flufh'd poet, ravifh'd with his fancy, with ecftacy it bleft the fair production !-methinks, my friend, you relish not my joy. What is the cause? Stand. Canft thou not guefs.-What is the bane of man, and fcourge of life, but woman?-What is the heathenish idol man fets up, and is damn'd for worshiping? Treacherous woman.- What are thofe, whofe eyes, like bafilifks, shine beautiful for fure deftruction, whofe fmiles are dangerous as the grin of fiends, but falfe deluding woman?-Woman! whofe compofition inverts humanity; their bodies heavenly; but their fouls are clay. I Wild. Come, come, colonel, this is too much ; know your wrongs receiv'd from Lurewell may excuse your refentments against her. But it is unpardonable to charge the failings of a fingle woman upon the whole fex.- -I have found one, whofe virtues Stand. So have I, Sir Harry; I have found one whofe pride's above yielding to a prince. And if lying, dif fembling, perjury and falfhood, be no breaches in 2 woman's honour, fhe's as innocent as infancy. Wild. Well, colonel, I find your opinion grows. ftronger by oppofition; I fhall now therefore wave the argument, and only beg you for this day to make a fhew of complaisance at least. Here comes my charming bride. Enter Darling and Angelica. Stand. [Saluting Angelica.] I wish you, madam, alf the joys of love and fortune. Enter Clincher junior. Clin. jun. Gentlemen and ladies, I'm juft upon the fpur, and have only a minute to take my leave. Wild. Whither are you bound, fir? Clin. jun. Bound, fir! I'm going to the Jubilee, fir. Darl. Blefs me, coufin! how came you by these cloaths? Clin. jun. Cloaths! ha, ha, ha! the rareft jeft! ha, ha, ha! I fhall burft, by Jupiter Ammon, I fhall burst! Darl. What's the matter, coufin? Clin. jun. The matter! ha, ha, ha! why, an honest porter, ha, ha, ha! has knock'd out my brother's brains, ha, ha, ha! D Wild. Wild. A very good jeft, I'faith, ha, ha, ha! Clin. jun. Ay, úr, but the jeft of all is, he knock'd out his brains with a hammer, and fo he is as dead as a door-nail, ha, ha, ha! Darl. And do you laugh, wretch? Clin. jun. Laugh! ha, ha, ha! let me fee e'er a younger brother in England that won't laugh at fuch a jeft. Ang. You appeared a very fober pious gentleman fome hours ago. Clin. jun. Pfhaw, I was a fool then: but now, madam, I'm a wit; I can rake now.-As for your part, madam, you might have had me once !-But now, madam, if you ihould fall to eating chalk, or gnawing the fheets, it is none of my fault,-Now, madam-I have got an estate, and I must go to the Jubilee. Enter Clincher senior in a blanket. Clin. fen. Muft you so, rogue, muft ye! You will go to the Jubilee, will you? Clin. jun. A ghoft, a ghoft!-Send for the dean and chapter prefently. Clin. Jen. A ghoft! No, no, firrah, I'm an elder brother, rogue. Clin. jun. I don't care a farthing for that; I'm fureyou're dead in law. Clin. fen. Why fo, firrah; why fo? Clin. jun. Because, fir, I can get a fellow to fwear he knock'd out your brains.. Wild. An odd way of fwearing a man out of his life? Clin. jun. Smell him, gentlemen, he has a deadlyscent about him. Clin. fen. Truly the apprehenfions of death may have. made me favour a little-O Lord,-the colonel! the apprehenfions of him may make the favour worse, I'm afraid. Clin. jun. In fhort, fir, were you a ghost, or brother or devil, I will go to the Jubilee, by Jupiter Ammon. Stand. Go to the Jubilee, go the Bear-Garden,-the travel of fuch fools as you doubly injures our country; you expofe our native follies, which ridicule us among ftrangers, and return fraught only with their vices, which you vend here for fashionable gallantry; a travel ling fool is as dangerous as a home-bred villain-Get you to your native plough and cart, converfe with animals like yourselves, fheep and oxen; men are creatures you don't understand. Wild. Let 'em alone, colonel, their folly will be now diverting. Come, gentlemen, we'll difpute this point fome other time; I hear fome fiddles tuning, let's hear how they can entertain us. A Servant enters and whispers Wildair. in the next room for a moment: [Exeunt omnes but Wildair. Wild. A lady to enquire for me! who can this be? Enter Lurewell. O! madam, this favour is beyond my expectation, to come uninvited to dance at my wedding-What d'ye gaze at, madam ? Lure. A monfter-if thou'rt marry'd, thou'rt the most perjur'd wretch that e'er avouch'd deceit. Wild. Hey dey! why, madam, I'm sure I never swore to marry you: I made indeed a flight promife, upon condition of your granting me a fmall favour, but you would not confent you know. Lure. How he upbraids me with my fhame.-Can you deny your binding vows when this appears a witness 'gainst your falfhood. [Shews a ring.] Methinks the motto of this facred pledge fhou'd flash confufion in your guilty face-Read, read here the binding words of love and honour, words not unknown to your perfidious: tongue, tho' utter ftrangers to your treacherous heart. Wild. The woman's ftark staring mad, that's certain. Lure. Was it maliciously defign'd to let me find my mifery when paft redrefs; to let me know you, only to know you falfe?-Had not curfed chance fhew'd me the furprizing motto, I had been happy-The first knowledge I had of you was fatal to me, and this fecond worse. Wild. What the devil is all this!-madam, I'm not at leifure for raillery at prefent, I have weighty affairs. upon my hands; the bufinefs of pleasure, madam; any other time. D 2 [Going Lure Lure. Stay, I conjure you ftay. Wild. Faith I can't, my bride expects me; but hark'e, when the honey-moon is over, about a month or two hence, I may do you a small favour. [Exit. Lure. Grant me fome wild expreffions, Heavens, or I shall burit-Woman's weakness, man's falfhood, my own fhame,, and love's difdain, at once fwell up my breaftWords, words, or I fhall burft. [Geing. Enter Standard. Stand. Stay, madam, you need not fhun my fight; for if you are a perfect woman, you have confidence to outface a crime, and bear the charge of guilt without a blush. Lure. The charge of guilt! What? making a fool of you? I've don't, and glory in the act; the height of female juftice were to make you all hang or drown ;' diffembling to the prejudice of men is virtue; and every look, or fign, or fmile, or tear that can deceive, is meritorious. Stand. Very pretty principles truly-if there be truth in woman, 'tis now in thee-Come, madam, you know that you're discovered, and being fenfible you can't efcape, you wou'd now turn to bay. That Ring, madam, proclaims you guilty. Lure. O monster, villain perfidious villain! has he told you? Stand. I'll tell it you, and loudly too. Lure. O name it not-yet, speak it out, 'tis fo juft a punishment for putting faith in man, that I will bear it all; and let credulous maids, that truft their honour to the tongues of men, that hear their fhame pro'claim'd.'-Speak now, what his bufy fcandal, and your improving malice both dare utter. Stand. Your falfhood can't be reach'd by malice nor by fatire; your actions are the jufteft libel on your fame your words, your looks, your tears, I did believe in fpite of common fame. Nay, 'gainst mine own eyes, I ftill maintain'd your truth. I imagin'd Wildair's boafting of your favours to be the pure refult of his own vanity at laft he urg'd your taking prefents of him, as a convincing proof of which you yesterday from him re ceiv'd that ring, which ring, that I might be fure he gave it, I lent it him for that purpose ! Lure. Ha! You lent it him for that purpose! Stand. Yes, yes, madam, I lent it him for that purpofe-no denying it-I know it well, for I have worn it fong, and defire you now, madam, to restore it to the juft owner. Lure. The juft owner! think, fir, think but of what importance 'tis to own it; if you have love and honour in your foul, 'tis then moft justly yours; if not, you are a robber, and have ftol'n it bafely. Stand. Ha!-your words, like meeting flints, have ftruck a light to fhew me fomething ftrange-but tell me inftantly, is not your real name Manly? Lure. Anfwer me firft; did not you receive this ring about twelve years ago? Stand. I did. Lure. And were not you about that time entertain'd two nights at the houfe of Sir Oliver Manly in Oxfordshire? Stand. I was, I was: [Runs to her and embraces her.] The bleft remembrance fires my foul with transportI know the reft-you are the charming fhe, and I the happy man. Lure. How has blind fortune ftumbled on the right! but where have you wander'd fince?'twas cruel to forfake me.. Stand. The particulars of my fortune are too tedious now; but to discharge myself from the ftain of difhonour, I must tell you, that immediately upon my return to the univerfity, my elder brother and I quarrell'd: my father, to prevent further mifchief, pofts me away to travel: I writ to you from London, but fear the letter hands. came not to your Lure. I never had the leaft account of you by letter or otherwise. Stand. Three years I liv'd abroad, and at my return, found you were gone out of the kingdom, tho' none could tell me whither: miffing you thus, I went to Flanders, ferv'd my king till the peace commenc'd; then. fortunately going on board at Amfterdam, one fhip tranf ported us both to England. At the first fight I lov'd, tho |