bel? How did I plume my hopes in a fair coming profpe&t of a long scene of years? Life courted me with all the charms of vigour, youth, and fortune; and to be torn away from all my promised joys is more than death; the manner too, by villains.-O my Oriana, this very moment might have blefs'd me in thy arms, and my poor boy! the innocent boy!-Confufion !-But hush, they come: I must diffemble ftill-No news of my wine, gentlemen ? Enter the four Bravoes. 1 Bra. No, fir, I believe your country-booby has loft himself, and we can wait no longer for't:- -True, fir, you're a pleasant gentleman, but I fuppofe you underftand our bufinefs. Mir. Sir, I may go near to guefs at your employments; you, fir, are a lawyer, I prefume, you a phyfician, you a fcrivener, and you a stock-jobber.-All cut throats, I-gad. [Afide. 4 Bra. Sir, I am a broken officer; I was cashier'd at the head of the army for a coward: fo I took up the trade of murder to retrieve the reputation of my courage. 3 Bra. I am a foldier too, and wou'd ferve my king, but I don't like the quarrel, and I have more honour than to fight in a bad cause. 2 Bra. I was bred a gentleman, and have no estate, but I must have my whore and my bottle, thro' the prejudice of education. 1 Bra. I am a ruffian too, by the prejudice of education, I was bred a butcher. In fhort, fir, if your wine had come, we might have trifled a little longer.-Come, fir, which fword will you, fall by? mine, fir? 2 Bra. Or mine? 3 Bra. Or mine ? 4 Bra. Or mine? [draws. [draws. [draws. Mir. I fcorn to beg my life; but to be butcher'd thus ! [knocking] O there's the wine: my life or death. Enter Oriana. this moment for Loft, forever loft!'-Where's the wine, child? [faintly. Enter Enter Duretete with his ford drain, and fix of the grand mujqueteers with their fie es prefented, the Rhons arep their favords. [Ori ina goes off. Mir. The wine, the wine, the wine. Youth, pieafure, fortune, days and years, are now my own again.-Ab, my de. r friends, did not I tell you this wine wou'd make me merry?-Dear captain, these gentlemen are the bet natur d, facetious, witty creatures, that ever you knew. Enter L morce. Lam. Is the wine come, fir? M.r. O yes, madam, the wine is come fce there? [Pening to the fldiers.] Your ladyship has got a very hne ring up n or finger. Lam. Sir, 'ti, t your fervice. Mr. O holi it fo? Thou dear seven hundred pound, thou'rt welcome home again, with all my heart-Ad's my life, mad, you have got the finest built watch there! Tompion's, I profu.ne. Lam. Sir, you may wear it. Mir. O, rodem, by no means, 'tis too much-Rob you of all!--[Taking it from her] God dear time, thou'rt a pre jouth, I'm glad I have retriev'd thee : [ Putting it up] What, my friends neglected all this while! Gentlemen, you'll puden my complaifince to the lady.How now civil to be fo out of humour at my entertainment, and I fo pleafed with yours? Captain, you're furpiled at all this! bo we're in our frolics, you must know. -Some wine here. Enter Servant with wine. Come, Captain, tha worthy gentleman's health. Tweaks the firfi Bravo by the nofe; he roars. But now, wherwhele's my dear deliverer, my boy, my charming boy! 1 Bra I hope fome of our crew below-fairs have difpatch'd him. Mr. Vin, what fay't thou? Difpatch'd! I'll have ye a ortured, rack'd, torn to pieces alive, if you have touch'd my boy. Here, pare! page! page! [Runs out. Dur. Here, gentlemen, be sure you fecure thofe fellows. 1 Dra. Yes, fir, we know you and your guard will be very civil to us. Dur. Dur. Now for you, madam;-He, he, he !-I'm so pleas'd to think that I fhall be reveng'd of one woman before I die-Well, miftrefs Snap Dragon, which of thefe honourable gentlemen is fo happy to call you wife? 1 Bra. Sir, she should have been mine to-night, 'caufe Sampre here had her last night. Sir, fhe's very true to us all four. Dur. Take 'em to juftice. [The guards carry off the Brav. Enter Old Mirabel, Dugard, Bifarre. Old Mir. Robin, Robin, where's Bob? where's my boy? What, is this the lady a pretty whore, faith.---Hark'e, child, because my fon was fo civil as to oblige you with a coach, I'll treat with a cart, indeed I will. Dug. Ay, madam,-and you fhall have a fwinging equipage, three or four thousand footmen at your heels at leaft. Dur. No lefs becomes her quality. Bif. Faugh! the monster! Dur. Monfter! ay, you're all a little monftrous, let me tell you. Enter Mirabel. Old Mir. Ah, my dear Bob, art thou fafe, man? Mir. But where is he?-[Enter Oriana.] Ha! [Runs and embraces her.] My dear preferver, what fhall I do to recompence your truft?-Father, friends, gentlemen, behold the youth hat has reliev'd me from the mot ighominious death, from the fcandalous poniards of the bloody ruffians, where to have fall'n would have defam'd my memory with vile reproach.-My life, eftate, my all, is due to fuch a favour'-Command me, child, before you all, before my late, fo kind indulgent stars, I fwear to grant whate'er you ask. Ori. To the fame ftars indulgent now to me, I will appeal as to the juflice of my claim; I fhall demand but what was mine before--the juit performance of your contract to Oricna. [Difcovering herself. Om. Oriana! Ori. In this difguife I refolv'd to follow you abroad, counterfeited that letter that got me into your fervice; and fo, by this firange turn of fate, I became the inftru ment OR, ment of your prefervation; few common fervants wou'd have had fach cunning; my love infpir'd me with the meaning of your menige, 'caufe the concern for your fafety made me fuffect your company." Dur. Mirabel you're caught. Mir. Caught! Licorn the thought of impofition, the • tricks and artful cunning of the fex I have deipis'd, and • broke thro' all contrivance. Caught! No, 'tis my voluntary act: this was no human fratagem, but by my • providential stars, defign'd to fhew the dangers wandering youths incur by the purfeit of an unlawful love, to plunge me headlong in the inares of vice, and then to free me by the hands of virtue : here, on my knees, I humbly beg my fair preferver's pardon; my thanks are needlefs, for myself I owe. And now for ever do pro teft me yours. Old Mir. Tall, all di dall. (Angs.) Kifs me, daughter-no, you shall kifs me firft, (7 Lamorce) for you're the caufe on't. Well, Bijarre, what fay you to the cap tain? Bif. I like the beaft well enough, but I don't underftand his paces fo well as to venture him in a strange road. Old Mir. But marriage is fo beaten a path that you can't go wrong. Bij. Ay, 'tis fɔ beaten that the way is spoil'd. Dur. There is but one thing thou'd make me thy hufband-I cou'd marry thee to-day for the privilege of beating thee to-morrow. Bij. And then Old Mr. Come, come, you may agree for all this, Mr. Dugard, are not you pleas'd with this? Dug. So pleas'd, that if I thought it might fecure your fon's affection to my fifter, I wou'd double her fortune. Mir. Fortune! has the not given me mine? my life, eftate, my all, and what is more, her virtuous felf.— Virtue, in this so advantageous light, has her own fparkling charms, more tempting far than glittering gold or glory. Behold the foil (Pointing to Lamorce) that fets this brightness off! (To Oriana.) Here view the pride (To Oriana.) and feandal of the fex. (To Lamorce.) There (To Lam.) the falfe meteor, whofe deluding light leads mankind to destruction. Here (To Oriana) the bright shining ftar that guides to a fecurity of happiness, a garden and a fingle the (To Oriana) was our first father's blifs; the tempter (To Lam.) and to wander, was his curfe. What liberty can be fo tempting there, (To Lam. (To Ori. [Exeunt omnes. SONG: SINCE, Colia, 'tis not in our power Begin to love this very hour, You've loft too much in what is paft. For fince the power we all obey, Has in your breast my heart confin'd, Let me my body to it lay, In vain you'd part what natu re join'd. |