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has, half his life, been pursuing bubbles, without perceiving their insignificance, will be easily tempted to resume the chase. The possession of one reality will hardly convince him that the rest were shadows. And a woman must be an idiot indeed, who thinks of fixing a man to herself after marriage, whom she could not secure before it. To begin with insensibility !-O fy, Mr Modely!

Bel. You need not fear it, madam; his heartAra. Is as idle as our conversation on the subject. I beg your pardon for the comparison, as I do, for having sent for you in this manner. But I thought it necessary, that both you and Mr Modely should know my real sentiments, undisguised by passion.

Bel. And may I hope you will concur in my proposal?

the world, they only, in my eye, make him more contemptible.

Mode. This I can bear, sir John-because I have deserved it.

Sir John. You may think, perhaps, it is only an idle affair with a lady, what half mankind are guilty of, and what the conceited wits of your acquaintance will treat with raillery. Faith with a woman! ridiculous !---But let me tell you, Mr Modely, the man who, even slightly, deceives a believing and a trusting woman, can never be a man of honour.

Mode. I own the truth of your assertions. I feel the awful superiority of your real virtue. Nor should any thing have dragged me into your presence, so much I dreaded it, but the sincerest hope of making you happy.

Sir John. Making me happy, Mr Modely!--You have put it out of your own power. [Walks from him, then turns to him again.] You mean, suppose, by a resignation of Celia to me? Mode. Not of Celia only, but her affections. Sir John. Vain and impotent proposal!

Ara. I don't know what to say to it; it is a piece of mummery, which I am ill suited for at present. But if an opportunity should offer, II must confess I have enough of the woman in me,

not to be insensible to the charms of an innocent revenge. But this other intricate business, if you can assist me in that, you will oblige me beyond measure. They are two hearts, Mr Belmour, worthy to be united! Had my brother a little less honour, and she a little less sensibility---But I know not what to think of it.

Bel. In that, madam, I can certainly assist you.

Ara. How, dear Mr Belmour?

Bel. I have been a witness, unknown to Celia, to such a conversation, as will clear up every doubt sir John can possibly have entertained.

Ara. You charm me when you say so. As I live, here comes my brother! Stay; is not that wretch, Modely, with him? He is actually. What can his assurance be plotting now? Come this way, Mr Belmour; we will watch them at a distance, that no harm may happen between them, and talk to the girl first. The monster!

[Exeunt.

Enter SIR JOHN DORILANT and MODELY.

Mode. [Entering, and looking after ARA. and BEL.] They are together still! But let me resume my nobler self.

Sir John. Why will you follow me, Mr Modely? I have purposely avoided you. My heart swells with indignation. I know not what may be the consequence.

Mode. Upon my honour, sir John

Sir John. Honour, Mr Modely! 'tis a sacred word. You ought to shudder when you pronounce it. Honour has no existence but in the breast of truth. 'Tis the harmonious result of every virtue combined. You have sense, you have knowledge; but, I can assure you, Mr Modely, though parts and knowledge, without the dictates of justice, or the feelings of humanity, may make a bold and mischievous member of society even courted by

Mode. Sir John, 'tis not a time for altercation. By all my hopes of bliss here and hereafter, you are the real passion of her soul! Look not so unbelieving: by Heaven 'tis true! and nothing but an artful insinuation of your never intending to marry her, and even concurring in our affair, could ever have made her listen one moment to

me.

Sir John. Why do I hear you?-O, Mr Modely, you touch my weakest part!

Mode. Cherish the tender feeling, and be happy.

Sir John. Is it possible that amiable creature can think and talk tenderly of me? I know her generosity; but generosity is not the point.

Mode. Believe me, sir, 'tis more; 'tis real un affected passion. Her innocent soul speaks through her eyes the honest dictates of her heart. In our last conference, notwithstanding her mother's commands; notwithstanding-what I blush to own-my utmost ardent solicitations to the contrary, she persisted in her integrity, tore the papers which left her choice free, and treated us with an indignation which added charms to virtue.

Sir John. O these flattering sounds!—Would I could believe them!

Mode. Belmour, as well as myself, and lady Beverley, was a witness of the truth of them. I thought it my duty to inform you, as I know your delicacy with regard to her. And indeed I would in some measure endeavour to repair the injuries I have offered to your family, before I leave it for ever0, sir John, let not an illjudged nicety debar you from a happiness, which stands with open arms to receive you. Think what my folly has lost in Araminta; and, when your indignation at the affront is a little respited, be blest yourself, and pity me-[As he goes out,

he still looks after ARAMINTA and BELMOUR.] -I don't see them now; but I will go round that way to the house. [Exit MODELY. Sir John. What can this mean? -He cannot intend to deceive me; he seems too sincerely affected-I must, I will believe him. The mind, which suspects injustice, is half guilty of it itself -Talks tenderly of me! tore the papers! treated them with indignation! Heavens! what a flow of tender joy comes over me!-Shall Celia, then, be mine? How my heart dances! O! I could be wondrous foolish!-Well, Jonathan! Enter STEWARD.

Stew. The gentleman, sir

Sir John. What of the gentleman? I am ready for any thing.

Stew. Will wait upon your honour to-morrow, as you are not at leisuse.

Sir John. With all my heart-Now or then, whenever he pleases.

Stew. I am glad to see your honour in spirits. Sir John. Spirits, Jonathan! I am light as air -Make a thousand excuses to him-but let it be to-morrow, however, for I see lady Beverley coming this way.

Stew. Heaven bless his good soul! I love to see him merry. [Exit.

Enter LADY BEVERLEY. Lady Bev. If I don't interrupt you, sir JohnSir John. Interrupt me, madam! 'tis impossible.

Lady Bev. For I would not be guilty of an indecorum even to you.

Sir John. Come, come, lady Beverley, these little bickerings must be laid aside. Give me your hand, lady. Now we are friends. [Kissing it.How does your lovely daughter?

Lady Beo. You are in a mighty good humour, sir John; perhaps every body may not be so. Sir John. Every body must be so, madam, where I come: I am joy itself!

"The jolly god that leads the jocund hours."

Lady Bev. What is come to the man! Whatever it is, I shall damp it presently-[Aside.] -Do you choose to hear what I have to say, sir John?

Sir John. You can say nothing, madam, but that you consent, and Celia is my own-- -Yes, you yourself have been a witness to her integrity, Come, indulge me, lady Beverley. Declare it all, and let me listen to my happiness.

Lady Bev. I shall declare nothing, sir John, on that subject: what I have to say is of a very different import-In short, without circumlocution, or any unnecessary embarrassment to entangle the athir, I and my daughter are of opinion, that it is by no means proper for us to conLinne any longer in your family.

Sir John. Madam!

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Sir John. Does Celia, madam, desire to leave me!

Lady Bev. It was a proposal of her own.
Sir John. Confusion!

Lady Bev. And a very sensible one too, in my opinion. For when people are not so easy together, as might be expected, I know no better remedy than parting.

Sir John. [Aside.] Sure, this is no trick of Modely's, to get her away from me!-He talked too himself of leaving my family immediatelyI shall relapse again.

Lady Bev. I find, sir John, you are somewhat disconcerted but for my partSir John. O torture!

:

Lady Bev. I say, for my part, sir John, it might have been altogether as well, perhaps, if we had never met.

Sir John. I am sorry, madam, my behaviour has offended you, but

Enter ARAMINTA, CELIA, and BELMOUR.

Ara. [To CELIA, as she enters.] Leave the house indeed!-Come, come, you shall speak to him-What is all this disorder for? Pray, brother, has any thing new happened?-That wretch has been beforehand with us. [Aside to BEL.

Lady Bev. Nothing at all, Mrs Araminta; I have only made a very reasonable proposal to him, which he is pleased to treat with his and your usual incivility.

Sir John. You wrong us, madam, with the imputation-[After a pause, and some irresolution, he goes up to CELIA.-I thought, Miss Beverley, I had already given up my authority, and that you were perfectly at liberty to follow your own inclinations. I could have wished, indeed, to have still assisted you with my advice; and I flattered myself that my presence would have been no restraint upon your conduct. But I find it is otherwise. My very roof is grown irksome to you, and the innocent pleasure I received in observing your growing virtues, is no longer to be indulged to me.

Cetia. O, sir, put not so hard a construction upon what I thought a blameless proceeding. Can it be wondered at, that I should fly from him, who has twice rejected me with disdain ? Sir John. With disdain, Celia?

Celia. Who has withdrawn from me even his parental tenderness, and driven me to the hard necessity of avoiding him, lest I should offend him farther. I know how much my inexperience wants a faithful guide; I know what cruel censures a malicious world will pass upon my con duct-but I must bear them all. For he, who might protect me from myself-protect me from the insults of licentious tongues, abandons me to fortune.

Sir John. O, Celia !-have I, have I abandoned thee?—Heaven knows my inmost soul: how did it rejoice, but a few moments ago, when Modely told me that your heart was mine!

Ara. Modely!-Did Modely tell you so?Do you hear that, Mr Belmour?

Sir John. He did, my sister, with every circumstance which could increase his own guilt, and her integrity.

Ara. This was honest, however.

Sir John. I thought it so, and respected him accordingly. O, he breathed comfort to a despairing wretch! but now a thousand, thousand doubts crowd in upon me. He leaves my house this instant; nay, may be gone already. Celia, too, is flying from me— -perhaps to join him, and, with her happier lover, smile at my undoing!

[Leans on ARA. Celia. I burst with indignation!-Can I be suspected of such treachery? Can you, sir, who know my every thought, harbour such a suspicion?-O, madam, this contempt have you brought upon me. A want of deceit was all the little negative praise I had to boast of, and that is now denied me. [Leans on L. BEV.

Lady Bev. Come away, child. Celia. No, madam: I have a harder task still to perform. [Comes up to SIR JOHN.] To offer you my hand again, under these circumstances, thus despicable as you have made me, may seem an insult. But I mean it not as such-O, sir, if you ever loved my father, in pity to my orphan state, let me not leave you. Shield me from the world; shield me from the worst of misfortunes, your own unkind suspicions!

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chaise is now at the door to banish me for ever. My sole business, here, is to unite that virtuous man with the most worthy of her sex.

Ara. [Half aside.] Thank you for the compliment— -Now, Mr Belmour.

Lady Bev. You may spare yourself the trouble, cousin Modely; the girl is irrecoverably gone already.

Mode. May all the happiness they deserve attend them! [Going, then looks back at ARA.]— I cannot leave her.

Sir John. Mr Modely, is there nobody here besides, whom you ought to take leave of?

Mode. I own my parting from that lady [To ARAMINTA.] should not be in silence; but a conviction of my guilt stops my tongue from ut

terance.

Ara. I cannot say I quite believe that; but as our affair may make some noise in the world, for the sake of my own character, I must beg of you to declare, before this company, whether any part of my conduct has given a shadow of excuse for the insult I have received. If it has, be honest, and proclaim it.

Mode. None, by heaven! the crime was all my own, and I suffer for it justly and severely— with shame I speak it, notwithstanding the appearances to the contrary, my heart was ever yours, and ever will be.

Ara. I am satisfied, and will honestly confess, the sole reason of my present appeal was this, that where I had destined my hand, my conduct might appear unblemished.

[Gives her hand to BELMOUR. Mode. Confusion! then, my suspicions were

Ara. What fooling is here! Help me, Mr Bel-just.
mour-There, take her hand---And now let it go
if you can.

Sir John. [Grasping her hand.] O, Celia! may
I believe Modely? Is your heart mine?
Celia. It is, and ever shall be.
Sir John. Transporting ecstacy!

[Turning to CELIA. Lady Bev: I should think, sir John, a mother's consent--though Mrs Araminta, I see, has been so very good to take that office upon herself.

Sir John. Sister!
Celia. Araminta !

Ara. What do you mean? what are ye surpri sed at? The insinuating Mr Modely can never want mistresses any where. Can he, Mr Belmour? You know him perfectly.

Mode. Distraction! Knows me? Yes, he does know me. The villain! though he triumphs in my sufferings, knows what I feel! You, madam, are just in your severity; from you I have deserved every thing; the anguish, the despair Sir John. I beg your pardon, madam; my which must attend my future life, comes from thoughts were too much engaged-But may Iyou, like Heaven's avenging minister!But, for hope for your concurrence? him! [SIR JOHN interposes.] O, for a swordBut I shall find a time, and a severe one. Let me go, sir John

Lady Bev. I don't know what to say to you; I think you have bewitched the girl amongst you.

Ara. Indeed, lady Beverley, this is quite preposterous. Ha! he here again-Protect me, Mr Belmour.

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Ara. I'll carry on the farce no longer. Rash, inconsiderate madman! The sword, which pierces Mr Belmour's breast, would rob you of the best of friends. This pretended marriage, for it is no more, was merely contrived by him, to convince me of your sincerity. Embrace him as your guardian angel, and learn from him to be virtuous.

Bel. O, madam, let me still plead for him!Surely, when a man feels himself in the wrong,

you cannot desire him to suffer a greater punish

ment.

Ara. I have done with fooling. You told me to-day, lady Beverley, that he would never re

turn to me.

Lady Bev. And I told you, at the same time, madam, that if he did—you would take him.

Ara. In both you are mistaken. Mr Modely, your last behaviour to Celia and my brother, shews a generosity of temper I did not think you capable of, and for that I thank you. But to be serious on our own affair, whatever appearance your present change may carry with it, your transactions of to-day have been such, that I can never hereafter have that respect for you, which a wife ought to have for her husband.

Sir John. I am sorry to say it, Mr Modely, her determination is, I fear, too just. Trust to time, however; at least let us part friends, and not abruptly. We should conceal the failings of each other; and, if it must come to that, endea vour to find out specious reasons for breaking off the match, without injuring either party.

Ara. To shew how willing I am to conceal every thing-now I have had my little female revenge-as my brother has promised us the fiddles this evening, Mr Modely, as usual, shall be my partner in the dance.

Mode. I have deserved this ridicule, madam, and am humbled to what you please.

Ara. Why, then, brother, as we all seem in a strange dilemma, why may'nt we have one dance in the garden? it will put us in good humour.

Sir John. As you please, madam. Call the fiddles hither. Don't despair, Mr Modely.

[Half aside to him.

Lady Bev. I will not dance, positively. Bel. Indeed, but you shall, madam; do you think I will be the only disconsolate swain who wants a partner? Besides, you see there are so few of us, that we must call in the butler and the ladies' maids even to help out the figure.

Sir John. Come, lady Beverley, you must lay aside all animosities. If I have behaved improperly to you to-day, I most sincerely ask your pardon, and hope the anxieties I have been under will sufficiently plead my excuse; my future conduct shall be irreproachable. [Turning to CELIA.] Here have I placed my happiness, and here expect it. O, Celia! if the seriousness of my behaviour should hereafter offend you, impute it to my infirmity; it can never proceed from want of affection.

A heart, like mine, its own distress contrives,
And feels, most sensibly, the pain it gives;
Then even its frailties candidly approve,
For, if it errs, it errs from too much love.

[A dance-Exeunt omnes.

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SCENE I-A room in STERLING's house.

ACT I.

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Fan. What's the matter, Betty?

Bet. Oh la! ma'am! as sure as I am alive, here is your husband

Fan. Hush! my dear Betty! if any body in the house should hear you, I am ruined.

Bet. Mercy on me! it has frightened me to such a degree, that my heart is come up to my mouth. But, as I was saying, ma'am, here's that dear, sweet

Fan. Have a care, Betty!

Bet. Lord! I am bewitched, I think. But, as I was a saying, ma'am, here's Mr Lovewell just come from London.

Fan. Indeed!

Bet. Yes, indeed and indeed, ma'am, he is. I saw him crossing the court-yard in his boots.

Fan. I am glad to hear it. But pray now, my dear Betty, be cautious. Don't mention that word again, on any account. You know, we have agreed never to drop any expressions of that sort, for fear of any accident.

Bet. Dear ma'am, you may depend upon me. There is not a more trustier creature on the face of the earth, than I am, Though I say it, I am as secret as the grave-and if it is never told till I tell it, it may remain untold till doom's-day for Betty.

Fun. I know you are faithful--but, in our circumstances, we cannot be too careful.

Bet. Very true, ma'am! and yet I vow and protest, there's more plague than pleasure with a secret; especially if a body may'nt mention it to four or five of one's particular acquaintance,

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