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Enter Brisk.

Brifk. Boys, boys, lads, where are you? What, do you give ground? Mortgage for a bottle, ha? Careless, this is your trick; you are always spoiling company by leaving it.

Care. And thou art always fpoiling company by coming into it.

Brisk. Pooh, ha, ha, ha, I know you envy me. Spite, proud fpite, by the gods! and burning envy.--I'll be judged by Mellefont here, who gives and takes raillerybetter, you or I. Piaw, man, when I fay you fpoil ̧ company by leaving it, I mean you leave nobody for the I think there I was with company to laugh at. Mellefont.

you, ha! Mel. O' my word, Brifk, that was a home thruft you have filenced him.

Brisk. Oh, my dear Mellefont, let me perish if thou art not the foul of converfation, the very effence of wit, and spirit of wine-The deuce take me, if there were three good things faid, or one understood, fince thy.am-putation from the body of our fociety-He, I think that's pretty and metaphorical enough: 'Egad, I could not have faid it out of thy company-Careless, ha !

Care. Hum, what is it?

Brisk. Ọ, mon cœur! What is't! Nay, gad I'll pu nifh you for want of apprehenfion :-the deuce take me if I tell you..

Mel. No, no, hang him, he has no tafte-But, dear Brifk, excufe me, I have a little business.

Care. Pr'ythee, get thee gone: thou feeft we are fe

rious.

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Mel. We'll come immediately, if you'll but go in, and keep up good humour and fenfe in the company : Pr'ythee do -they'll fall afleep else.

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Brisk. 'Egad fo they willWell I will, I will; gad fhall command me from the zenith to the nadir.But the deuce take me if I fay a good thing 'till you come. But pr'ythee, dear rogue, make hafte, pr'ythee make hafte, I fall burst else.-And yonder your uncle, my Lord Touchwood, fwears he'll difinherit you, and Sir Paul Plyant threatens to disclaim you for a fon-in-law, and my Lord Froth won't dance at your wedding to-mor

row;

row; nor the deuce take me, I won't write your epithalamium—and fee what a condition you're like to be brought to.

Mel. Well, I'll fpeak but three words, and follow

you.

Brifk. Enough, enough. Careless, bring your apprehenfion along with you. [Exit.

Care. Pert corcomb.

Mel. Faith, 'tis a good-natured coxcomb, and has rery entertaining follies You must be more humane to him; at this juncture it will do me fervice. I'll tell you, I would have mirth continued this day at any rate; tho' patience purchafe folly, and attention be paid with noife. There are times when fenfe may be unfeafonable, as well as truth. Pr'ythee do thou wear none today; but allow Brifk to have wit, that thou mayst seem a fool.

Care. Why, how now, why this extravagant propofition?

Mel. O, I would have no room for ferious defign, for I am jealous of a plot. I would have noite and impertinence keep my Lady Touchwood's head from working: for Hell is not more bufy than her brain, nor contains more devils than that imaginarions.

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Care. I thought your fear of her had been over- Is not to-morrow appointed for your marriage with Cynthia, and her father Sir Paul Plyant come to fettle the writings this day, on purpofe?

Met. True; but you fhall judge whether I have not reafon to be alarmed. None befides you and Mafkwell are acquainted with the fecret of my aunt Touchwood's violent paffion for me. Since my firit retufal of her addreffes, the has endeavoured to do me all ill offices with my uncle; yet has managed them with that fubtilty, that to him they have borne the face of kinduefs, while her malice, like a dark lanthorn, only fhone upon me, where it was directed. Still it gave me lets perplexity to prevent the fuccefs of her difpteafure, than to avoid the importunities of her love; and of two evits, I thought myfelf favoured in her averfion: but whether urged by her defpair, and the fhorr profpect of time the faw, to accomplish her defigns; whether the hopes of revenge, or of her love, terminated in the view of this my mar

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riage

riage with Cynthia, I know not; but this morning she furprized me in my bed.

Care. Was there ever such a fury! 'Tis well Nature has not put it into her fex's power to ravish.-Well, bless us! proceed. What followed?

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Mel. What at first amazed me; for I looked to have feen her in all the tranfports of a flighted and revengeful woman: but when I expected thunder from her voice, and lightning in her eyes, I faw her melted into tears, and hufhed into a figh. It was long before either of us fpoke, paffion had tied her tongue, and amazement mine.

In fhort, the confequence was thus: the omitted nothing that the most violent love could urge, or tender words exprefs; which when the faw had no effect, but ftill I pleaded honour and nearness of blood to my uncle, then came the ftorm I feared at first; for starting from my bed-fide like a fury, the flew to my fword, and with much ado I prevented her doing me or herself a mifchief: having difarmed her, in a guft of paffion fhe left me, and in a refolution, confirmed by a thoufand curfes, not to clofe her eyes, 'till they had seen my ruin.

Care. Exquifite woman! But what the devil does she think thou haft no more fenfe than to get an heir upon her body to difinherit thyfelf: for, as I take it, this fettlement upon you, is with a provifo that your uncle have no children.

Mel. It is fo. Well, the fervice you are to do me will be a pleasure to yourfelf; I must get you to engage my Lady Plyant all this evening, that my pious aunt may not work her to her intereft. And if you chance to fecure her to yourfelf, you may incline her to mine. She is handfome, and knows it; is very filly, and thinks fhe has fenfe, and has an old fond husband.

Care. I confefs a very fair foundation for a lover to build upon.

Mel. For my Lord Froth, he and his wife will be fufficiently taken up with admiring one another, and Brifk's galantry, as they call it. I'll obferve my uncle myfelf; and Jack Mafkwell has promifed me to watch my aunt narrowly, and give me notice upon any fufpicion. As for Sir Paul, my wife father-in-law that is to be, my dear Cynthia has such a share in his fatherly fondness, he

would

would fcarce make her a moment uneafy, to have her happy hereafter.

Care. So, you have manned your works; but I wish you may not have the weakest guard where the enemy is strongest,

Mel. Mafkwell, you mean; pr'ythee why should you suspect him ?

Care. Faith, I cannot help it; you know I never liked him; I am a little fuperftitious in phyfiognomy.

Mel He has obligations of gratitude to bind him to me; his dependence upon my uncle is through my

means.

Care. Upon your aunt, you mean.

Mel. My aunt!

Care. I am miftaken if there be not a familiarity between them you do not fufpect, notwithstanding her paffion for you.

Mel. Pooh, pooh, nothing in the world but his defign to do me fervice; and he endeavours to be well n her esteem, that he may be able to effect it.

Care. Well, I fhall be glad to be mistaken: but your aunt's averfion in her revenge cannot be any way fo effectually fhewn, as in bringing forth a child to difinherit you. She is handsome and cunning, and naturally wanton. Maskwell is flesh and blood at best, and opportunities between them are frequent. His affection to you, you have confeffed, is grounded upon his intereft, that you have tranfplanted; and fhould it take root in my lady, I do not fee what you can expect from the fruit.

Mel, I confefs the confequence is vitible, were your fufpicions juft.-But fee, the company is broke up, let us meet them.

Enter Lord Touchwood, Lord Froth, Sir Paul, Plyant, and Brifk.

Ld. T. Out upon't, nephew- -leave your father-inlaw, and me, to maintain our ground against young people.

Mel. I beg your Lordship's pardom-we were just returning.

Sir P. Were you, fon? Gadsbud, much better as it is-Good, frange! I fwear I'm almoft tipfy-t'other bottle would have been too powerful for me-as fure as

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can be it would.We wanted your company, but Mr. Brifk-where is he? I fwear and vow he's a most face. nous perfon and the best company.. And my Lord Froth, your Lordship is fo merry a man, he, he, he. Ld. F. O foy, Sir Paul, what do you mean? Merry! O barbarous ! I'd as lieve you called me fool.

Sir P. Nay, I proteft and vow now, 'tis true; when Mr. Brik jokes, your Lordship's laugh dees to become you, he, he, he.

Ld. F. Ridiculous! Sir Paul, you're strangely mistaken; I find Champagne is powerful. I affure you, Sir Paul, I laugh at nobody's jeft but my own, or a lady's; I affure you, Sir Paul.

Brisk. How! how, my Lord! What, affront my wit! Let me perish, do I never fay any thing worthy to be laughed at?

Ld. F. O foy, don't mifapprehend me; I don't fay fo, for I often fmile at your conceptions. But there is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality, than to laugh; 'tis fuch a vulgar expreffion of the pattion! every body can laugh. Then efpecially to laugh at the jet of an inferior perfon, or when any body else of the fame quality does not laugh with one. Ridiculous! to be pleased with what pleafes the eroud! Now, when I lough, I always laugh alone.

Brisk, I fuppofe that's because you laugh at your own efs, 'egad, ha, ha, ha,

L. F. He, he, I fwear tho', your raillery provokes me to a fmile.

Brisk. Ay, my Lord, it's a fign I hit you in the teeth, if you fhew 'em.

Ld. F. He, he, he, I fwear that's fo very pretty, I can't forbear.

• Care. I find a quibble bears more sway in your Lordfhip's face than a jeft.'

Ld. T. Sir Paul, if you please we'll retire to the ladies', and drink a difh of tea to fettle our heads.

Sir P. With all my heart.Mr. Brifk, you'll come to us or call me when you joke-l'll be ready to laugh incontinently. [Exeunt Ld. Touch. and Sir Paul. Mel. But does your Lordship never fee comedies? LEO yes, fometimes, but I never laugh.

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