power to ruin me My Lord shall sign to your desires I will my self create your Happiness and Cynthia shall be this night your Bride Do but conceal my failings and forgive Melle Upon such terms I will be ever yours in every honest way Enter Lord Touchwood Maskwell softly behind him Mask I have kept my word he 's here but I must not be seen Exit Lord T. Hell and Amazement she 's in Tears Lady T. Kneeling Eternal Blessings thank you Ha! my Lord listning O Fortune has o'repaid me all all all 's my own Aside Melle Nay I beseech you rise Lady T. Aloud Never never I 'le grow to the Ground be buried quick beneath it e're I be consenting to so damn'd a Sin as Incest unnatural Incest Melle Ha! Lady T. O cruel Man will you not let me go I 'le forgive all that 's past O Heaven you will not ravish me Melle Damnation Lord T. Monster Dog your Life shall answer this Draws and runs at Mell. is held by Lady Touch. Lady T. O Heavens my Lord hold hold for Heavens sake Melle Confusion my Uncle O the damn'd Sorceress Lady T. Moderate your rage good my Lord he 's mad alas he 's mad indeed he 's my Lord and knows not what he does see how wild he looks Melle By Heaven'twere senceless not to be mad and see such Witchcraft Lady T. My Lord you hear him he talks Idly Lord T. Hence from my sight thou living infamy to my Name when next I see that Face I 'le write Villain in 't with my Swords point Melle Now by my Soul I will not go till I have made known my wrongs Nay till I have made known yours which if possible are greater Though she has all the Host of Hell her Servants Though she can wear more shapes in shining day then fear shews Cowards in the dark Lady T. Alas he raves talks very Poetry for Heavens sake away my Lord he 'l either tempt you to extravagance or commit some himself Melle Death and Funes will you not hear me Why by Heaven she laughs grins points to your Back she forks out Cuckoldom with her Fingers and you 're running Horn mad after your Fortune As she is going she turns back and smiles at him Lord T. I fear he 's mad indeed-Let's send Maskwell to him Melle Send him to her Lady T. Come come good my Lord my Heart akes so I shall faint if I stay Exeunt Mell. O I could curse my Stars Fate and Chance all Causes and Accidents of Fortune in this Life but to what purpose yet 'sdeath for a Man to have the fruit of all his Industry grown full and ripe ready to drop into his mouth and just when he holds out his hand to gather it to have a sudden Whirlwind come tear up Tree and all and bear away the very root and foundation of his hopes What temper can contain They talk of sending Miskwell to me I never had more need of him But what can he do Imagination cannot form a fairer and more plausible design than this of his which has miscarried O my Pretious Aunt I shall never thrive without I deal with the Devil or another Woman Women like flames have a destroying pow'r Ne'er to be quench'd till they themselves devour SCENE shuts Exit End of the Fourth ACT. ACT. V. SCENE I. Enter Lady Touchwood and Maskwell Lady T. WAst not Lucky Mask Lucky Fortune is your own and 't is her interest so to be By Heaven I believe you can controul her power and she fears it though chance brought my Lord 't was your own art that turned it to advantage Lady T. 'T is true it might have been my ruine but yonder 's my Lord I believe he 's coming to find you I 'le not be seen Exit Mask So I durst not own my introducing my Lord though it succeeded well for her for she would have suspected a design which I should have been puzled to excuse My Lord is thoughtful I 'le be so too yet he shall know my thoughts or think he does Enter Lord Touchwood Mask What have I done Lord T. Talking to himself Mask 'T was honest And shall I be rewarded for it No 't was honest therefore I shan't Nay rather therefore I ought not for it rewards it self Lord T. Unequall'd Virtue Aside Mask But should it be known then I have lost a Friend He was an ill Man and I have gain'd for half my self I lent him and that I have recall'd so I have served my self and what is yet better I have served a worthy Lord to whom I owe my self Lord T. Excellent Man Aside Mask Yet I am wretched O there is a secret burns within this Breast which should it once blaze forth would ruine all consume my honest Character and brand me with the name of Villain Ld. Touch. Ha! Mask Why do I love yet Heaven and my waking Conscience are my Witnesses I never gave one working thought a vent which might discover that I lov'd nor ever must no let it prey upon my Heart for I would rather die than seem once barely seem dishones O should it once be known I love fair Cynthia all this that I have done would look like Rivals Malice false Friendship to my Lord and base Self-interest Let me perish first and from this hour avoid all sight and speech and if I can all thought of that pernicious Beauty Ha! but what is my distraction doing I am wildly talking to my self and some ill Chance might have directed malicious Ears this way Seems to start seeing my Lord. Ld. Touch. Start not let guilty and dishonest Souls start at the revelation of their thoughts but be thou fix'd as is thy Vertue Mask I am confounded and beg your Lordship's pardon for those free discourses which I have had with my self Ld. Touch. Come I beg your pardon that I over-heard you and yet it shall not need Honest Maskwell thy and my good Genius led me hither mine in that I have discovered so much Manly Vertue thine in that thou shalt have due reward of all thy worth Give me thy hand my Nephew is the alone remaining Branch of all our ancient Family him I thus blow away and constitute thee in his room to be my Heir Mask Now Heaven forbid Ld. Touch. No more I have resolv'd The Writings are ready drawn and wanted nothing but to be sign'd and have his name inserted yours will fill the Blank as well I will have no reply Let me command this time for 't is the last in which I will assume Authority hereafter you shall rule where I have Power Mask I humbly would petition Ld. Touch. Is 't for your self Mask pauses I 'll hear of nought for any body else Mask Then witness Heaven for me this Wealth and Honour was not of my seeking nor would I build my Fortune on another's ruine I had but one desire Ld. Touch. Thou shalt enjoy it if all I 'm worth in Wealth
Nay Misconceive me not Madam when I say I have had a Generous and a Faithful Passion which you had never favour'd but through Revenge and Policy L. Touch. Ha! Mas. Look you Madam we are alone pray contain your self and hear me You know you Lov'd your Nephew when I first Sigh'd for you I quickly found it an Argument that I Lov'd for with that Art you veil'd your Passion 't was imperceptible to all but Jealous Eyes This discovery made me bold I confess it for by it I thought you in my Power Your Nephew's Scorn of you added to my hopes I watch'd the Occasion and took you just Repulsed by him warm at once with Love and Indignation your Disposition my Arguments and happy Opportunity accomplish'd my Design I prest the yielding Minute and was blest How I have Lov'd you since Words have not shown then how should Words express L. Touch. Well mollifying Devil And have I not met your Love with forward Fire Mas. Your Zeal I grant was Ardent but misplac'd there was Revenge in view that Womans Idol had defil'd the Temple of the God and Love was made a Mock-Worship a Son and Heir would have edg'd Young Mellefont upon the brink of Ruin and left him nought but you to catch at for Prevention L. Touch. Again provoke me Do you wind me like a Larum only to rouse my own still'd Soul for your Diversion Confusion Mas. Na Madam I 'm gone if you Relapse what needs this I say nothing but what your self in open hours of Love have told me Why should you deny it Nay how can you Is not all this present Heat owing to the same Fire Do you not Love him still How have I this day Offended you but in not breaking off his Match with Cynthia Which e're to Morrow shall be done had you but Patience L. Touch. How what said you Maskwell another Caprice to unwind my temper Mas. By heaven no I am your Slave the Slave of all your Pleasures and will not rest till I have given you peace would you suffer me L. Touch. O' Maskwell in Vain I do disguise me from thee thou know'st me know'st the very inmost Windings and Recesses of my Soul Oh Mellefont I burn Married to Morrow Despair strikes me Yet my Soul knows I hate him too Let him but once be mine and next immediate Ruin seize him Mas. Compose your self You shall Enjoy and Ruin him too Will that please you L. Touch. How how Thou Dear thou precious Villain how Mas. You have already been tampering with my Lady Plyant L. Touch. I have She is ready for any Impression I think fit Mas. She must be throughly perswaded that Mellefont Loves her L. Touch. She is so Credulous that way naturally and likes him so well that she will believe it faster than I can perswade her But I don't see what you can propose from such a trifling design for her first Conversing with Mellefont will convince her of the contrary Mas. I know it I don't depend upon it But it will prepare some thing else and gain us leasure to lay a stronger Plot if I gain a little time I shall not want Contrivance One Minute gives Invention to Destroy What to Rebuild will a whole Age Employ Exeunt End of the first Act. ACT II. SCENE I. Enter Lady Froth and Cynthia Cynthia INdeed Madam Is it Possible your Ladyship could have been so much in Love L. Froth I could not sleep I did not sleep one wink for Three Weeks together Cynt. Prodigious I wonder want of sleep and so much Love and so much Wit as your Ladyship has did not turn your Brain L. Froth O my Dear Cynthia you must not rally your Friend but really as you say I wonder too but then I had a way For between you and I I had Whymsies and Vapours but I gave them vent Cynt. How pray Madam L. Froth O I Writ Writ abundantly do you never Write Cynt. Write what L. Froth Songs Elegies Satyrs Encomiums Panegyricks Lampoons Plays or Heroick Poems Cynt. O Lord not I Madam I 'm content to be a Courteous Reader L. Froth O Inconsistent In Love and not Write if my Lord and I had been both of your Temper we had never come together O bless me What a sad thing would that have been if my Lord and I should never have met Cynt. Then neither my Lord and you would ever have met with your Match on my Conscience L. Froth O' my Conscience no more we should thou say'st right for sure my Lord Froth is as fine a Gentleman and as much a Man of Quality Ah! Nothing at all of the Common Air I think I may say he wants nothing but a Blue Ribbon and a Star to make him Shine the very Phosphorus of our Hemisphere Do you understand those Two hard Words If you don 't I 'll explain 'em to you Cynt. Yes yes Madam I 'm not so Ignorant At least I won't own it to be troubled with your Instructions Aside L. Froth Nay I beg your Pardon but being Derived from the Greek I thought you might have escap'd the Etymology But I 'm the more amazed to find you a Woman of Letters and not Write Bless me how can Mellefont believe you Love him Cynt. Why Faith Madam he that won't take my Word shall never have it under my Hand L. Froth I Vow Mellefont's a pretty Gentleman but Methinks he wants a Manner Cynt. A Manner what 's that Madam L. Froth Some distinguishing Quality as for example the Belle-air or Brillant of Mr. Brisk the Solemnity yet Complaisance of my Lord or something of his own that should look a little Iene-scay quoysh he is too much a Mediocrity in my mind Cynt. He does not indeed affect either pertness or formality for which I like him Here he comes L. Froth And my Lord with him pray observe the difference Enter Lord Froth Mellefont Brisk Cynt. Impertinent Creature I could almost be angry with her now Aside L. Froth My Lord I have been telling my dear Cynthia how much I have been in Love with you I swear I have I 'm not asham'd to own it now ah it makes my heart leap I vow I sigh when I think on 't my dear Lord ha ha ha do you remember my Lord Squeezes him by the hand looks kindly on him sighs and then laughs out Ld. Froth Pleasant Creature perfectly well ah that look ay there it is who could resist 't was so my heart was made a Captive first and ever since 't has been in Love with happy Slavery L. Froth O that Tongue that dear deceitful Tongue that Charming Softness in your Mien and your Expression and then your Bow Good my Lord bow as you did when I gave you my Picture here suppose this my Picture Gives him a Pocket-glass Pray mind my Lord ah he bows Charmingly nay my Lord you sha'n't kiss it so much I shall grow jealous I vow now He bows profoundly low then kisses the
House is distinguished by a Languishing Eye as the House of Austria is by a thick Lip Ah! when I was of your Age Hussy I would have held sifty to one I could have drawn'my own Picture Gads-bud I could have done not so much as you neither but Nay don't Blush Cyn. I don't Blush Sir for I vow I don't understand Sir P. Pshaw Pshaw you fib you Baggage you do understand and you shall understand come don't be so nice Gads-bud don't learn after your Mother-in-Law my Lady here Marry Heaven forbid that you should follow her Example that would spoil all indeed Bless us if you should take a Vagarie and make a rash Resolution on your Wedding Night to die a Maid as she did All were ruin'd all my hopes lost My Heart would break and my Estate would be left to the wide World he I hope you are a better Christian than to think of being a Nun he Answer me Cyn. I 'm all Obedience Sir to your Commands Lady Pl. Having read the Letter O dear Mr. Careless I swear he writes charmingly and he talks charmingly and he looks charmingly and he has charm'd me as much as I have charm'd him and so I 'll tell him in the Wardrobe when 't is Dark O Crimine I hope Sir Paul has not seen both Letters Sir Paul here 's your Letter to Morrow Morning I 'll settle the Accounts to your Advantage Puts the wrong Letter hastily up and gives him her own Enter Brisk Brisk Sir Paul Gads-bud you 're an uncivil Person let me tell you and all that and I did not think it had been in you Sir P. O Law what 's the matter now I hope you are not angry Mr. Brisk Brisk Deuce take me I believe you intend to Marry your Daughter your self you 're always brooding over her like an Old Hen as if she were not well hatch'd I'gad he Sir P. Good strange Mr. Brisk is such a Merry Facetious Person he he he No no I have done with her I have done with her now Brisk The Fiddles have stay'd this hour in the Hall and my Lord Froth wants a Partner we can never begin without her Sir P. Go go Child go get you gone and Dance and be Merry I 'll come and look at you by and by Where 's my Son Mellefont Exit Cyn. Lady P. I 'll send him to them I know where he is Exit Brisk Sir Paul will you send Careless into the Hall if you meet him Sir P. I will I will I 'll go and look for him on purpose Exit Brisk So now they are all gone and I have an opportunity to practice Ah! My dear Lady Froth She 's a most engaging Creature if she were not so fond of that damn'd coxcomly Lord of hers and yet I am forced to allow him Wit too to keep in with him No matter she 's a Woman of parts and I'gad parts will carry her She said she would follow me into the Gallery Now to make my Approaches Hem hem Ah Madam Pox on 't why should I disparage my parts by thinking what to say None but dull Rogues think witty Men like rich Fellows are always ready for all Expences while your Blockheads like poor needy Scoundrels are forced to examine their Stock and forecast the Charges of the Day Here she comes I 'll seem not to see her and try to win her with a new airy invention of my own hem Bows Enter Lady Froth Brisk Sings I 'm sick with Love ha ha ha prithee come walking about Cure me I 'm sick with c. O ye Powers O my Lady Froth my Lady Froth My Lady Froth Heigho Break Heart God's I thank you Stands musing with his Arms a-cross Lady Fr. O Heavens Mr. Brisk What 's the matter Brisk My Lady Froth Your Ladyships most humble Servant The matter Madam Nothing Madam nothing at all I'gad I was fallen into the most agreeable amusement in the whole Province of Contemplation That 's all I 'll seem to conceal my Passion and that will look like Respect Asid Lady Fr Bless me why did you call out upon me so loud Brisk O Lord I Madam I beseech your Ladiship when Lady Fr. Just now as I came in bless me why don't you know it Brisk Not I let me perish But did I Strange I confess your Ladiship was in my Thoughts and I was in a sort of Dream that did in a manner represent a very pleasing Object to my imagination but But did I indeed To see how Love and Murder will out But did I really name my Lady Froth Lady F. Three times aloud as I love Letters But did you talk of Love O Parnassus Who would have thought Mr. Brisk could have been in Love ha ha ha O Heaven's I thought you cou'd have no Mistress but the Nine Muses Brisk No more I have I'gad for I adore 'em all in your Ladiship Let me perish I don't know whether to be splenatick or airy upon 't the Deuce take me if I can tell whether I am glad or sorry that your Ladiship has made the Discovery Lady Fr. O be merry by all means Prince Voscius in Love Ha ha ha Brisk O barbarous to turn me into ridicule Yet ha ha ha The Deuce take me I can't help laughing my self neither ha ha ha yet by Heavens I have violent passion for your Ladiship seriously Lady Fr. Seriously Ha ha ha Brisk Seriously ha ha ha Gad I have for all I Laugh Lady Fr. Ha ha ha What d' e think I Laugh at Ha ha ha Brisk Me I'gad ha ha Lady Fr. No the Deuce take me if I don't Laugh at my self for hang me if I have not a violent Passion for Mr. Brisk ha ha ha Brisk Seriously Lady Fr. Seriously ha ha ha Brisk That 's well enough let me perish ha ha ha O Miraculous what a happy Discovery Ah my dear charming Lady Froth Lady Fr. Oh my adored Mr. Brisk Embrace Enter Lord Froth Lord Fr. The Company are all ready How now Brisk Zoons Madam there 's my Lord. Softly to her Lady Fr. Take no notice But observe me Now cast off and meet me at the lower end of the Room and then joyn hands again I could teach my Lord this Dance purely but I vow Mr. Brisk I can't tell how to come so near any other Man Oh here 's my Lord now you shall see me do it with him They pretend to practice part of a Country-Dance Ld Fr. Oh I see there 's no harm yet But I don't like this familiarity Aside Lady Fr. Shall you and I do our close Dance to show Mr. Brisk Ld Fr. No my Dear do it with him Lady Fr. I 'll do it with him my Lord when you are out of the way Brisk That 's good I'gad that 's good Deuce take me I can hardly hold Laughing in his Face Aside Ld Fr. Any other time my Dear or we 'll Dance it below Lady Fr. With all my heart Brisk Come my Lord I 'll wait
aside all thoughts of the Marriage for tho' I know you don't Love Cynthia only as a blind for your Passion to me yet it will make me jealous O Lord what did I say Jealous no no I can't be jealous for I must not Love you therefore don't hope but don 't despair neither O they 're coming I must fly Exit Mel. after a pause So then spight of my care and foresight I am caught caught in my security yet this was but a shallow artifice unworthy of my Matchiavilian Aunt There must be more behind this is but the first flash the priming of her Engine destruction follows hard if not most presently prevented Enter Maskwell 〈◊〉 welcome thy presence is a view of Land apâ—… to my Shipwrack'd hopes The Witch has rais'd 〈◊〉 Storm and her Ministers have done their Work you â—…ee the Vessels are parted Mask I know it I met Sir Paul towing away Cynthia Come trouble not your head I 'll joyn you together e're to Morrow Morning or drown between you in the attempt Mel. There 's comfort in a hand stretch'd out to one that 's sinking tho' ne'er so far off Mask No sinking nor no danger come cheer up why you don't know that while I plead for you your Aunt has given me a retaining Fee nay I am your greatest Enemy and she does but Journey-Work under me Mel. Ha! how 's this Mas. What d' e think of my being employ'd in the execution of all her Plots Ha ha ha by Heaven it 's true I have undertaken to break the Match I have undertaken to make your Uncle Disinherit you to get you turn'd out of Doors and to ha ha ha I can't tell you for Laughing oh she has open'd her heart to me I am to turn you a Grazing and to ha ha ha Marry Cynthia my self there 's a Plot for you Mel. Ha! O I see I see my Rising Sun Light breaks thro' Clouds upon me and I shall live in Day O my Maskwell how shall I thank or praise thee Thou hast outwitted Woman But tell me how could'st thou thus get into her Confidence Ha! How But was it her Contrivance to perswade my Lady Plyant to this extravagant belief Mas. It was and to tell you the truth I encouraged it for your diversion Tho it made you a little uneasy for the present yet the reflection of it must needs be entertaining I warrant she was very Violent at first Mel. Ha ha ha I a very Fury but I was most afraid of her violence at last if you had not come as you did I don't know what she might have attempted Mas. Ha ha ha I know her temper well you must know then that all my Contrivances were but Bubbles till at last I pretended to have been long Secretly in Love with Cynthia that did my business that convinced your Aunt I might be trusted since it was as much my interest as hers to break the Match Then she thought my Jealousie might qualifie me to assist her in her Revenge And in short that belief told me the Secrets of her heart At length made this agreement if accomplish her designs as I told you before she has ingaged to put Cynthia with all her Fortune into my Power Mel. She is most gracious in her Favour well and dear Iack how hast thou Contrived Mas. I would not have you stay to hear it now for I don't know but she may come this way I am to meet her anon after that I 'll tell you the whole matter be here in this Gallery an hour hence by that time I imagine our Consultation may be over Mel. I will till then success attend thee Exit Mask Till then Success will attend me for when I meet you I meet the only Obstacle to my Fortune Cynthia let thy Beauty gild my Crimes and whatsoever I commit of Treachery or Deceit shall be imputed to me as a Merit Treachery what Treachery Love cancels all the Bonds of Friendship and sets Men right upon their first Foundations Duty to Kings Piety to Parents Gratitude to Benefactors and Fidelity to Friends are different and particular Ties But the Name of Rival cuts 'em all asunder and is a general acquittance Rival is equal and Love like Death an universal Leveller of Mankind Ha! but is there not such a thing as Honesty Yes and whosoever has it about him bears an Enemy in his Breast For your honest man as I take it is that nice scrupulous conscientious Person who will cheat no body but himself such another Coxcomb as your wise man who is too hard for all the World and will be made a Fool of by no body but himself Ha ha ha Well for Wisdom and Honesty give me Cunning and Hypocrisie oh 't is such a pleasure to angle for fair-faced Fools then that hungry Gudgeon Credulity will bite at any thing Why let me see I have the same Face the same Words and Accents when I speak what I do think and when I speak what I do not think the very same and dear dissimulation is the only Art not to be known from Nature Why will Mankind be Fools and be deceiv'd And why are Friends and Lovers Oaths believ'd When each who searches strictly his own mind May so much Fraud and Power of Baseness find The End of the Second ACT. ACT III. SCENE I. Enter Lord Touchwood and Lady Touchwood Ldy T. MY Lord can you blame my Brother Plyant if he refuse his Daughter upon this Provocation The Contract 's void by this unheard of Impiety Ld. T. I don't believe it true he has better Principles Pho 't is nonsense Come come I know my Lady Plyant has a large Eye and wou'd centre every thing in her own Circle 't is not the first time she has mistaken Respect for Love and made Sir Paul jealous of the Civility of an undesigning person the better to bespeak his security in her unfeigned Pleasures Ldy T. You censure hardly my Lord my Sister's Honour is very well known Ld. T. Yes I believe I know some that have been familiarly acquainted with it This is a little Trick wrought by some pitiful Contriver envious of my Nephew's Merit Ldy T. Nay my Lord it may be so and I hope it will be found so but that will require some time for in such a Case as this demonstration is necessary Ld. T. There should have been demonstration of the contrary too before it had been believ'd Ldy T. So I suppose there was Ld. T. How Where When Ldy T. That I can't tell nay I don't say there was I am willing to believe as favourably of my Nephew as I can Ld. T. I don't know that half aside Ldy T. How Don't you believe that say you my Lord Ld. T. No I don't say so I confess I am troubled to find you so cold in his Defence Ldy T. His Defence bless me wou'd you have me defend an ill thing Ld. T. You believe it then Ldy T. I don't know