ged in their own Follies and Intrigues, they'll mifs neither of you.

L. T. When shall we meet ?At eight this Evening Chamber; there rejoice at our success, and toy away an Hour in Mirth.

in

my

Mask. I will not fail.

SCENE III.

Maskwell alone.

Mask. I know what the means by toying away an Hour well enough. Pox I have loft all Appetite to her; yet she's a fine Woman, and I lov'd her once. But I don't know,` fince I have been in a great measure kept by her, the Cafe is alter'd; what was my Pleasure is become my Duty: And I have as little Stomach to her now as if I were her Husband. Should the fmoke my Defign upon Cynthia, I were in a fine pickle. She has a damn'd penetrating Head, and knows how to interpret a Coldness the right Way; therefore I must diffemble Ardour and Ecstasy, that's refolv'd: How eafily and pleasantly is that diffembled before Fruition! Pox on't that a Man can't drink without quenching his Thirft. Ha! yonder comes Mellefont thoughtful. Let me think: Meet her at eight-humha! By Heav'n I have it-If I can speak to my Lord before-Was it my Brain or Providence? No matter which -I will deceive 'em all, and yet secure my self, 'twas a lucky Thought! Well, this Double Dealing is a Jewel. Here he comes, now for me.

[Maskwell pretending not to fee him, walks by him, and Speaks as it were to himself.

SCENE

Mask. Mercy on us, what will the Wickedness of this World come to?

Mel. How now, Jack? What, fo full of Contemplation that you run over!

Mask I'm glad you're come, for I could not contain my felf any longer: And was just going to give vent to a Secret, which no Body but you ought to drink down. Your Aunt's just gone from hence.

Mel. And having trusted thee with the Secrets of her Soul, thou art villanously bent to discover 'em all to me, ha?

Mask. I'm afraid my Frailty leans that way-But I don't know whether I can in Honour difcover'em all.

Mel. All, all Man, what you may in Honour betray her as far as the betrays her felf. No tragical Defign upon my Perfon, I hope.

Mask. No, but it's a comical Defign upon mine.

Mel What doft thou mean?

Mask. Liften and be dumb, we have been bargaining about the Rate of your Ruin

Mel. Like any two Guardians to an Orphan HeiressWell.

Mask. And whereas Pleafure is generally paid with Mifchief, what Mischief I do is to be paid with Pleasure. Mel. So when you've swallow'd the Potion, you sweeten your Mouth with a Plumb.

Mask. You are merry, Sir, but I fhall probe your Conftitution. In fhort, the Price of your Banishment is tɔ be paid with the Perfon of

Mel. Of Cynthia, and her Fortune-Why you forget. you told me this before.

Mask. No, no-So far you are right; and I am, as an earnest of that Bargain, to have full and free Poffeffion of the Perfon of-your Aunt.

Mel. Ha!

Pho, you trifle.

Mask. By this Light, I'm ferious; all Raillery apartI knew 'twould ftun you: This Evening at eight fhe will receive me in her Bed-Chamber.

Mel. Hell and the Devil! is fhe abandon'd of all Grace -Why the Woman is poffefs'd

Mask. Well, will you go in my stead?

Mel. By Heav'n into a hot Furnace fooner.

Mask. No, you would not-It would not be fo convenient, as I can order Matters.

Mel. What d'ye mean?

Mask. Mean? Not to difappoint the Lady I affure you -Ha, ha, ha, how gravely he looks-Come, come, I won't perplex you. 'Tis the only Thing that Providence could have contriv'd to make me capable of serving you, either to my Inclination or your own Neceffity.

Mel. How, how, for Heav'n's fake, dear Maskwell? Mask. Why thus-I'll go according to Appointment; you thall have Notice at the critical Minute to come and furprize your Aunt and me together; Counterfeit a Rage against me, and I'll make my Escape through the private Paffage from her Chamber, which I'll take care to leave open: 'Twill be hard, if then you can't bring her to any Conditions. For this Discovery will difarm her of all Defence, and leave her entirely at your Mercy: Nay, the muft ever after be in awe of you.

Mel. Let me adore thee, my better Genius! By Heav'n I think it is not in the Power of Fate to disappoint my Hopes -My Hopes, my Certainty !

Mask. Well, I'll meet you here, within a Quarter of eight, and give you Notice.

Mel. Good Fortune ever go along with thee.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Mellefont, Careless.

Care. Mellefont, get out o'th' Way, my Lady Plyant's coming, and I fhall never fucceed while thou art in fight -Tho' fhe begins to tack about; but I made Love a great while to no purpose.

Mel. Why, what's the Matter? She's convinc'd that I don't care for her.

Care. I can't get an Answer from her, that does not begin with her Honour, or her Virtue, her Religion, or fome fuch Cant. Then she has told me the whole Hiftory of Sir Paul's nine Years Courtship; how he has lain for whole Nights together upon the Stairs, before her Chamber-Door; and that the first Favour he received from her, was a Piece of an old Scarlet Petticoat for a Stomacher; which fince the Day of his Marriage, he has, out of a Piece of Galantry, converted into a Night Cap, and wears it still with much Solemnity on his. Anniversary Wedding-Night."

Mel. That I have seen, with the Ceremony thereunto belonging-For on that Night he creeps in at the Bed's Feet, like a gull'd Baffa that has marry'd a Relation of the Grand Signior, and that Night he has his Arms at Liberty. Did not fhe tell you at what a Distance she keeps him? He has confefs'd to me that but at fome certain times, that is I suppose when she apprehends being with Child, he never has the Privilege of ufing the Familiarity of a Husband with a Wife. He was once given to scrambling with his Hands, and sprawling in his Sleep; and ever fince she has him fwaddled up in Blankets, and his Hands and Feet swath'd down, and fo put to Bed; and there he lies with a great Beard, like a Russian Bear upon a drift

of Snow. You are very great with him, I wonder he never told you his Grievances, he will I warrant you.

Care. Exceffively foolish! But that which gives me moft Hopes of her, is her telling me of the many Temptations she has refifted.

Mel. Nay, then you have her ; for a Woman's bragging to a Man 'that he has overcome Temptations, is an Argument that they were weakly offer'd, and a Challenge to him to engage her more irrefiftibly. 'Tis only an enhancing the Price of the Commodity, by telling you how many Customers have underbid her.

Care. Nay, I don't defpair-But ftill he has a grudg-ing to you I talk'd to her t'other Night at my Lord Froth's Mafquerade, when I'm fatisfy'd the knew me, and I had no Reason to complain of my Reception; but I find Women are not the fame bare-fac'd and in Masks, and a Vizor disguises thr Inclinations as much as their Faces.

Mel. 'Tis a Miftake, for Women may moft properly be faid to be unmask'd when they wear Vizors; for that fecures them from Blufhing, and being out of Countenance, and next to being in the Dark, or alone, they are moft truly themselves in a Vizor Mask. Here they come, I'll leave you-Ply her close, and by and by clap a Billetdoux into her Hand: For a Woman never thinks a Man truly in Love with her, 'till he has been Fool enough to think of her out of her Sight, and to lose so much time as to write to her.

3

SCENE