gratitude, and my own inclination, to be ever your Lordship's fervant.

Ld. T. Enough.

-You are my friend; I know it: Yet there has been a thing in your knowledge which has concerned me nearly, that you have concealed from me. Mask. My Lord!

Ld. T. Nay, I excufe your friendship to my unnatural nephew thus far- But I know you have been privy to his impious defigns upon my wife. This evening. The has told me all: her good-nature concealed it as long as was poffible; but he perfèveres fo in villainy, that the has told me even you were weary of diffuading him, tho' you have once actually hindered him from forcing her.

Mask. I am forry, my Lord, I cannot make you an anfwer; this is an occafion in which I would not willingly be filent.

Ld. T. I know you would excufe him-And I know as well that you cannot.

Mask. Indeed I was in hopes it had been but a youthful heat that might have foon boiled over; but

Ld. T. Say on.

Mask, I have nothing more to fay, my Lord-but to exprefs my concern; for I think his frenzy increases daily.

Ld. T. How! give me but proof of it, ocular proof, that I may justify my dealing with him to the world, and fhare my fortunes.

Mask. O my Lord! confider that is hard: befides, time may work upon him: then, for me to do it! I have profeffed an everlasting friendship to him.

Ld. T. He is your friend, and what am I?

Mask. I am answered.

Ld. T. Fear not his displeasure; I will put you out of his and Fortune's power; and for that thou art fcrupulously honest, I will fecure thy fidelity to him, and give my honour never to own any discovery that you fhall make me. Can you give me a demonftrative proof? Speak.

Mask. I wish I could not- To be plain, my Lord, I intended this evening to have tried all arguments to diffuade him from a design, which I fufpect; and if I had

not fucceeded, to have informed your Lordship of what I knew.

Ld. T. I thank you. What is the villain's purpofe? Mask. He has owned nothing to me of late, and what I mean now is only a bare fufpicion of my own. If your Lordship will meet me a quarter of an hour hence there, in that lobby by my Lady's bed-chamber, I fhall be able to tell you more.

Ld T. I will.

Mask. My duty to your Lordship makes me do a fevere piece of justice.

Ld. T. I will be fecret, and reward your honefty beyond your hopes.

[Exeunt. SCENE opening, Shers Lady Touchwood's chamber.

Mellefont folus.

Mel. Pray Heaven my aunt keep touch with her affignation.- Oh, that her Lord were but fweating behind this hanging, with the expectation of what I fhall fee. Hift, fhe comes -Little does he think what a mine is just ready to spring under her feet. But to my poft. [Goes behind the hangings.

Enter Lady Touchwood.

L. T. 'Tis eight o'clock: methinks I fhould have found him here-Who does not prevent the hour of love, outstays the time; for to be duly punctual is too flow. I was accufing you of neglect.

Enter Mafkwell.
Mellefont abfconding.

Mask. I confefs you do reproach me when I fee you here before me; but 'tis fit I fhould be still behind-hand, ftill to be more and more indebted to your goodness.

L. T. You can excufe a fault too well, not to have been to blame-A ready answer fhews you were prepared.

Mask. Guilt is ever at a lofs, and confufion waits upon it; when innocence and bold truth are always ready for expreffion

L. T. Not in love; words are the weak fupport of cold indifference; love has no language to be heard. Mask. Excefs of joy has made me ftupid! Thus may my lips be ever closed. [Kisses her.] And thus-Oh, who

F 2

would

would not lofe his fpeech upon condition to have joys

above it!

L. T. Hold, let me lock the door first.

[Goes to the door. Mask. [Afide.] That I believed; 'twas well I left the private paffage open.

L. T. So, that's safe.

Mask. And fo may all your pleasures be, and fecret as this kifs

Mel. And may all treachery be thus discovered.

L. T. Ah!

Mel. Villain !

[Leaps out. [Shrieks.

[Offers to draw. Mask. Nay then, there's but one way. [Runs out. Mel. Say you fo, were you provided for an escape? Hold, Madam, you have no more holes to your burrow, I ftand between you and this fally-port.

L. T. Thunder strike thee dead for this deceit, immediate lightning blast thee, me, and the whole world— Oh! I could rack myself, play the vulture to my own heart, and gnaw it piece-meal, for not boding to me this misfortune.

Mel. Be patient

L. T. Be damned.'

Mel. Confider I have you on the hook; you will but flounder yourself a weary, and be nevertheless my prifoner.

L. T. I'll hold my breath and die, but I'll be free.

Mel. O Madam, have a care of dying unprepared, I doubt that you have fome unrepented fins that may hang heavy, and retard your flight.

L.T. Oh! what fhall I do? fay? Whither fhall I turn? Has Hell no remedy?

Mel. None. Hell has ferved you even as Heaven has done, left you to yourfelf.-You are in a kind of Erafmus Paradife; yet if you pleafe, you may make it a purgatory; and with a little penance and my abfolution, all this may turn to a good account.

L. T. [Afide.] Hold in my paffion, and fall, fall a little, thou fwelling heart; let me have fome intermiffion of this rage, and one minute's coolness to diffemble.

[She weeps. Mel.

Mel. You have been to blame--I like thofe tears, and hope they are of the purest kind-Penitential tears.

L. T. O, the fcene was fhifted quick before me-Ishad not time to think- I was furprized to fee a monster in the glafs, and now I find 'tis myself: Can you have mer, cy to forgive the faults I have imagined, but never put in practice -O confider, confider how fatal you have been to me, you have already killed the quiet of this ' life.' The love of you was the first wandering fire that e'er mifled my steps, and while I had only that in view, I was betrayed into unthought-of ways of ruin. Mel. May I believe this true?

How can you

L. T. O be not cruelly incredulousdoubt these streaming eyes? Keep the fevereft eye over all my future conduct, and if I once relapfe, let me not hope forgiveness, 'twill ever be in your power to ruin me -My Lord fhall fign to your defires; I will myfelf create your happinefs, and Cynthia fhall be this night your bride-Do but conceal my failings, and forgive.

Mel. Upon fuch terms, I will be ever yours in every honest way.

Mafkwell foftly introduces Lord Touchwood, and retires. Mask. I have kept my word, he is here, but I muft not be seen.

Ld. T. Hell and amazement! She is in tears.

L. T. [Kneeling.] Eternal bleffings thank you-Ha! My Lord liftening! O, Fortune has o'erpaid me all, all! all's my own! [Afide.

Mel. Nay, I beseech you rife.

L. T. [Aloud.] Never, never! I'll grow to the ground, be buried quick beneath it, ere I'll be confentto fo damned a fin as inceft! unnatural inceft!

ing

Mel. Ha!.

L. T. O cruel man, will you not let me go I'll for give all that's paft-O Heaven, you will not ravish me! Mel. Damnation !

Ed. T. Monster! Dog! your life fhall anfwer this

[ Draws and runs at Mel. is held by Lady. Touchwood.. L. T. O Heavens, my Lord! Hold, hold, for Heaven's fake.

Mel. Confufion, my uncle! O, the damned forcesefs..

F 3

L. T. Moderate your rage, good my Lord! He's mad, alas, he's mad-Indeed he is my Lord, and knows not what he does-See how wild he looks.

Mel. By Heaven, 'twere fenfeless not to be mad, and fee fuch witchcraft.

L. T. My Lord, you hear him, he talks idly.

Ld. T. Hence from my fight, thou living infamy to my name: when next I fee that face, I'll write villain in it with my fword's point.

Mel. Now, by my foul, I will not go 'till I have made known my wrongsNay, 'till I have made known yours, which (if poffible) are greater-though she has all the hoft of Hell her fervants.

L. T. Alas, he raves! Talks very poetry.' For Heaven's fake away my Lord, he'll either tempt you to extravagance, or commit fome himself.

Mel. Death and furies, will you not hear me- -Why, by Heaven the laughs, grins, points to your back; the forks out cuckoldom with her fingers, and you are running horn-mad after your fortune.

[As he is going he turns back and smiles at him. Ld. T. I fear he's mad indeed-Let's fend Mafkwell to him.

J

Mel. Send him to her.

L. T. Come, come, good my Lord, my heart achs fo, I fhall faint if I ftay.' [Exeunt Ld. and L. T. Mel. Oh, I could curfe my stars, fate, and chance; all caufes and accidents of fortune in this life! But to what purpofe? Yet, 'fdeath, for a man to have the fruit of all his industry grow full and ripe, ready to drop into his mouth, and just when he holds out his hand to ga ther it, to have a fudden whirlwind come, tear up tree and all, and bear away the very root and foundation of his hopes; What temper can contain? They talk of fending Maskwell to me; I never had more need of him

-But what can he do? Imagination cannot form a fairer and more plaufible defign than this of his which has mifcarried- O my precious aunt! I fhall never thrive without I deal with the devil, or another woman.

⚫ Women, like flames, have a destroying pow'r, • Ne'er to be quench'd 'till they themselves devour.'

END of the FOURTH ACT.

[Exit.

ACT