Ld. Touch. Monster, Dog! your Life shall answen this

[Draws and runs at Mel. is held by Lady Touchwood. L. Touch. O Heav'ns my Lord! Hold, hold for Heav'ns, fake.

Mel. Confufion , my Uncle! O the damn'd Sorceress.

L. Touch. Moderate your Rage, good my Lord! He's mad-Indeed he is my Lord, and knows not what he does See how wild he looks.

Mel. By Heav'n 'twere senseless not to be mad and fee such Witchraft.

L. Touch. My Lord, you hear him, he talks idly.

Ld, Touch. Hence from my Sight, thou living Infamy to my Name; when next I see that Face, I'll write Villain in't with my Swords 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 the has all the Hoft of Hell her Servants.

L. Touch. Alas he raves! Talks very Poetry! For Heav'ns sakeaway my Lord; he'll either tempt you to Extravagance, or commmit some himself.

Mel. Death and Furies, will you not hear me - Why by Heav'n she laughs, grins, points to your Back; the forks out Cuckoldom with her Fingers, and you're running Horn-mad after your Fortune.

[As she is going she turns back and smiles at him. Ld. Touch. I fear he's mad indeed - Let's fend Maskwell to him.

Mel. Send him to her.

L. Touch, Come, come, good my Lord, my Heart akes so, I shall faint if I stay.

SCE

122222222222222222222222

***********

SCENE

XX I.

MELLEFONT alone.

MELLEFONT.

I could curse 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 just when he holds out his Hand to gather it, to have a sudden 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 sending Maskwell to me; I never had more need of him-But what can he do? Imagination cannot form a fairer and more plausible Design than this of his which has miscaried - O my precious Aunt, i shall never thrive without I deal with the Devil, or another Woman.

Women like Flames have a destroying Pow'r;
Ne'er to be quench'd, 'till they themselves devour.

SCENE Shuts.

ACT. ACT.

V.

SCENE I.

Lady Touchwood and Maskwel

W

Lady ToucHWOOD.

AS'T notlucky?

Mask. Lucky! Fortune is your own, and 'tis her Interest so to be; by Heav'n I believe you can controul her Power, and the fears it; though Chance brought my Lord, 'twas your own Art that turn'd it to Advantage.

L. Touch. 'Tis true it might have been my Ruin
But yonder's my Lord, I believe he's co-

ming to find you, I'll not be seen.

SCENE II.
MASKWELL, alone.

Schough

Lord,

; I durst not own my introducing my Lo it succeeded well for her, for the would have suspected a Design which I should have been puzzled to excuse. My Lord is thoughtful - I'll be so to, yet he shall know my Thoughts; or think he docs

W

SCENE III.

[To him] Lord TOUCHWOOD.

MASK WELE.

HAT have I done?

Ld. Touch. Talking to himself! Mask. 'Twas honest and shall I be rewarded for it? No, 'twas honeft, therefore I shan't; Nay, rather therefore I ought not; for it rewards it felf.

Ld. Touch. Unequall'd Virtue ! [Afide, Mask. But should it be known! then I have loft a Friend! He was an ill Man, and I have gain'd; for half my felf I tent him, and that I have recall'd; so I have ferved my felf, and what is yet better, I have served a worthy Lord to whom I owe my felf.

[Afide.

Ld. Touch. Excellent Man! Mask. Yet I am wretched - O there is a Secret burns within this Breast, which should it once blaze forth, would ruin all, consume my honeft Character, and brand me with the Name of Villain. Ld. Touch. Ha!

Mask. Why do I love! Yet Heav'n and my waking Confcience are my Witnesses, I never gave one working Thought a Vent; which might difcover that I lov'd, nor ever muft; no, let it prey upon my Heart; for I would rather die, than seem once, barely feem, dishonest: -O, should it once be known I love fair Cynthia, all this that I have done would look like Rivals Malice, false Friendship to my Lord, and base Self-interest. Let me perish first, and from this Hour avoid all Sight and Speech, and if I can, all Thought of that pernicious Beauty. Ha! But what is my Distraction doing? I am wildly talking to my felf, and some ill Chance might have directed malicious Ears this way.

[Seems to start, feeing my Lord.

Ld. Touch. Start not let guilty and dishonest Souls start at the Revelation of their Thoughts, but be thou fix'd as is thy Virtue.

Mask. I am confounded, and beg your Lordships Pardon for those free Discourses which I have had with my self.

L. Touch. Come, I beg your our Pardon that I overheard you, and yet it shall not need, Honest Maskwell! thy and my good Genius led me hitherMine , in that I have discover'd so much manly Virtue; thine, in that thou shalt have due Reward of all thy Worth. Give me thy Handmy Nephew is the alone remaining Branch of all our ancient Family; him I thus blow away, and conftitute thee in his room to be my HeirMask. Now Heav'n forbid

Ld. Touch. No more-I have refolv'd-The Writings are ready drawn, and wanted nothing but to be sign'd, and have his Name inserted - Yours will fill the Blank as well - I will have no Reply -Let me command this time; for 'tis the last, in which I will aflume Authority- hereafter, you shall rule where I have Power.

[Mask. pau

Mask. I humbly would Petition Ld. Touch. Is't for your self? fes.] I'll hear of nought for any Body else. Mask. Then Witness Heav'n for me, this Wealth and Honour was not of my feeking, nor would I build my Fortune on anothers Ruin: I had but one Defire

Ld. Touch. Thou shalt enjoy it If all I'm worth

G