SCENE VI.

Careless, Sir Paul and Lady Plyant.

Sir Paul. Shan't we difturb your Meditation, Mr. Carelefs: You wou'd be private ?

Care. You bring that along with you, Sir Paul, that shall be always welcome to my Privacy.

Sir Paul. O, fweet Sir, you load your humble Servants, - both me and my Wife, with continual Favours.

L. P. Sir Paul, what a Phrafe was there? You will be making Answers, and taking that upon you, which ought to lie upon me: That you should have fo little Breeding to think Mr. Careless did not apply himself to me. Pray what have you to entertain any Bodies Privacy? I fwear and declare in the Face of the World I'm ready to blush for your Ignorance.

Sir Paul. I acquiefce, my Lady; but don't fnub fo loud. [Afide to her.

L. P. Mr. Careless, if a Person that is wholly illiterate might be supposed to be capable of being qualify'd to make a suitable Return to thofe Obligations which you are pleased to confer upon one that is wholly incapable of being qualify'd in all thofe Circumtances, I'm fure I fhou'd rather attempt it than any thing in the World, [Courtefies] for I'm fure there's nothing in the World that I would rather. [Courtefies] But I know Mr. Careless is fo great a Critick and so fine a Gentleman, that it is impoffible for me.

Care: O Heav'ns! Madam, you confound me.

Sir Paul. Gads-bud, fhe's a fine Perfon

L. P. O Lord! Sir, pardon me, we Women have not thofe Advantages: I know my own Imperfections-But

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at

at the fame time you must give me leave to declare in the Face of the World that no Body is more fenfible of Favours and Things; for with the Reserve of my Honour, I affure you, Mr. Careless, I don't know any thing in the World I would refuse to a Person so meritoriousYou'll pardon my Want of Expreffion.

Care. O your Ladyfhip is abounding in all Excellence, particularly that of Phrafe.

L. P. You are fo obliging, Sir.

Care. Your Lady ship is fo charming.

Sir Paul. So, now, now; now, my Lady.
L. P. So well bred.

Care. So furprizing.

L. P. So well dreft, lo bonne mine, fo eloquent, founaffected, fo eafy, fo free, fo particular, fo agreeable

Sir Paul. Ay, fo, so, there.

Care. O Lord, I beseech you, Madam, don't

L. P. So gay, fo graceful, fo good Teeth, fo fine Shape, fo fine Limbs, fo fine Linen, and I don't doubt but you have a very good Skin, Sir.

Care. For Heav'ns fake, Madam-I'm quite out of Countenance.

Sir Paul. And my Lady's quite out of Breath; or else you fhould hearGad's-bud, you may talk of my Lady Froth. Care. O fy, fy, not to be named of a Day-My Lady Froth is very well in her Accomplishments - But it is when my Lady Plyant is not thought of—If that can ever be.

L. P. O you evercome me— -That is fo exceffive.
Sir Paul. Nay, I fwear and vow that was pretty.

Care. O Sir Paul, you are the happiest Man alive. Such a Lady! that is the Envy of her own Sex, and the Admiration of ours.

Sir Paul. Your humble Servant, I am I thank Heav'n in a fine way of living, as I may fay, peacefully and happily, and I think need not envy any of my Neighbours, bleffed be Providence-Ay, truly, Mr. Careless, my La

dy

dy is a great-Bleffing, a fine, discreet, well-fpoken Woman as you fhall fee-If it becomes me to fay fo; and we live very comfortably together; she is a little hafty fometimes, and fo am I ; but mine's foon over, and then I'm fo forry -O, Mr. Careless, if it were not for one thing

SCENE VII.

Careless, Sir Paul, Lady Plyant, Boy with a Letter. L. P. How often have you been told of that, you Jackanapes ?

Sir Paul. Gad fo, gad's-bud

-Tim. carry it to my

Lady, you should have carry'd it to my Lady first.

Boy. 'Tis directed to your Worship.

Sir Paul. Well, well, my Lady reads all Letters firstChild, do so no more; d'ye hear, Tim. Boy. No, and please you.

SCENE VIII.

Careless, Sir Paul, Lady Plyant.

Sir Paul. A Humour of my Wife's, you know Women have little Fancies-But as I was telling you, Mr. Carelefs, if it were not for one thing, I fhould think my felf the happiest Man in the World; indeed that touches me near, very near.

Care. What can that be, Sir Paul?

Sir Paul. Why, I have, I thank Heav'n, a very plentiful Fortune, a good Eftate in the Country, fome Houfes in Town, and fome Mony, a pretty tolerable perfonal Eftate;

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state; and it is a great Grief to me, indeed it is, Mr. Carelefs, that I have not a Son to inherit this 'Tis true, I have a Daughter, and a fine dutiful Child she is, though I fay it, blessed be Providence I may fay; for indeed, Mr. Careless, I am mightily beholden to Providence-A poor unworthy Sinner-But if I had a Son, ah, that's my Affliction, and my only Affliction; indeed I cannot refrain Tears when it comes in my Mind. [Cries. Gare. Why, methinks that might be eafily remediedmy Lady's a fine likely WomanSir Paul. Oh, a fine likely Woman as you fhall fee in a Summer's Day Indeed fhe is, Mr. Careless, in all Re

fpects.

Care. And I fhould not have taken you to have been fo old

Sir Paul. Alas, that's not it, Mr. Careless; ah! that's not it; no, no, you shoot wide of the Mark a Mile; indeed you do, that's not it, Mr. Careless; no, no, that's not it. Care. No, what can be the Matter then?

Sir Paul. You'll fcarcely believe me, when I fhall tell you-my Lady is fo Nice-It's very ftrange, but it's true: Too true-fhe's fo very Nice, that I don't believe. she would touch a Man for the World- -At least not above once a year; I'm fure I have found it fo; and alas, what's once a Year to an old Man, who would do good in his Generation? Indeed it's true, Mr. Careless, it breaks my Heart I am her Husband, as I may fay; though far unworthy of that Honour, yet I am her Husband; but alas a day, I have no more Familiarity with her Perfon as to that Matter- -than with my own Mother -no indeed.

Care. Alas-a-day, this is a lamentable Story; my Lady must be told on't; fhe muft i'faith, Sir Paul; 'tis an Injury to the World.

Sir Paul. Ah! would to Heav'n you would, Mr. CareJefs; you are mightily in her Favour.

Care. I warrant you, what we must have a Son fome way or other.

Sir Paul.

Sir Paul. Indeed, I fhould be mightily bound to you, if you could bring it about, Mr. Careless..

L. P. Here, Sir Paul, it's from your Steward, here's a Return of 600 Pounds; you may take fifty of it for the next half Year.

[Gives him a Letter.

SCENE IX.

[To them] Lord Froth, Cynthia.

Sir Paul. How does my Girl? come hither to thy Fa• ther, poor Lamb, thou'rt melancholick,

Ld. Froth. Heav'n, Sir Paul, you amaze me, of all things in the World-You are never pleas'd but when we are all upon the broad Grin; all Laugh and no Company 3ah, then 'tis fuch a Sight to fee fome Teeth-Sure you're a great Admirer of my Lady Whiffer, Mr. Sneer, and Sir Larence Loud, and that Gang.

Sir Paul. I vow and fwear she's a very merry Woman, but, I think fhe laughs a little too much.

Ld. Froth. Merry! O Lord, what a Character that is of a Woman of Quality-You have been at my Lady Whifler's upon her Day, Madam?

Cynt. Yes, my Lord-I must humour this Foo). [ Afide. Ld. Froth. Well and how? hee! What is your Senle of the Converfation ?

Cynt. O most ridiculous, a perpetual Confort of laughing without any Harmony; for fure, my Lord, to laugh out of Time, is as difagreeable as to fing out of Time or out of Tune.

Ld. Froth. Hee, hee, hee, right; and then, my Lady Whifler is fo ready-fhe always comes in three Bars too foon-And then, what do they laugh at? For you know laughing without a Jeft is as impertinent; hee! as, as Cynr. As dancing without a Fiddle.

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Ld. Froth.