THE IN CONSTAN T. The lines marked wib inverted commas, 'thus,' are omitted in the reprefentation. ACT I. SCENE, The Street. Enter Dugard and his Man Petit, in Riding Habits. DUGARD. SIRR Pet. Turn'd of eleven, Sir. Dug. No more! We have rid a fwinging pace from Nemours fince two this morning! Petit, run to Rouf feau's and befpeak a dinner at a Lewis d'Or a head, to be ready by one. Pet. How many will there be of you, Sir? Dug. Let me fee-Mirabel one, Duretete two, my felf three Pet. And I four. Dug. How now, Sir, at your old travelling familiarity! When abroad, you had fome freedom for want of better company; but among my friends at Paris, pray remember your diftance-Begone, Sir.-[Exit Petit.]-This fellow's wit was neceffary abroad, but he's too cunning for a domeftic; I muft difpofe of him fome way elfe.Who's here ? Old Mirabel and my fifter! My dearest fifter! Enter Enter Old Mirabel and Oriana. Ori. My brother! Welcome. Dug. Monfieur Mirabel! I'm heartily glad to fee you. Old Mir. Honeft Mr. Dugard! By the blood of the Mirabels, I'm your most humble fervant. Dug. Why, Sir, you've caft your skin fure; you're brifk and gay, lufty health about you, no fign of age but your filver hairs. Old Mir. Silver hairs! Then they are quick-filver hairs, Sir. Whilft I have golden pockets, let my hairs be filver an they will. Adfbud, Sir, I can dance, and fing, and drink, and- no, I can't wench. But, Mr. Dugard, no news of my fon Bob in all your travels? Dug. Your fon's come home, Sir. Old Mir. Come home! Bob come home! By the Blood of the Mirabels, Mr. Dugard, what say ye? Ori. Mr. Mirabel return'd, Sir ! Dug. He's certainly come, and you may fee him within this hour or two. Old Mir. Swear it, Mr. Dugard, prefently swear it. Dug. Sir, he came to town with me this morning; I left him at the Bagnieurs, being a little disordered after riding, and I fhall fee him again presently. Old Mir. What! And he was afhamed to ask a bleffing with his boots on? A nice dog! Well, and how fares the young rogue, ha? Dug. A fine gentleman, Sir. He'll be his own mesfenger. Old Mir. A fine gentleman! But is the rogue like me yet? Dug. Why, yes, Sir; he's very like his mother, and as like you as most modern fons are to their fathers. Old Mir. Why, Sir, don't you think that I begat him? Dug. Why yes, Sir; you married his mother, and he inherits your eftate. He's very like you, upon my word. Ori. And pray, brother, what's become of his honest companion, Duretete? Dag. Who, the Captain? The very fame he went abroad; he's the only Frenchman I ever knew that could not change. Your fon, Mr. Mirabel, is more obliged to nature Nature for that fellow's compofition, than for his own : for he's more happy in Duretete's folly than his own wit. In fhort, they are as infeparable as finger and thumb; But the first instance in the world, I believe, of oppofition in friendship. Old Mir. Very well; will he be home to dinner, think ye? Dug. Sir, he has ordered me to bespeak a dinner for us at Rouffeau's, at a Louis d'or a head. Old Mir. A Louis d'or a head! Well faid, Bob; by the blood of the Mirabels, Bob's improved. But, Mr. Dugard, was it fo civil of Bob to vifit Monfieur Rousseau before his own natural father, eh? Heark'e, Oriana, what think you, now, of a fellow that can eat and drink ye a whole Louis d'or at a fitting? He must be as strong as Hercules; life and spirit in abundance. Before Gad, I don't wonder at thefe inen of quality, that their own wives can't serve them. A Louis d'or a head! 'tis enough to stock the whole nation with baftards, 'tis faith. Mr. Dugard, I leave you with your fifter. [Exit. Dug. Well, fifter, I need not ask you how you do, your looks refolve me; fair, tall, well-fhaped; you're almoft grown out of my remembrance. Ori. Why, truly, brother, I look pretty well, thank nature and my toilette; I have 'fcaped the jaundice, green-fickness, and the small-pox; I eat three meals a day, am very merry when up, and fleep foundly when I'm down. Dug. But, fifter, you remember that upon my going abroad you would chufe this old gentleman for your guardian; he's no more related to our family, than Prefter John, and I have no reason to think you mistrusted my management of your fortune: therefore pray be fo kind as to tell me, without reservation, the true cause of making fuch a choice. Ori. Look'e, brother, you were going a rambling, and 'twas proper, left I should go a rambling too, that fomebody should take care of me. Old Monfieur Mirabel is an honeft gentleman, was our father's friend, and has a young lady in his houfe, whofe company I like, and who has chofen him for her guardian as well as I. Dug. Who, Mademoiselle Bifarre? B Ori. Ori. The fame; we live merrily together, without fcandal or reproach; we make much of the old gentleman between us, and he takes care of us; 6 we eat what we like, go to bed when we please, rife when we will,' all the week we dance and fing, and upon Sundays go first to church, and then to the play.Now, brother, befides these motives for chufing this gentleman for my guardian, perhaps I had fome private reafons. Dug. Not fo private as you imagine, fifter; your love to young Mirabel's no fecret, I can affure you, but fo public that all your friends are ashamed on't. Ori. O' my word then, my friends are very bashful; though I am afraid, Sir, that those people are not ashamed enough at their own crimes, who have fo many blushes to fpare for the faults of their neighbours. Dug. Ay, but fifter, the people fay Ori. Pfhaw! hang the people, they'll talk treafon, and profane their Maker; muft we therefore infer, that our king is a tyrant, and religion a cheat? Look'e, brother, their court of enquiry is a tavern, and their informer, claret: they think as they drink, and swallow reputations like loches; a lady's health goes brifkly round with the glafs, but her honour is loft in the toast. Dug. Ay, but fifter, there is ftill fomething Ori. If there be fomething, brother, 'tis none of the people's fomething; marriage is my thing, and I'll stick to't. Dug. Marriage! Young Mirabel marry! He'll build churches fooner. Take heed, fifter, though your honour stood proof to his home-bred affaults; you must keep a stricter guard for the future: he has now got the foreign air, and the Italian foftnefs; his wit's improved by converfe, his behaviour finished by obfervation, and his affurances confirmed by fuccefs. Sifter, I can affure you, he has made his conquefts; and 'tis a plague upon your fex, to be the fooneft deceived by thofe very men that you know have been falfe to others. Ori. Then why will you tell me of his conquests ? for, I must confefs, there is no title to a woman's fa< vour fo engaging as the repute of a handsome diffimulation; there is fomething of a pride to fee a fellow ⚫ lie at our feet, that has triumphed over so many; and then then, I don't know, we fancy he must have fomething "extraordinary about him to please us, and that we have fomething engaging about us to fecure him; fo we can't be quiet till we put ourfelves upon the lay of be⚫ing both disappointed. Dug.' But then, fifter, he's as fickle Ori. For God's fake, brother, tell me no more of his faults; for if you do, I fhall run mad for him: fay no more, Sir; let me but get him into the bands of matrimony, I'll fpoil his wand'ring, I warrant him; I'll do his bufinefs that way, never fear. Dug. Well, fifter, I won't pretend to understand the engagements between you and your lover; I expect, when you have need of my counfel or affiftance, you will let me know more of your affairs. Mirabel is a gentleman, and as far as my honour and intereft can reach, you may command me to the furtherance of your happinefs: in the mean time, fifter, I have a great mind to make you a prefent of another humble fervant; a fellow that I took up at Lyons, who has ferved me honestly ever fince. Ori. Then why will you part with him? Dug. He has gain'd fo infufferably on my good humour, that he's grown too familiar; but the fellow's cunning, and may be ferviceable to you in your affair with Mirabel. Here he comes. Enter Petit, Well, Sir, have you been at Rauffeau's? Pet. Yes, Sir, and who should I find there but Mr. Mirabel and the Captain, hatching as warmly over a tub of ice, as two hen pheasants over a brood- -They would not let me befpeak any thing, for they had dined before I came. Dug. Come, Sir, you shall serve my fifter, I fhall still continue kind to you; and if your lady recommends your diligence upon trial, I'll use my intereft to advance you; you have fenfe enough to expect preferment.Here, firrah, here's ten guineas for thee, get thyfelf a drugget fuit and a puff-wig, and fo-I dub thee gentleman ufher.-Sifter, I must put myself in repair, you may expect me in the evening- Wait on your lady home, [Exit Dug. Petit. B 3 Pet. |