CASTALIO..

I was, and should have met her here again ;
But th' Opportunity shall now be thine;
Myfelf will bring thee to the Scene of Love;
But have a Care, by Friendship I conjure thee,
That no falfe Play be offer'd to thy Brother.
Urge all thy Pow'rs to make thy Paffion profper,
But wrong not mine.

POLYDORE.

Heav'n blast me if I do.

CASTALIO.

If't prove thy Fortune, Polydore, to conquer,
(For thou hast all the Arts of foft Persuasion!)
Trust me, and let me know thy Love's Success,
That I may ever after ftifle mine.

POLYDORE

Though the be dearer to my Soul, than Reft
To weary Pilgrims, or to Mifers Gold,
To great Men Pow'r, or wealthy Cities Pride,
Rather than wrong Caftalio, I'd forget her.
For if ye Pow'rs have Happiness in store,
When ye wou'd fhow'r down Joys on Polydore,
In one great Bleffing all your Bounty send,
That I may never lofe fo dear a Friend.

[Exeunt Caft. Pol. Manet Page.

Enter MONIMIA.

ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.

So foon return'd from Hunting? This fair Day Seems as if fent t' invite the World abroad. Pafs'd not Caftalio and Polydore this way?

Madam, just now,

PAGE.

MONIMIA.

Sure fome ill Fate's upon me.

Distrust and Heavinefs fit round my Heart,
And Apprehension shocks my timorous Soul.

Why

Why was I not laid in my peaceful Grave
With my poor Parents! and at Rest as they are?
Inftead of that I'm wandring into Cares.
Caftalio! O Caftalio! Thou haft caught
My foolish Heart; and like a tender Child,
That trufts his Play-thing to another Hand,
I fear its harm, and fain would have it back.
Come near, Cordelio, I must chide you, Sir.
PAGE.

Why, Madam, have I done you any wrong?
MONIMIA.

I never fee you now; you have been kinder;
Sate by my Bed, and fung me pretty Songs:
Perhaps I've been ungrateful: here's Money for you:
Will you oblige me? Shall I see you oftner?
PAGE.

Madam, I'd ferve you with my Soul;
But in the Morning when you call me to you,
As by your Bed I stand and tell you Stories,
I am afham'd to fee your fwelling Breafts,
It makes me blush, they are fo very white.
MONIMI A.

Oh Men for Flattery and Deceit renown'd!
Thus when y'are young ye learn it all like him,
Till as your Years increase, that strengthens too,
T'undo poor Maids, and make our Ruin easy.
Tell me, Cordelia, for thou oft haft heard
Their friendly Converse, and their Bofom Secrets,
Sometimes at least, have they not talk'd of me?
PAGE.

Oh Madam! Very wickedly they have talk'd! But I'm afraid to name it, for they say

Boys must be whipp'd that tell their Master's Secrets.

MONIMIA.

Fear not, Cordelio! It shall ne'er be known;

For I'll preferve the Secret as 'twere mine.

Polydore cannot be fo kind as I,

I'll furnifh thee for all thy harmless Sports
With pretty Toys, and thou shalt be my Page.
PAGE.

And truly, Madam, I had rather be so.
Methinks you love me better than my Lord,
For he was never half so kind as you are.

What must I do?

MONIMIA.

Inform me how thou haft heard

Caftalio, and his Brother, ufe my Name.

PAGE.

With all the Tenderness of Love,

You were the Subject of their last Discourse.
At first I thought it would have fatal prov'd;
But as the one grew hot the other cool'd,
And yielded to the frailty of his Friend;
At laft, after much ftrugling, 'twas refolv'd
MONIMI A.

What, good Cordelio?

PAGE.

Not to quarrel for you.
ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.

I would not have 'em, by my dearest Hopes,

I would not be the Argument of Strife.
But furely my Caftalio won't forfake me,

And make a Mockery of my eafy Love.
Went they together?

PAGE.

Yes, to feek you, Madam:
Caftalio promis'd Polydore to bring him
Where he alone might meet you,

And fairly try the Fortune of his Wifhes.

ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.

Am I then grown so cheap, just to be made

A common Stake, a Prize for Love in Jeft?
Was not Caftalio very loth to yield it,

Or was it Polydore's unruly Paffion,
That heightened the Debate.

PAGE

PAGE.

The Fault was Polydore's.

Caftalio play'd with Love, and smiling fhew'd

The Pleasure, not the Pang s of his Defire.
He faid no Woman's Smiles should buy his Freedom;
And Marriage is a mortifying thing.

ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.

Then I am ruin'd, if Caftalio's falfe, Where is there Faith and Honour to be found? Ye Gods, that guard the Innocent, and guide The Weak; protect, and take me to your Care. Oh but I love him: There's the Rock will wreck me! Why was I made with all my Sexes Softness, Yet want the Cunning to conceal its Follies? I'll fee Caftalio, tax him with his Falfhoods, Be a true Woman, rail, protest my Wrongs; Refolve to hate him, and yet love him ftill.

Enter CASTALIO and POLYDORE. He comes, the Conqueror comes! lie ftill, my Heart, And learn to bear thy Injuries with Scorn.

CASTALIO:

Madam, my Brother begs he may have leave To tell you fomething that concerns you nearly; I leave you as becomes me, and withdraw.

Have you purpos'd

To abuse me palpably? What means this Usage?
Why am I left with Polydore alone?

CAST ALIO.

He best can tell you. Bufinefs of importance Calls me away, I must attend my Father.

MONI

MONIMI A.

Will you then leave me thus ?

CASTAL 10.

But for a Moment.

MONIMIA.

It has been otherwife; the time has been,

When Business might have stay'd, and I been heard.

CASTALIO.

I could for ever hear thee; but this time Matters of fuch odd circumstances press me, That I muft go

MONIMI A.

Then go, and if't be poffible for ever.

Well, my Lord Polydore, I guess your Business,
And read th' ill-natur'd Purpose in your Eyes.
POLYDORE.

If to defire you more than Miser's Wealth,
Or dying Men an Hour of added Life,
If foftest Wishes," and a Heart more true,
Than ever suffer'd yet for Love difdain'd,
Speak an ill Nature,. you accufe me justly.
ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.

Talk not of Love, my Lord, I must not hear it.
POLYDORE.

Who can behold fuch Beauty, and be filent?
Defire first taught us Words: Man, when created,
At first alone long wander'd up and down,
Forlorn, and filent as his Vaffal Beafts;

[Exit.

But when a Heav'n-born Maid, like you, appear'd,
Strange Pleasures fill'd his Eyes, and fir'd his Heart,
Unloos'd his Tongue, and his first Talk was Love.
ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.

The first created Pair, indeed, were bleft;
They were the only Objects of each other,
Therefore he courted her; and her alone:
But in this peopled World of Beauty, where
There's roving Room, where you may court, and ruin