The company are all ready

[Embrace.

-How now!

Brisk. Zoons, madam, there's my Lord. [Softly to ber.]

Lady F. Take no notice-but observe me-Now cast off, and meet me at the lower end of the room, and then join hands again; I could teach my lord this dance purely, but I vow, Mr. Brisk, I can't tell how to come so near any other man. Oh, here's my Lord, now you shall see me do it with him.

[They pretend to practice part of a country dance. Lord F. -Oh, I see there's no harm yetBut I don't like this familiarity.

Lady F.

[Aside.

Shall you and I do our close dance to

shew Mr. Brisk?

Lord F. No, my dear, do it with him.

Lady F. I'll do it with him, my lord, when you are out of the way.

Brisk. That's good, 'egad, that's good; deuce take me I can hardly hold laughing in his face. [Aside. Lord F. Any other time, my dear, or we'll dance it below.

[To her.

Brisk. Come, my lord, I'll wait on you-My

charming witty angel!

Lady F. We shall have whispering time enough, you know, since we are partners.

Enter Lady PLYANT and CARELESS.

[Exeunt,

Lady P. O, Mr. Careless, Mr. Careless, I'm ruined, I'm undone.

* Care. What's the matter, madam?

Lady P. O the unluckiest accident, I'm afraid I shan't live to tell it you.

Care. Heaven forbid! What is it?

Lady P. I'm in such a fright; the strangest quandary and premunire! I'm all over in an universal agitation, I dare swear every circumstance of me trembles.- -O, your letter, your letter! By an unfortunate mistake, I have given Sir Paul your letter instead of his own.

Care. That was unlucky.

Lady P. O, yonder he comes reading of it; for Heaven's sake step in here and advise me quickly, before he sees.

Enter Sir PAUL with the letter.

[Exeunt.

Sir P. -O, Providence, what a conspiracy have I discovered- -But let me see to make an end on't

[Reads.] Hum-After supper in the wardrobe by the gallery. If Sir Paul should surprize us, I have a commission from him to treat with you about the very matter of fact-Matter of fact! Very pretty; it

seems, then, I am conducing to my own cuckoldom; why this is a very traiterous position of taking up arms by my authority against my person! Well, let me see -Till then I languish in expectation of my adored charmer. Dying Ned Careless.

Gads-bud, would that were matter of fact too. Die and be damned for a Judas Maccabeus and Iscariot both. Q friendship, what art thou but a nanie! Henceforward let no man make a friend that would not be a cuckold for whomsoever he receives into his bosom, will find the way to his bed, and there return his caresses with interest to his wife. "Have I for this been

pinioned night after night for three years past? "Have I been swathed in blankets 'till I have been "even deprived of motion ?" Have I approached the marriage-bed with reverence as to a sacred shrine, " and denied myself the enjoyment of lawful domestic "pleasures to preserve its purity," and must I now find it polluted by foreign iniquity? O, my Lady Plyant, you were chaste as ice, but you are melted now, and false as water.- -But Providence has been constant to me in discovering this conspiracy; still I am beholden to Providence; if it were not for Providence, sure, poor Sir Paul, thy heart would break.

Enter Lady PLYANT.

Lady P. So, sir, I see you have read the letterWell, now, Sir Paul, what do you think of your friend Careless? Has he been treacherous, or did you give his insolence a licence to make trial of your wife's sus