Mel. No? Ld. F. Oh, no-never laugh indeed, Sir. Ld. F. To diftinguifh myself from the commonalty, and mortify the poets;-the fellows grow fo conceited when any of their foolish wit prevails upon the fideboxes. I fwear he, he, he, I have often constrained my inclinations to laugh-he, he, he, to avoid giving them encouragement. Mel. You are cruel to yourself, my Lord, as well as malicious to them. Ld. F. I confefs I did myself fome violence at first, but now I think I have conquered it. Brisk. Let me perish, my Lord, but there is fomething very particular in the humour; 'tis true, it makes against wit, and I'm forry for fome friends of mine that write, but 'egad, I love to be malicious.-Nay, deuce take me, there's wit in't too-and wit must be foiled by wit; cut a diamond with a diamond, no other way, 'egad. Ld. F. Oh, I thought you would not be long before you found out the wit. Care. Wit! In what? Where the Devil's the wit in not laughing when a man has a mind to't? Brisk. O lord, why, can't you find it out ?—Why, there 'tis, in the not laughing-Don't you apprehend me? My Lord, Carelefs is a very honest fellow, but hark ye-you understand me, fomewhat heavy, a little fhallow, or fo.-Why, I'll tell you now, fuppofe now you come up to mě→→→→→→ Nay, pr'ythee Careless be inftructed. Suppofe, as I was faying, you come up to me holding your fides, and laughing, as if you would- Well-I look grave, and afk the cause of this immoderate mirthYou laugh on ftill, and are not able to tell me look grave, not fo much as fmile.. Still I Care. Smile, no, what the Devil fhould you fmile at, when you suppose I can't tell you? Brisk. Phaw, phaw, pr'ythee don't interrupt me. But I tell you, you fhall tell me at laft-But it shall be a great while first. Care. Well; but pr'ythee don't let it be a great while, because I long to have it over. Brifk Brisk. Well then, you tell me fome good jeft, or very witty thing, laughing all the while as if you were ready to die and I hear it, and look thus.Would not you be disappointed ? Care. No for if it were a witty thing, I fhould not expect you to understand it. Ld. F. O foy, Mr. Careless, all the world allows Mr. Brifk to have wit; my wife fays he has a great deal. I hope you think her a judge. Brisk. Pooh, my Lord, his voice goes for nothing.I can't tell how to make him apprehend.-Take it t'other way. Suppose I fay a witty thing to you ? Care. Then I fhall be difappointed indeed. Mel. Let him alone, Brifk, he is obftinately bent not to be inftructed. Brisk. I'm forry for him, the deuce take me. Mel. Shall we go to the ladies, my Lord? Ld. F. With all my heart ; litude without them. methinks we are a fo Mel. Or, what fay you to another bottle of Champagne ? Ld. F. O, for the univerfe, not a drop more, I befeech you. Oh, intemperate! I have a flushing in my face already. [Takes out a pocket glafs, and looks in it. Brisk. Let me fee, let me fee, my Lord, I broke my glass that was in the lid of my fnuff-box. Hum! Deuce take me, I have encouraged a pimple here too. [Takes the glass, and looks, Ld. F. Then you muft mortify him with a patch; my wife fhall fupply you. Come, gentlemen, allons, here is company coming. [Exeunt. Enter Lady Touchwood and Maskwell. L. T. I'll hear no moreful; come, I know you falfe. Mask. I have been frail I confefs, Madam, for your Lady fhip's fervice. L. T. That I fhould truft a man whom I had known betray his friend ! Mask. What friend have I betrayed; Or to whom? L. T. Your fond friend Mellefont, and to me-Can you deny it ? Mask. I do not. L. T L. T. Have you not wronged my Lord, who has been a father to you in your wants, and given you being? Have you not wronged him in the highest manner, in his bed? Mask. With your Ladyfhip's help, and for your fervice, as I told you before. I cannot deny that neither. Any thing more, Madam? L. T. More! audacious villain. Oh, what's more is most my fhame- -Have you not dishonoured me? Mask. No, that I deny; for I never told in all my life: fo that accufation's anfwered. -On to the next. L. T. Death, do you dally with my paffion? Infolent devil! But have a care- -provoke me not; for, by the eternal fire, you fhall not efcape my vengeance.Calm villain! how unconcerned he ftands, confeffing treachery and ingratitude! Is there a vice more black! -Oh, I have excufes, thoufands, for my faults; fire in my temper, paffions in my foul, apt to every provocation; oppreffed at once with love and with despair : but a fedate, a thinking villain, whofe black blood runs temperately bad, what excufe can clear? Mask. Will you be in temper, Madam? I would not talk not to be heard. I have been [She walks about difordered.] a very great rogue for your fake, and you reproach me with it; I am ready to be a rogue ftill, to do you fervice; and you are flinging confcience and honour in my face, to rebate my inclinations. How am I to behave myfelf? You know I am your creature, my life and fortune in your power; to difoblige you brings me certain ruin. Allow it, I would betray you, I would not be a traitor to myself: I do not pretend to honefty, because you know I am a rafcal: but I would convince you from the neceffity of my being firm to you. L. I. Neceffity, impudence! Can no gratitude incline you, no obligations touch you? Have not my fortune and my perfon been fubjected to your pleafure? Were you not in the nature of a fervant, and have not I in effect made you lord of all, of me, and of my Lord? Where is that humble love, the languishing, that adoration, which once was paid me, and everlastingly engaged? Mask Mask. Fixed, rooted in my heart, whence nothing can remove them, yet you L. T. Yet, what yet? Mask. Nay, mifconceive me not, Madam, when I fay I have had a generous and a faithful paffion, which you had never favoured but thro' revenge and policy. L. T. Ha! Mask. Look you, Madam, we are alone,-Pray contain yourself, and hear me. You know you loved your nephew when I first fighed for you; I quickly found it ; an argument that I loved: for with that art you veiled your paffion, 'twas imperceptible to all but jealous eyes. This discovery made me bold, I confefs it; for by it I thought you in my power. Your nephew's fcorn of you added to my hopes; I watched the occafion, and took you, just repulfed by him, warm at once with love and indignation; your difpofition, my arguments, and happy opportunity, accomplished my defign; I preft the yielding minute, and was bleft. How I have loved you fince, words have not fhewn, then how fhould words expreís? L. T. Well, mollifying devil!And have I not met your love with forward fire? Mask. Your zeal I grant was ardent, but mifplaced; there was revenge in view; that woman's idol had defiled the temple of the god, and love was made a mockworship.- A fon and heir would have edged young Mellefont upon the brink of ruin, and left him none but you to catch at for prevention. L. T. Again, provoke me! Do you wind me like a larum, only to roufe my filled foul for your diverfion ? Confufion! in Mask. Nay, Madam, I am gone, if you selapfe What needs this? I fay nothing but what you yourself, open hours of love, have told me. Why fhould you deny it? Nay, how can you? Is not all this present heat owing to the fame fire? Do you not love him ftill? How have I this day offended you, but in not breaking off his match with Cynthia? which, ere to-morrow, fhall be done had -had you but patience. L. T. How, what faid you, Mafkwell,caprice to unwind my temper? -Another Mask, Mask. By Heav'n, no; I am your flave, the flave of all your pleasures; and will not rest 'till I have given you peace, would you suffer me. L. T. Oh, Mafkwell, in vain do I difguife me from thee, thou knoweft me, knoweit the very inmoft windings and receffes' of my foul.-Oh, Mellefont! I • burn' married to-morrow! Defpair strikes me! Yet my foul knows I hate him too: let him but once be mine, and next immediate ruin feize him.' Mask. Compofe yourself, you fhall poffefs and ruin him too-Will that pleafe you? L. T. How, how? thou dear, thou precious villain, how? Mask. You have already been tampering with my Lady Plyant. L.T. I have; she is ready for any impreffion I think fit. Mask. She must be thoroughly perfuaded that Mellefont loves her. L. T. She is fo credulous that way naturally, and likes him fo well, that fhe will believe it faster than I can perfuade her. But I don't fee what you can propofe from fuch a trifling defign; for her first converfing with Mellefont will convince her of the contrary. Mask. I know it-I don't depend upon it.. -But it will prepare fomething elfe; and gain us leifure to lay a ftronger plot. -If I gain a little time, I fhall not want contrivance. One minute gives invention to destroy, END of the FIRST ACT. [Exeunt. CYNTHIA. NDEED, Madam! Is it poffible your Ladyfhip could have been fo much in love? IN L. F. I could not fleep; I did not fleep one wink for three weeks together. Cyn |