Mask. Guilt is ever at a Lofs, and Confufion waits upon it; when Innocence and bold Truth are always ready for Expreffion L. 7. Not in Love; Words are the weak Support of cold Indifference; Love has no Language to be heard. Mask. Excefs of Joy has made me itupid! Thus may my Lips be ever cles'd. [Kiffes her.] And thus-Oh who would not lose his Speech, upon Condition to have Joys. above it? L. T. Hold, let me lock the Door firft. [Goes to the Door. Mask. [Afide.] That I believ'd; 'twas well I left the private Paffage open. L. T. So, that's fafe. Mask. And fo may all your Pleasures be, and fecret as this Kifs Mel. Andmay allTreachery be thus discover'd. [Leaps out. L. T. Ah! Mel. Villain! Mask. Nay then, there's but one Way. [Shrieks [Offers to draw. [Runs out. SCEN E XVIIL.. Lady Touchwood, Mellefont. Mel. Say you fo, were you provided for an Escape? Hold, Madam, you have no more Holes to your Burrough, I ftand between you and this Sally-Port. L. T. Thunder ftrike thee dead for this Deceit, immediate! ightning blast thee, me, and the whole World-Oh!! I could rack my felf, play the Vulture to my own Heart, and gnaw it piece-meal, for not boding to me this Misfortune. Mel. Be patient. Mal Mel. Confider I have you on the Hook; you will but flounder your felf a weary, and be nevertheless my Prisoner. L. T. I'll hold my Breath and die, but I'll be free. Mel. O Madam, have a care of dying unprepar'd, I doubt you have fome unrepented Sins that may hang heavy, and retard your Flight. L.T. O! What fhall I do ? fay? Whither fhall I turn? Has Hell no Remedy? Mel. None, Hell has ferv'd you ev'n as Heav'n has done, left you to your felf.-You're in a kind of Erafmus Paradife; yet if you please you may make it a Purgatory; and with a little Penance and my Absolution, all this may turn to good Account. L. T. [Afide.] Hold in, my Paffion, and fall, fall a little thou fwelling Heart; let me have fome Intermission of this Rage, and one Minute's Coolness to diffemble. [She weeps. Mel. You have been to blame. I like thofe Tears, and hope they are of the pureft kind-Penitential Tears. L. T. O the Scene was shifted quick before me-I had not time to think- -I was surprized to fee a Monster in the Glafs, and now I find 'tis my felf; Can you have Mercy to forgive the Faults I have imagin'd, but never put in Practice- O confider, confider how fatal you have been to me, you have already kill'd the Quiet of this Life. The Love of you was the first wand'ring Fire that e'er mifled my Steps, and while I had only that in View, I I was betray'd into unthought of Ways of Ruin. - Mel. May I believe this true? -How can you L. T. O be not cruelly incredulousdoubt these streaming Eyes? Keep the fevereft Eye o'er all my future Conduct; and if I once relapfe, let me not hope Forgiveness, 'twill ever be in your Power to ruin me- -My Lord fhall fign to your Defires; I will my felf create your Happiness, and Cynthia fhall be this Night your Bride-Do but conceal my Failings, and forgive. Mel. Upon fuch Terms, I will be ever yours in ev'ry homsit Way. SCENE SCENE XIX. Maskwell foftly introduces Lord Touchwood, and retires. Mask. I have kept my Word, he's here, but I must not be seen. SCENE XX. Lady Touchwood, Lord Touchwood, Mellefont. Ld. T. Hell and Amazement! fhe's in Tears. L. T. [Kneeling] Eternal Bleffings thank you - Ha! My Lord lift'ning! O Fortune has o'erpaid me all, all! all's my own! Mel. Nay, I beseech you rife. [Afide. L. T. [Aloud.] Never, never! I'll grow to the Ground, be buried quick beneath it, ere I'll be confenting to so damn'd a Sin as Incest! unnatural Incest ! Mel. Ha! L. T. cruel Man, will you not let me go-I'll forgive all that's paft-O Heav'n, you will not ravish me! Mel. Damnation ! Ld. T. Monster, Dog! your Life shall answer this[Draws and runs at Mel. is held by Lady Touchwood. L. T. O Heav'ns my Lord! Hold, hold, for Heav'n's fake. Mel. Confufion, my Uncle! O the damn'd Sorcerefs! L. T. Moderate your Rage, good my Lord! He's mad, alas he's mad-Indeed he is, my Lord, and knows not what he does-See how wild he looks. Mel. By Heav'n 'twere fenfelefs not to be mad, and fee fuch Witchcraft. L. T. L. T. My Lord, you hear him, he talks idly. Ld. T. Hence from my Sight, thou living Infamy to my Name; when next I see that Face, I'll write Villain in't with my Sword's Point. Mel. Now, by my Soul, I will not go 'till I have made known my Wrongs-Nay, 'till I have made known yours, which (if poffible) are greater-though fhe has all the Hoft of Hell her Servants. L. T. Alas he raves! Talks very Poetry. For Heav'n's fake away my Lord, he'll either tempt you to Extravagance, or commit some himself. Mel. Death and Fuxies, will you not hear me— -Why by Heav'n fhe laughs, grins, points to your Back; fhe forks out Cuckoldom with her Fingers, and you're running Horn-mad after your Fortune. [As he is going fhe turns back and fmiles at him. Ld. T. I fear he's mad indeed-Let's fend Maskwell to him. Mel. Send him to her. L. T. Come, come, good my Lord, my Heart akes fo, I fhall faint if I kay. SCENE XXI Mellefont alone. Mel. OI could curfe my Stars, Fate and Chance ; all Causes and Accidents of Fortune in this Life! But to what Purpose? Yet, 'fdeath, for a Man to have the Fruit of all his Industry grow full and ripe, ready to drop into his Mouth, and juft when he holds out his Hand to gather it, to have a fudden 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 fending Maskwell to me; I never had more need of him- But But what can he do? Imagination cannot form a fairer and more plaufible Design than this of his which has mifcarried-O my precious Aunt, I fhall never thrive without I deal with the Devil, or another Woman. Women like Flames have a destroying Pow'r, ACT V. SCENE I. Lady Touchwood and Maskwell. L. T. WAS'T not lucky? Mask. Lucky! Fortune is your own, and 'tis her Interest fo to be; by Heav'n I believe you can control her Pow'r, and the fears it; though Chance brought my Lord, 'twas your own Art that turn'd it to Advantage. L. T. 'Tis true it might have been my Rain-But yonder's my Lord, I believe he's coming to find you, I'll not be seen. SCENE II. Maskwell alone. Mask. So; I durft not own my introducing my Lord, though it fucceeded well for her, for fhe would have fufpected a Defign which I fhould have been puzzled to excufe. My Lord is thoughtful-I'll be fo too; yet he fhall know my Thoughts; or think he does SCENE |