Mathemacular Demonstration, answer medirectly-But I have not Patience - Oh! The Impiety of it, as I was saying, and the unparallell'd Wickedness! O merciful Father! How could you think to reverse Nature so, to make the Daughter the Means of procuring the Mother ? Mel. The Daughter to procure the Mother! L. P. Ay, for tho' I am not Cynthias own Mother, I am her Fathers Wife ; and that's near enough to make it Incest. Mel. Incest! Omy precious Aunt, and the Devil in Conjunction. [Aside. L. P. O reflect upon the Horror of that, and then the Guilt of deceiving every Body; marrying the Daughter, only to make a Cuckold of the Father; and then seducing me, debauching my Purity, and perverting me from the Road of Vertue, in which I have trod thus long, and never made one Trip, not one faux pas; O consider it. What would you have to answer for, if you should provoke me to Frailty? Alas! Humanity is feeble, Heav'n knows! very feeble, and unable to Lupport it self. Mel. Where am I ? Is it Day ? and am I awake? Madam L. P. And no Body knows how Circumstances may happen together, - To my thinking, now I could refift the strongest Temptation, - But yet I know, 'tis impossible for me to know whether I could or not; there's no certainty in the Things of this Life. Mel. Madam, pray give me leave to ask you one Question. L. P. OLord, aks me the Question, I'll swear I'll refuse it; Iswear I'll deny it- therefore don't ask me, nay you shan't ask me, I swear I'll deny it. O Gemini, you have brought all the Blood into : into my Face; I wartant I am as red as a TurkyCock; Ofie, Cousin Mellefont! Mel. Nay, Madam, hear me; I mean L. P. Hear you, no, no, I'll deny you first, and hear you afterwards. For one does not know how ones Mind may change u pon hearing - Hearing is one of the Senfes, and all the Senses are fallible; I wont trust my Honour, I assure you; my Honour is infallible and uncomatible. Mel. For Heav'ns fake, Madam, L. P. O name it no more - Blessme, how can you talk of Heav'n! and have so much Wickedness in your Heart? May be you don't think it a Sin, -They say some of you Gentlemen don't think it a Sin, May be it is no Sin to them that don't think it so; Indeed, if I did not think it a Sin - But ftill my Honour, if it were no Sin, But then, to marry my Daughter, for the Conveniency of frequent Opportunities, I'll never consent to that, as sure as can be, I'll break the Match. Mel. Death and Amazement, -Madam, upon my Knees L. P. Nay, nay, rise up, come you shall see my good Nature. I know Love is powerful, and no Body can help his Passion: 'Tis not your Fault; nor I swear it is not mine, - How can I help it, if I have Charms? And how can you help it, if you are made a Captive ? I swear it is pity it should be a Fault, But my Honour, - well, but your Honour toobut the Sin! - well but the Neceffity - O Lord, here's some Body coming, I dare not stay. Well , you must consider of your Crime ; and strive as much as can be against it, strive be sure - But don't be melancholick, don't despair, - But never think that I'll grant you any thing; OLord, no; But be fure you lay aside all Thoughts of the Marriage, for tho' I know you don't love Cynthia, but only as a blind for your Paffion 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, Imust fly. O then, S SCENE VI. MELLEFONT alone. MILLEFONT (after a Pause.) -spight of my Care and Forefight, 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; Deftruction follows hard, if not most presently preven ted. M SCENE VII. [To him] MASKWELL. MELLEFONT. Askwell, welcome, thy Presence is a view of Land and, appearing to my shipwrack'd Hopes : The Witch has rais'd the Storm, and her Ministers have done their Work; you see the Vessels are parted. Mask. I know it; I'met Sir Paul towing away Cynthia: Come, trouble not your Head, I'll join you to together e'r to-morrow Morning, or drown between you in the Attempt. a Hand strerch'd out, Mel. There's Comfort in to one that's finking; tho' ne'er so far off. Mask. No finking, nor no Danger, - Come, cheerup; 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 the does but Journey-Work under me. Mel. Ha! How's this? Mask. What d'ye think of my being employ'd in the Execution of all her Plots? Ha, ha, ha, by Heav'n it's true; I have undertaken to break the Match, I have undertaken to make your Uncle difinherit you, to get you turn'd out of Doors; end to -Ha, ha, ha, I can't tell you for Laughing, Oh the 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! Ofee, I fee my rifing Sun! Lightbreaks thro' Clouds upon me, and I shall live in Day Omy Maskwell! How thal I thank or praise thee; Thou hast out-witted Woman. But tell me, how could'st thou this get into her Confidence? - Ha! How? Hut was it her Contrivance to perswade my Lady Plyant to this extravagant belief? Mask. It was; and to tell you the Truth, I encourag'd it for your Diversion: Tho' it made you a little uneafie for the present, yet the Reflection of of it must needs be entertaining. I warrant the was very violent at first. Mel. Ha, ha, ha, ay, a very Fury; but I was moft afraid of her Violence at last, If you had not come as you did'; I don't know what the might have attempted. Mask. Ha, ha, ha, I know her Temper. -Well, you must know then, that all my Contrivances were. but but Bubbles; 'till at last I pretended to have been long secretly in love with Cynthia; that did my Business; that convinc'd your Aunt, I might be trusted; fince it was as much my Interest as hers to break the Match: Then, the thought my Jealousie might qualifie me to assist her in her Revenge. And, in short, in that Belief, told me the Secrets of her Heart. At length we made this Agreement, if I accomplish her Designs (as I told you before) she has ingag'd to put Cynthia with all her Fortune into my Power. Mel. She is most gracious in her Favour, Well, and dear Jack, how haft thou contrived ? Mask. I would not have you stay to hear it now ? for I don't know but the 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. T SCENE VIII. MASKWELL alone. ILL then, Success will attend me; for when I meet you, I meet the only Obstacle to my Fotune. 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 |