SCENE VII Lady TOUCHWOOD, Alone. OOTH indebted to him! Yes, we are both in Bdebted to him, if you knew all. Villain: Oh, I am wild with this Surprize of Treachery; It is impoffible, it cannot be. He love Cynthia! What have I been Bawd to his Defigns, his Property only, a baiting Place! Now I fee what made him false to Melefont, Shame and Diftraction! I cannot bear it, oh! what Woman can bear to be a Property? To be kindled to a Flame, only to light him to anothers Arms; oh! that I were Fire indeed that I might burn the vile Traitor. I do? How fhall I think What shall I cannot think, All my Defigns are loft, my Love unfated, my Revenge unfinish'd, and fresh caufe of Fury from unthought-of Plagues. SCENE VIII. [To her ] Sir PAUL Sir PAUL. ADAM, Sifter, my Lady Sifter, did you fee my Lady my Wife? L. Touch. Oh! Torture! Sir Paul. Gads-bud, I can't find her high nor low; where can she be think you! L. Touch. Where fhe's ferving you, as all your Sex ought to be ferv'd; making you a Beast. Don't you know that you're a Fool, Brother? Sir Paul. A Fool; he, he, he, you're merryNo, no, not I, I know no fuch Matter. L. Touch. Why then you don't know half your Happiness. Sir Paul. That's a Jeft with all my Heart, faith and troth,- But harkee, my Lord told me fomething of a Revolution of things; I don't know what to make on't,- Gads-bud I must confult my Wife, he talks of difinheriting his Nephews and I don't know what, Look you, Sifter, I must know what my Girl has to truft to; or not a Syllable of a Wedding, Gads-bud to fhew you that I am not a Fool. L. 'Touch. Hear me; confent to the breaking off this Marriage, and the promoting any other, without confulting me, and I'll renounce all Blood, all Relation and Concern with you for ever, này, I'll be your Enemy, and purfue you to Destruction I'll tear your Eyes out, and tread you under my Feet. Sir Paul. Why, what's the Matter now? Good Lord, what's all this for? Pooh, here's a Joke indeed Why, where's my Wife? L. Touch With Careless, in the clofe Arbour; he may want you by this time as much as you want her. Sir Paul. O, if he be with Mr. Careless 'tis well enough. L. Touch. Fool, Sot, insensible Ox! But rememher what I faid to you, or you had better eat your own Horns, by this Light you had. Sir Paul. You're a paffionate Woman, Gads bud, But to fay Truth, all our Family are Cholerick; I am the only peaceable Perfon amongst 'em.. SCE I SCENE IX. MELLEFONT, MASKWELL MELLE E ON T.. Know no other Way but this he has propos'd; if you have Love enough to run the Venture. Cynt. I don't know whether I have Love enough, but I find I have Obftinacy enough to pursue whatever I have once refolv'd and a true Female Courage to oppofe any thing that refifts my Will, tho' 'twere Reafon it felf. Mask. That's right, Well, I'll fecure the Writings, and run the Hazard along with you. Cynt. But how can the Coach and Six Horfes be got ready without Suspicion? Mask. Leave it to my Care; that shall be fo far from being fufpected, that it fhall be got ready by my Lords own Order. Mel. How? Mask. Why, I intend to tell my Lord the whole Matter of our Contrivance, that's my way. Mel. I don't understand you. Mask. Why, I'll tell my Lord, I laid this Plot with you, on purpose to betray you; and that which put me upon it, was, the finding it impoffible to gain the Lady any other way, but in the Hopes of her marrying you. Mel. So Mask. So, why fo, while you're bufied in making your felf ready, I'll wheedle her into the Coach; and instead of you, borrow my Lords Chaplain, and fo run away with her my. felf. GS Mel Mel. O I conceive you, you'll tell him fo? Mask. Tell him fo! ay; why you don't think I mean to do fo? Mel. No, no, ha, ha, I dare fwear thou wilt not. Mask. Therefore for our farther Security, I would have you difguis'd like a Parfon, that if my Lord fhould have Curiofity to peep, he may not discover you in the Coach, but think the Cheat is carried on as he would have it. Mel. Excellent Maskwell! thou wert certainly meant for a Statefman or a Jeluite, but thou art too honeft for one, and too pious for the other. Mask. Well, get your felves ready, and meet me in halfan Hour, yonder in my Ladys Dreffing-Room; go by the back Stairs, and fo we may flip down without being obferv'd I'll fend the Chaplain to you with his Robes; I have made him my own,→→→ and ordered him to meet us to Morrow Morning at St. Albans; there we will fum up this Account to all our Satisfactions. Mel. Should I begin to thank or praise thee, I fhould waste the little time we have. M ADAM, you will be ready 2 Cynt. I will be punctual to the Minute. Mask. Stay, I have a Doubt [Going Upon fecond Thoughts Thoughts, we had better meet in the Chaplains Chamber here, the corner Chamber at this end of the Gallery, there is a back way into it, so that you need not come through this Door- and a Pair of private Stairs leading down to the Stables be more convenient. It will Cynt. I am guided by you, but Mellefont will mistake. Mask. No, no, I'll after him immediately, and tell him. Cynt. I will not fail. SCENE X I. MASKWELL alone. WHY, com in plain Terms, HY, qui vult decipi decipiatur.-'Tis no Fault how eafie 'tis for me to cheat 'em; and if they will not hear the Serpents Hifs, they must be stung into Experience, and future Caution' Now to prepare my Lord to confent to this -But firft I must instruct my little Levite; there is no Plot, publick or private, that can expect to profper without one of them has a Finger in't: he promiled me to be within at this Hour, -- Mr. Saygrace, Mr. Saygrace. [Goes to the Chamber Door, and knocks. REFERENCE SCENE XII. Mr. SAYGRACE, (looking out.) WEET Sir, I will but pen the laft Line of an SAcroftick, of |