Wild. Here's a copy of verfes too; I must turn poet in the devil's name-ftay-'fdeath, what's here? This is her hand-Oh the charming characters! My dear Wildair. [Reading] That's I egad! this buff bluff Colonel--that's he is the rareft fool in nature—the devil he is!—and as fuch have I us'd him-with all my heart, faith- I had no better way of letting you know that I lodge in St. James's near the Holy Lamb. Lurewell. Colonel, I am your moft humble fervant.

Stand. Hold, fir, you fha'n't go yet; I ha'n't deliver'd half my meffage.

Wild. Upon my faith but you have, colonel.

Stand Well, well, own your fpleen; out with it, I know you're like to burst.

Wild. I am fo, egad! ha, ha, ha!

[Laugh and point at one another. Stand. Ay, with all my heart, ha, ha! Well, well, that's forc'd, Sir Harry.

Wild. I was never better pleas'd in all my life, by Jupiter.

Stand. Well, Sir Harry, 'tis prudence to hide your concern, when there's no help for't :- But to be ferious now. The lady has fent you back all your papers there. I was fo juft as not to look upon 'em.

Wild. I'm glad on't, fir; for there were fome things that I would not have you fee.

Stand. All this she has done for my fake, and I defire you would decline any farther pretenfions for your own fake. So, honeft, good natur'd Sir Harry, I'm your humble fervant.

[Exit.

Wild. Ha, ha, ha, poor colonel! O the delight of an ingenious miftrefs! what a life and brifknefs it adds to an amour, ⚫ like the loves of mighty fove, still suing in different fhapes.' A legerdemain miftrefs, who, præfto! pass! and he's vanish'd; then Hey! in an inftant in your arms again. [Going.

Enter Vizard.

Viz. Well met, Sir Harry; what news from the Ifland of Love?

Wild. Faith, we made but a broken voyage by your chart; but now I am bound for another port: I told you the colonel was my rival.

Viz. The colonel! curs'd misfortune! another!

[Afide. Wild. But the civileft in the world; he brought me word where my miftrefs lodges: The ftory's too long to tell you now, for I must fly.

Viz. What! have you given over all thoughts of Azgelica

Wild. No, no, I'll think of her some other time. But now for the Lady Lurewell: Wit and beauty calls.

That mistress ne'er can pall her lover's joys,
Whofe wit can whet, whene'er her beauty clogs.
Her little amorous frauds all truths excel,
And make us happy, being deceiv'd fo well.

[Exit.

Viz. folus. The colonel my rival too! how fhall I manage? There is but one way-him and the knight will I fet a tilting, where one cuts t'other's throat, and the furvivor's hang'd: So there will be two rivals pretty decently difpos'd of. Since honour may oblige them to play the fool, why should not neceffity engage me to play the knave. [Exit.

SCENE, Lurewell's Lodgings.
Lurewell and Parly.

Lure. Has my fervant brought me the money from my

merchant?

Par. No, madam; he met alderman Smuggler at Charing-Crofs, who has promis'd to wait on you himself immediately.

Lure. 'Tis odd that this old rogue fhou'd pretend to love me, and at the fame time cheat me of my money. Par. 'Tis well, madam, if he don't cheat you of your estate; for you say the writings are in his hands.

Lure. But what fatisfaction can I get of him? Oh! here he comes.

Enter

Enter Smuggler.

Mr. Alderman, your fervant; have you brought me any money, fir?

Smug. Faith, madam, trading is very dead; what with paying the taxes, raifing the customs, loffes at fea abroad, and maintaining our wives at home, the Bank is reduc'd very low.

Lure. Come, come, fir, these evafions won't ferve your turn; I must have money, fir-I hope you don't defign to cheat me.

Smug. Cheat you, madam! have a care what you say: I'm an alderman, madam! Cheat you, madam! I have been an honest citizen these five and thirty years!

Lure. An honeft citizen! bear witnefs, Parly! I fhall trap him in more lies prefently. Come, fir, tho' I am a woman, I can take a course.

Smug. What courfe, madam? You'll go to law, will ye? I can maintain a fuit of law, be it right or wrong, thefe forty years, I am fure of that, thanks to the honest practice of the courts.

Lure. Sir, I'll blaft your reputation, and fo ruin your credit.

Smug. Blaft my reputation! he, he, he! Why, I'm a religious man, madam; I have been very inftrumental in the reformation of manners. Ruin my credit! ah, poor woman. There is but one way, madam,-you have a sweet leering eye.

Lure. You inftrumental in the reformation! How?

Smug. I whipt all the whores, cut and long-tail, out of the parish:-Ah! that leering eye! Then I voted for pulling down the playhoufe:- Ah! that ogle, that ogleThen my own pious example:--Ah! that lip, that lip!

Lure. Here's a religious rogue for you now!--As I hope to be fav'd, I have a good mind to beat the old monster.

Smug. Madam, I have brought you about a hundred and fifty guineas, (a great deal of money as times go) and

Lure. Come, give 'em me.

B 2

Smug.

Smug. Ah! that hand, that hand, that pretty foft, white-I have brought it, you see; but the condition of the obligation is fuch, that whereas that leering eye, that pouting lip, that pretty soft hand, that-you understand me; you understand, I'm sure you do, you little rogue

Lure. Here's a villain now, fo covetous,

that he

won't wench upon his own coft,' he would bribe me with my own money. I'll be reveng'd- -Upon my word, Mr. Alderman, you make me blush; what d'ye mean, pray?

Smug. See here, madam.

[Puts a piece of money in his mouth. Bufs and guinea, bufs and guinea, bufs and guinea, Lure. Well, Mr. Alderman, you have fuch pretty winning ways, that I will, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Smug. Will you indeed, he, he, he! my little cocket; and when? and where? and how?

Lure. "Twill be a difficult point, fir, to secure both our honours; you must therefore be disguis'd, Mr. Alder

man.

Smug. Pfhaw! no matter, I am an old fornicator. I'm not half fo religious as I feem to be. You little rogue; why, I'm difguis'd as I am; our fanctity is all outfide, all hypocrify.

Lure. No man is feen to come into this house after night-fall; you must therefore fneak in, when 'tis dark, in woman's cloaths.

Smug. With all my heart.-I have a fuit on purpose, my little cocket: I love to be difguis'd, I cod. I make a very handsome woman, I cod I do.

Enter Servant, whispers Lurewell.

Lure. Oh! Mr. Alderman, fhall I beg you to walk into the next room? here are fome ftrangers coming up. Smug. Bufs and guinea firft; ah, my little cocket!

Enter Wildair.

[Exit.

Wild. My life, my foul, my all that heaven can give, Lure. Death's life with thee, without thee death to live.

Welcome,

Welcome, my dear Sir Harry; I fee you got my directions.

Wild. Directions! in the most charming manner, thou dear Machiavel of intrigue.

Lure. Still brifk and airy, I find, Sir Harry.

Wild. The fight of you, madam, exalts my air, and makes joy lighten in my face.

Lure. Ihave a thoufand queftions to afk you, Sir Harry. How d'ye like France?

Wild. Ah! eft le plus beau pais du monde.

Lure. Then what made you leave it so soon?

Wild. Madam, vous voyez que, je vous fui par-tout. Lure. O monfieur, je vous fuis fort obligée-But, where's the court now?

Wild. At Marli, madam.

Lure. And where my Count. La Valier?

Wild. His body's in the church of Nôtre Dame; I don't know where his foul is.

Lure. What disease did he die of?

Wild. A duel, madam; I was his doctor.

Lure. How d'ye mean?

Wild. As moft doctors do, I kill'd him.

Lure. En cavalier, my dear knight errant; well, and how, and how; what intrigues, what gallantries are carrying on in the Beau Monde?

Wild. I fhou'd ask you that question, madam, since your ladyship makes the Beau Monde wherever you come. Lure. Ah! Sir Harry, I've been almoft ruin'd, pester'd to death here, by the inceffant attacks of a mighty colonel; he has befieg'd me as clofe as our army did "Namur.'

6

Wild. I hope your ladyfhip did not surrender tho'. Lure. No, no, but was forced to capitulate; but fince you are come to raise the fiege, we'll dance, and fing, and laugh.

Wild. And love and kifs-Montrez moi votre chambre. Lure. Attende, attende, un peu-I remember, Sir Harry, you promis'd me in Paris, never to ask that impertinent queftion again.

Wild. Pfhaw, madam, that was above two months