give laws of a fudden? Do you pretend to rife at court, and difapprove the pleasure of your betters? Look ye, firrah, if ever you would rife by a great man, be sure to be with him in his little actions; and, as a ftep to your advancement, follow your mafter immediately, and make it your hope that he goes to a bawdy-house.

Ori. Heavens forbid !

[Exit. Dur. Now would I fooner take a cart in company of the hangman, than a coach with that woman. What a ftrange antipathy have I taken against thefe creatures! a woman to me is averfion upon averfion; a cheese, a cat, a breast of mutton, the fqualling of children, the grinding of knives, and the fnuff of a candle. [Exit.

SCENE, a bandfome Apartment.

Enter Mirabel and Lamorce.

Lam. To convince me, Sir, that your fervice was fomething more than good breeding, please to lay out an hour of your company upon my defire, as you have already upon my neceffity.

Mir. Your defire, Madam, has only prevented my requeft. My hours! make them yours, Madam; eleven, twelve, one, two, three, and all that belong to those hapPy minutes.

Lam. But I must trouble you, Sir, to difmifs your retinue; because an equipage at my door, at this time of night, will not be confiftent with my reputation.

Mir. By all means, Madam, all but one little boy-----Here, page, order my coach and fervants home, and do you ftay; 'tis a foolish country boy, that knows nothing but innocence.

Lam. Innocence, Sir! I fhould be forry if you made any finifter constructions of my freedom.

Mir. Oh, Madam, I must not pretend to remark upon any body's freedom, having fo entirely forfeited my own. Lam, Well, Sir, 'twere convenient, towards our easy correfpondence, that we entered into a free confidence of each other, by a mutual declaration of what we are, and what we think of one another. Now, Sir, what are you? Mir. In three words, Madam,I am a gentleman, I have five hundred pounds in my pocket, and a clean fhirt on.

F

Lam.

Lam. And your name is

Mir. MustaphaNow, Madain, the inventory of your fortunes.

Lam. My name is Lamorce; my birth noble; I was married young, to a proud, rude, fullen, impetuous fellow; the hufband fpoiled the gentleman; crying ruined my face, till at last I took heart, leaped out of a window, got away to my friends, fued ny tyrant, and recovered my fortune. I lived from fifteen to twenty to please a husband; from twenty to forty I'm refolved to please myfelf, and from thence upwards I'll humour the world.

its

Mir. The charming wild notes of a bird broke out of cage.

Lam. I marked you at the play, and fomething I faw of a well-furnished, carelefs, agreeable tour about you. Methought your eyes made their mannerly demands with fuch an arch modefty, that I don't know how-but I'm elop'd. Ha, ha, ha! I'm elop'd.

Mir. Ha, ha, ha! I rejoice in your good fortune with all my heart.

Lam. Oh, now I think on't, Mr. Muftapha, you have got the finest ring there; I could scarcely believe it right; pray, let me fee it.

Mir. Hum!-Yes, Madam, 'tis, 'tis right-but, but, but, but, but it was given me by my mother; an old family ring, Madam, an old-fashioned family ring.

Lam. Ay, Sir-If you can entertain yourself with a fong' for a moment, I'll wait on you immediately. • Come in there.'

• Enter Singers. • Call what you please, Sir.'

6

[Exit.

Mir. The new fong" Pr'ythee, Phillis." [Song." Certainly the stars, have been in a strange intriguing humour when I was born. Ay, this night fhould I have had a bride in my arms, and that I should like well enough: but what should I have to-morrow night? The fame. And what next night? The fame. And what next night? The very fame-Soup for breakfast, foup for dinner, foup for fupper, and foup for breakfast again-But here's variety.

I love the fair who freely gives her heart,
That's mine by ties of nature, not of art;

• Who

Who boldly owns whate'er her thoughts indite,
And is too modeft for a hypocrite.'

[Lamorce appears at the dacr; as he runs towards her, four Bravoes fep in before her. He farts back.

She comes, the comes!-Hum, hum-Bitch-Murdered, murdered to be fure! The curfed ftrumpet, to make me fend away my fervants!-Nobody near me-Thefe cutthroats always make fure work. What fhall I do? I have but one way. Are thefe gentlemen your relations, Madam?

Lam. Yes, Sir.

Mir. Gentlemen, your most humble fervant. Sir, your most faithful; yours, Sir, with all my heart; your moft obedient. Come, gentlemen, [Salutes all round.] pleafe to fit- no ceremony-next the lady, pray, Sir. Lam. Well, Sir, and how d'ye like my friends?

[They all fit. Mir. Oh, Madam, the most finished gentlemen! I was never more happy in good company in my life. I fuppofe, Sir, you have travelled?

1 Bra. Yes, Sir.

Mir. Which way, Sir, may I prefume ?

1 Bra. In a western barge, Sir.

Mir. Ha, ha, ha, very pretty! facetious pretty gentleman.

Lam. Ha, ha, ha! Sir, you have got the prettiest ring. upon your finger there

heart!

Mir. Ah, Madam, 'tis at your fervice with all my [Offering the ring. Lam. By no means, Sir; a family ring! [Takes it. Mir. No matter, Madam. Seven hundred pounds, by this light! [Afide.

2 Bra. Pray, Sir, what's o'clock?

Mir. Hum!-Sir, I have left my watch at home. 2 Bra. I thought I faw the ftring of it jufnow. Mir. Ods my life, Sir, I beg your pardon, here it is but it don't go. [Putting it up. Lam. Oh, dear Sir, an English watch! Tompion's, I prefume.

Mir. D'ye like it, Madam -No ceremony-'tis at your fervice with all my heart and foul-Toinpion's! Hang ye!

F 2

Afide.

1 Bra..

1 Bra. But, Sir, above all things, I admire the fashion and make of your fword-hilt.

Mir. I am mighty glad you like it, Sir.

1 Bra. Will you part with it, Sir? Mir. Sir, I won't fell it.

1 Bra. Not fell it, Sir!

Mir. No, gentlemen; but I'll bestow it with all my heart.

1 Bra. Oh, Sir, we shall rob you!

ther

[Offering it.

Mir. That you do, I'll be fworn. [Afide.] I have anoat home ; pray, Sir-Gentlemen, you're too modest; have I any thing elfe that you can fancy? Sir, will you do me a favour? [To the 1ft Bravo.] I am extremely in love with that wig which you wear; will you do me the favour to change with me?

1 Bra. Look ye, Sir, this is a family wig, and I would not part with it; but if you like it

Mir. Sir, your most humble fervant. [They change wigs. 1 Bra. Madam, your most humble flave.

[Goes up foppifhly to the lady, falutes her. 2 Bra. The fellow's very liberal; fhall we murder him?

[Afide.

1 Bra. What, let him efcape to hang us all, and I to lofe my wig! No, no; I want but a handfome pretence to quarrel with him; for you know we must act like gentlemen. [Afide.] Here, fome wine. [Wine here.] Sir, your good health. [Pulls Mirabel by the nose. Mir. Oh, Sir, your most humble fervant! A pleasant frolic enough, to drink a man's health, and pull him by the nofe. Ha, ha, ha! the pleafanteft pretty-humoured gentleman!

Lam. Help the gentleman to a glafs.

[Mir. drinks.

1 Bra. How d'ye like the wine, Sir? Mir. Very good o' the kind, Sir. But I tell ye what; I find we're all inclined to be frolicfome, and, 'egad, for my own part, I was never more difpofed to be merry. Let's make a night on't, ha!-This wine is pretty; but I have fuch Burgundy at home-Look ye, gentlemen, let me fend for half a dozen flasks of my Burgundy, I defy France to match it-Twill make us all life, all air; pray, gentlemen

2 Bra. Eh-Shall us have the Burgundy?

1 Bra. Yes, faith, we'll have all we can.

Here, call

up the gentleman's fervant-What think you, Lamorce ? Lam. Yes, yes. Your fervant is a foolish country boy, Sir, he understands nothing but innocence.

Mir. Ay, ay, Madam. Here, page!

Enter Oriana.

Take this key, and go to my batler, order him to fend. half a dozen flasks of the red Burgundy, marked a thoufand and be fure you make hafte; I long to entertain my friends here, my very good friends.

Omnes. Ah, dear Sir!

1 Bra. Here, child, take a glass of wine-Your master and I have changed wigs, honey, in a frolic. Where had you this pretty boy, honest Mustapha ?

Ori. Mustapha !

Mir. Out of Picardy. This is the first errand he has made for me, and if he does it right, I'll encourage him. Ori. The red Burgundy, Sir?

Mir. The red, marked a thousand; and be fure you make hafte...

Ori. I fhall, Sir..

[Exit. 1 Bra. Sir, you were pleased to like my wig, have you any fancy for my coat? Look ye, Sir, it has ferved a great many honest gentlemen very faithfully..

The info

Mir. Not fo faithfully; for I'm afraid it has got a fcurvy trick of leaving all its masters in neceffity. lence of thefe dogs is beyond their cruelty.

[Afide.

Lam. You're melancholy, Sir. Mir. Only concerned, Madam, that Ifhould have no fervant here but this little boy; he'll make fome confounded blunder, I'll lay my life on't I would not be difappointed of my wine for the universe.

:

Lam. He'll do well enough, Sir. But fupper's ready; will you please to eat a bit, Sir?

Mir.. Oh, Madam, I never had a better ftomach in my life!

Lam. Come, then; we have nothing but a plate of foup. Mir. [Afide.] Ah, the marriage-foup I could difpenfe with now! [Exit, banding the lady.

2. Bra. That wig won't fall to your fhare..

1 Bra. No, no, we'll fettle that after fupper; in the

mean time the gentleman shall wear it.

F 3

& Bras