affurances confirmed by fuccefs. Sifter, I can affure you,, he has made his conquefts; and 'tis a plague upon your fex, to be the fooneft deceiv'd by thofe very men that you know have been falfe to others. Ori. Then why will you tell me of his conquests ? 'for I must confefs there is no title to a woman's favour fo engaging as the repute of a handsome diffimu'lation; there is fomething of a pride to see a fellow lie at our feet, that has triumph'd over fo many; and then, I don't know, we fancy he must have something 'extraordinary about him to please us, and that we have fomething engaging about us to fecure him; fo we can't be quiet till we put ourselves upon the lay of being both difappointed. Dug.' But then, fifter, he's ás fickle Ori. For heav'ns fake, brother, tell me no more of his faults; for if you do, I fhall run mad for him: fay no more, fir, let me but get him into the bands of matrimony, I'll fpoil his wand'ring, I warrant him, I'll do his bufinefs that way, never fear. Dug. Well, fifter, I won't pretend to understand the engagements between you and your lover; I expect when you have need of my counfel or affiftance, you will let me know more of your affairs. Mirabel is a gentleman, and as far as my honour and interest can reach, you may command me to the furtherance of your happiness: in the mean time, fifter, I have a great mind to make you a prefent of another humble fervant: a fellow that I took up at Lyons, who has ferv'd me honeftly ever fince. Ori. Then why will you part with him? Dug. He has gain'd fo infufferably on my good humour, that he's grown too familiar; but the fellow's cunning, and may be ferviceable to you in your affair with Mirabel. Here he comes.. Enter Petit.. Well, fir, have you been at Rouffeau's? Pet. Yes, fir, and who fhould I find there but Mr. Mirabel and the captain, hatching as warmly over a tub of ice, as, two hen pheasants over a broodThey A 5 would. would not let me befpeak any thing, for they had dined before I came. Dug. Come, fir, you fhall ferve my fifter, I shall still continue kind to you; and if your lady recommends your diligence upon trial, I'll ufe my intereft to advance you; you have fenfe enough to expect preferment. Here, firrah, here's ten guineas for thee, get thyfelf a drugget fuit and a puff-wig, and fo—I dub thee gentleman usher.-Sifter, I must put myself in repair, you may expect me in the evening-Wait on your lady home, Petit. [Exit Dug. Pet. A chair, a chair, a chair! Ori. No, no, I'll walk home, 'tis but next door. [Exeunt. SCENE a tavern, discovering young Mirabel and Duretete rifing from table. Mir. Welcome to Paris once more, my dear captain, we have eat heartily, drank roundly, paid plentifully, and let it go for once. I lik'd every thing but our women, they look'd fo lean and tawdry, poor creatures! 'Tis a fure fign the army is not paid.. Give me the plump Venetian, brifk and fanguine, that fmiles upon me like the glowing fun, and' meets my lips like fparkling wine, her perfon fhining as the glafs, and spirit like the foaming liquor. Dur. Ah, Mirabel, Italy I grant you; but for our women here in France, they are fuch thin brawn fall'n jades, a man may as well make a bed-fellow of a cane chair. Mir. France! a light unfeafon'd country, nothing but feathers, foppery, and fashions; we're fine indeed, fo are our coach-horfes; men say we're courtiers, men abuse us; that we are wife and politic, non credo Seigneur: that our women have wit; parrots, mere parrots, affurance and a good memory, fets them up: -There's nothing on this fide the Alps worth my humble fervice t'ye'-Ha Roma la Santa! Italy for my money; their cuftoms, gardens, buildings, paintings, mufic, policies, wine and women! the paradife of the world-not pefter'd with a parcel of precife old gouty fellows, that would debar their chil dren dren every pleasure that they themselves are paft the fenfe of commend me to the Italian familiarity: here, fon, there's fifty crowns, go pay your whore her week's allowance. Dur. Ay, thefe are your fathers for you, that underftand the neceffities of young men; not like our musty dads, who becaufe they cannot fish themfelves, would muddy the water, and fpoil the sport of them that can. But now you talk of the plump, what d'ye think of a Dutch woman? Mir. A Dutch woman's too compact; nay, every thing among 'em is fo; a Dutch man is thick, a Dutch woman is fquab, a Dutch horfe is round, a Dutch dog is fhort, a Dutch fhip is broad-bottom'd; and, in short, one wou'd fwear the whole product of the country were caft in the fame mould with their cheeses. Dur. Ay, but Mirabel, you have forgot the English ladies. Mir. The women of England were excellent, did they not take fuch unfufferable pains to ruin what nature has ade fo incomparably well; they would be delicate creatures indeed, cou'd they but thoroughly arrive at the French mien, or entirely let it alone; for they only fpoil a very good air of their own, by an aukward imitation of ours; their parliaments and our taylors give laws to their three kingdoms. But come, Duretete, let us mind the business in hand; mistresses we must have, and muft take up with the manufacture of the place, and upon a competent diligence we fhall find thofe in Paris fhallatch the Italians from top to toe. Dur. Ay, Mirabel, you will do well enough, but what will become of your friend; you know I am fo plaguy bafhful, fo naturally an afs upon thefe occafions, that- Mir. Pfhaw, you must be bolder, man: tragel three years, and bring, home fuch a baby as bashfulness! A great lufty fellow! and a foldier! fye upon it. Dur. Look'e, fir, I can vifit, and I can ogle a little, as thus, or thus now. Then I can kiss, abundantly, and make a fhift to- -but if they chance to give me a forbidding look, as fome women, you know, have a devilish caft with their eyes-or if they cry-what d'ye A 6 mean; mean; what d'ye take me for? Fye, fir, remember who I am, fir- -A perfon of quality to be us'd at this rate! I-gad I'm struck as flat as a frying-pan. Mir. Words o'courfe! never mind 'em: turn you about upon your heel with a jantée air; hum out the end of an old fong; cut a cross caper, and at her again. Dur. [Imitates him.] No hang it, 'twill never do.-Oons, what did my father mean by fticking me up in an univerfity, or to think that I fhou'd gain any thing by my head, in a nation whofe gènius lies all in their heels!- -Well, if ever I come to have children of my own, they shall have the education of the country, they fhall learn to dance before they can walk, and be taught to fing before they can speak. Mir. Come, come, throw off that childish humour, put on affurance, there's no avoiding it; ftand all hazards, thou'rt a ftout lufty fellow, and haft a good eftate, look bluff, hector, you have a good fide-box face, a pretty impudent face; fo that's pretty well.-This fellow went abroad like an ox, and is return'd like an afs. [Afide. Dur. Let me fee now, how I look, [Pulls out a pocketglafs, and looks on't.] A fide-box face, fay you!-'Egad I don't like it, Mirabel.-Fye, fir, don't abuse your friends, I cou'd not wear such a face for the best countefs in Christendom. Mir. Why can't you, blockhead, as well as I? Dur. Why, thou haft impudence to fet a good face upon any thing, I wou'd change half my gold for half thy brafs, with all my heart. Who comes here? Odfo,. Mirabel, your father! Enter Old Mirabel. Old Mir. Where's Bob? dear Bob? Old Mir. My Bleffing! Damn ye, ye young rogue; why did not you come to fee your father fift, firrah? My dear boy, I am heartily glad to fee thee, my dear child, faith-Capt. Duretete, by the blood of the Mirabels, I'm your's; well, my lads, ye look bravely faith.-Bob, hait got any money left? Mir. Not a farthing, fir. Old Old Mir. Why, then I won't gi' thee a souse. Old Mir. Why, then here's ten more; I love to be charitable to those that don't want it :-Well, and how d'ye like Italy, my boys? Mir. O the garden of the world, fir; Rome, Naples, Venice, Milan, and a thousand others—all fine. is Old Mir. Ay, fay you fo! And they say, that Chiari very fine too. Dur. Indifferent, fir, very indifferent; a very fcurvy air, the most unwholesome to a French conftitution in the world. Mir. Pfhaw, nothing on't; these rafcally Gazetteers, have mifinform'd you. Old Mir. Mifinform'd me! Oons, fir, were not we beaten there? Mir. Beaten, fir! the French beaten ! Old Mir. Why, how was it, pray sweet fir ? Dur. No, fir, your fon will tell you. Mir. The captain was in the action, fir. Dur. Your fon faw more than I, fir, for he was a looker on. Old Mir. Confound you both for a brace of cowards: here are no Germans to over-hear you; why don't ye tell me how it was? Mir. Why, then you must know, that we march'd up a body of the finest, braveft, well-drefs'd fellows in the univerfe; our commanders at the head of us, all lace and feather, like fo many beaux at a ball-I dont believe there was a man of 'em but cou'd dance a Charmer morbleau. Old Mir. Dance! very well, pretty fellows, faith! Mir. We caper'd up to their very trenches, and there faw peeping over a parcel of scare crow, olive-colour'd gunpowder fellows, as ugly as the devil. Dur. I-gad, I fhall never forget the looks of 'em, while I have breath to fetch.. Mir. They were fo civil, indeed, as to welcome us with their cannon; but for the reft, we found 'em fuch urman |