chuckle

you and moan you: but I'll rid my hands of his ghoftly authority one day,

Enter Dominick.

and make him know he's the fon of a- -[Sees him.] So; -no fooner conjure, but the devil's in the circle. Dom. Son of what, Don Gomez.

1

Gom. Why, a fon of a church; I hope there's no harm in that, father?

Dom. I will lay up your words for you till time shall ferve; and to-morrow I enjoin you to faft, for penance. Gom. [Afide.] There's no harm in that; fhe fhall fast too; fafting faves money.

Dom. [To Elvira.] What was the reason that I found you upon your knees, in that unfeemly posture?

Gom. [Afide.] Oh, horrible! to find a woman upon her knees, he fays, is an unfeemly posture; there's a priest for you!

Elv. [To Dom.] I with, father, you would give me an opportunity of entertaining you in private: I have fomewhat upon my fpirits that preffes me exceedingly.

Dom. [Afide.] This goes well: Gomez, ftand you at a diftance,-farther yet,-stand out of ear-fhot-I have fomewhat to say to your wife in private.

Gom. [Afide.] Was ever man thus priest-ridden? Would the fteeple of his church were in his belly: I am

fure there's room for it.

Elv. I am afhamed to acknowledge my infirmities; but you have been always an indulgent father; and therefore I will venture to-and yet I dare not.

Dom. Nay, if you are bafhful; if you keep your wound from the knowledge of your furgeon.

Elv. You know my husband is a man in years; but he's my husband, and therefore I fhall be filent; but his humours are more intolerable than his age: he's grown fo froward, fo covetous, and fo jealous, that he has turned my heart quite from him; and, if I durft confefs it, has forced me to caft my affections on another

man.

Dom. Good!-hold, hold; I meant abominable. -Pray, Heaven, this be my Colonel, [Afide. Elv. Í have feen this man, father; and have encou raged his addreffes: he's a young gentleman, a foldier,

of

of a moft winning carriage; and what his courtship may produce at laft, I know not; but I am afraid of my own frailty.

Dom. [Afide.] 'Tis he for certain : fhe has faved the credit of my function, by speaking first; now I-must take gravity upon me.

Gom. [Afide.] This whispering bodes me no good for certain; but he has me fo plaguily under the lafli, that I dare not interrupt him.

Dom. Daughter, daughter, do you remember your matrimonial vow?

Elv. Yes, to my forrow, father, I do remember it; a miferable woman it has made me: but you know, father, a marriage vow is but a thing of courfe, which all women take, when they would get a husband.

Dom. A vow is a very folemn thing; and it is good to keep it :-but, notwithstanding, it may be broken, upon fome occafions. Have you striven with all your might againft this frailty?

Elu. Yes, I have striven: but I found it was against the ftream. Love, you know, father, is a great vowmaker; but he's a greater vow breaker.

Dom. 'Tis your duty to ftrive always: but, notwithstanding, when we have done our utmost, it extenuates the fin.

Gom. I can hold no longer Now, gentlewoman, you are confeffing your enormities; I know it, by that hypocrital, down-caft look: enjoin her to fit bare upon a bed of nettles, father; you can do no lefs in coafcience.

Dom. Hold your peace; are you growing malapert? Will you force me to make ufe of my authority? Your wife's a well-difpofed and a virtuous lady; I fay it, in verbo farcedotis.

Ely. I know not what to do, father; I find myself in -a moll defperate condition; and fo is the Colonel for love of me.

Dom. The Colonel, fay you! I wish it be not the fame young gentleman I know; 'tis a gallant young man, Ι muft confefs, worthy of any lady's love in Christendom; in a lawful way, I mean: of fuch a charming behaviour, fo bewitching to a woman's eye; and furthermore, fo

charitably given; by all good tokens, this must be my Colonel Hernando.

Elv. Ay, and my Colonel too, father: I am overjoyed; and are you then acquainted with him?

Dom. Acquainted with him! Why, he haunts me up for and down; and, I am afraid, it is for love of you; he preffed a letter upon me, within this hour, to deliver to you: I confefs, I received it, left he should send it by fome other; but with full refolution never to put it into your hands.

Elv. Oh, dear father, let me have it, or I fhall die. Gom. Whispering still! A pox of your clofe commit. tee! I'll liften, I'm refolved. [Steals nearer. Dom. Nay, if you are obftinately bent to fee it, use your difcretion, but for my part, I wash my hands on't. What makes you liftening there? Get farther off, I preach not to thee, thou wicked eves-dropper.

Elv. I'll kneel down, father, as if I were taking abfolution, if you'll but please to ftand before me, Dom. At you peril be it then. I have told you the ill confequences; & liberavi animam meam.-Your reputation is in danger, to fay nothing of your foul. Notwithstanding, when the fpiritual means have been applied, and fail; in that cafe, the carnal may be used.→→ You are a tender child, you are; and muft not be put into defpair your heart is as foft and melting as your hand. [He firokes her face; takes her by the band; and gives the letter.

Gom. Hold, hold, father, you go beyond your commiffion; palming is always held foul play amongst gamefters.

Dom. Thus good intentious are misconftrued by wicked men; you will never be warned 'till you are excommunicated.

Gom. [Afide.] Ah, devil on him; there's his hold! if there were no more in excommunication than the church's cenfure, a wife man would lick his confcience whole with a wet finger; but, if I am excommunicated, I am outlawed; and then there's no calling in my money.

Elv. [Rifing.] I have read the note, father, and will fend him an answer immediately; for I know his lodging by his letter.

D

Dom

Dom. I understand it not, for my part; but I wish your intentions be honeft. Remember, that adultery, though it be a filent fin, yet it is a crying fin alfo. Nevertheless, if you believe abfolutely he will die, unless you pity him, to fave a man's life is a point of charity; and actions of charity do alleviate, as I may fay, and take off from the mortality of the fin. Farewel, daughterGomez, cherish your virtuous wife; and thereupon I give you my benediction. [Going.

Gom. Stay; I'll conduct you to the door, that I may be fure you steal nothing by the way. Fryars wear not their long fleeves for nothing.-Oh, it is a Judas Iscariot. [Exit after the Fryar.

Elv. This fryar is a comfortable man! He will understand nothing of the bufinefs, and yet does it all. Pray, wives, and virgins, at your time of need, For a true guide, of my good father's breed.

END of the SECOND ACT.

[Exit,

ACT III.

SCENE, the Street.

Enter Lorenzo in a Fryar's babit, following Dominick.

F

LORENZO.

ATHER Dominick, father Dominick! Why in fuch hafte, man?

Dom. It should feem a brother of our order.

Lor. No, faith, I am only your brother in iniquity; my holiness, like yours, is mere outside.

Dom. What! my noble Colonel in metamorphofis! On what occafion are you transformed?

Lor. Love; almighty love; that which turned Jupiter into a town-bull, has transformed me into a fryar: I have had a letter from Elvira, in answer to that I fent by you.

Dom. You fee I have delivered my meffage faithfully; I am a fryar of honour where I am engaged.

.

Lor. Óh, I understand your hint; the other fifty pieces are ready to be condemned to charity.

Dom.

Dom. But this habit, fon, this habit!

Lor. 'Tis a habit, that in all ages has been friendly to fornication you have begun the defign in this cloathing, and I'll try to accomplish it. The hufband is abfent; that evil counsellor is removed; and the fovereign is gracioufly difpofed to hear my grievances.

Dom. Go to; go to; I find good counfel is but thrown away upon you: fare you well, fare you wel!, fon! ah

Lor. How will you turn recreant at the laft caft? You must along to countenance my undertaking: we are at the door, man.

Dom. Well, I have thought on't, and I will not go.

Lor. You may stay, father; but no fifty pounds with out it; that was only promifed in the bond: but the condition of this obligation is fuch, that if the abovenamed father, father Dominick, do not well and faithfully perform

Dom. Now I better think'on't, I will bear you company; for the reverence of my prefence may be a curb to your exorbitances.

Lor. Lead up your myrmidon, and enter. [Exeunt. Enter Elvira in her Chamber.

Elv. He'll come, that's certain; young appetites are fharp, and feldom need twice bidding to fuch a banquet. Well, if I prove frail, as I hope I fhall not, till I have compaffed my defign, never woman had fuch a husband to provoke her, fuch a lover to allure her, or fuch a confeffor to abfolve her? Of what am I afraid, then? "Not my confcience, that's fafe enough; my ghoftly father has given it a dofe of church opium to lull it. Well, for foothing fin, I'll fay that for him, he's a chaplain for any court in Christendom.'

Enter Lorenzo and Dominick.

Oh, Father Dominick, what news? How, a companion with you! What game have you in hand, that you hunt in couples?

Lor. [Lifting up his hood.] I'll fhew you that immediately.

Elv. Oh, my love!

Lor. My life!

Elv. My foul!