MEN. Maskwell, A Villain; pretended Friend? to Mellefont, Galant to Lady Touch-> Mr. Betterton. woed, and in Love with Cynthia. Lord Touchwood, Uncle to Mellefont Mellefont. promised to, and in Love with Cynthia. Careless, his Friend. Lord Froth, A Solemn Coxcomb. Mr. Kynaflon." 2 Mr. Williams. Mr. Verbruggen. Sir Paul Plyant, An Uxorious, Foolish,? old Knight; Brother to Lady Touchwood, and Father to Cynthia. WOMEN. Lady Touchwood, In Love with Mellefont. Cynthia, Daughter to Sir Paul by a former Wife, promifed to Mellefont.. Lady Froth, A great Coquet; Pretender to Poetry, Wit, and Learning. Lady Plyant, Infolent to her Husband and easy to any Pretender. Mr. Bowman, Mr. Powell. Mr. Degget. Mrs. Barrey. Mrs. Bracegirdle. Mrs. Mountfort. Mrs. Leigh, Chaplain, Boy, Footmen, and Attendants. The SCENE, A Gallery in the Lord Touchwood's Houfe with Chambers adjoining. THE THE DOUBLE-DEALER. ACT I. SCENE I. A Gallery in the Lord Touchwood's Houfe, with Chambers adjoining. Enter Careless, Croffing the Stage, with his Hats Gloves, and Sword in his Hands; as just rifen from Table: Mellefont following him. almoft Drunk. MELLEFONT. ED, Ned, whither fo faft? What, turn'd Care, Where are the Women? I'm weary of guzling, and begin to think them the better Company. Mel. Then thy Reafon ftaggers, and thou'tt Care. No, Faith, but your Fools grow noify and if a Man must endure the Noife of Words without Senfe, I think the Women have more Musical Voices, and become Nonfenfe better. Mel. Why, they are at the end of the Gallery; retir'd to their Tea, and Scandal; according to their AncientCuftom, after Dinner. -But I made a Pretence to follow you, because I had fomething to say to you in private, and am not like to have many Opportunities this, Evening. Care Care. And here's this Coxcomb most critically come to interrupt you. SCENE II. [To them] Brisk. Brisk. Boys, boys, Lads, where are you? What, do you give ground? Mortgage for a Bottle, ha? Careless, this is your Trick; you're always fpoiling Company by leaving it. Care. And thou art always fpoiling Company by coming into't. Brisk. Pooh, ha, ha, ha, I know you envy me. Spite, proud Spite, by the Gods! and burning Envy I'll be judg'd by Mellefont here, who gives and takes Raillerybetter, you or I. Pihaw, Man, when I fay you fpoil Company by leaving it, I mean you leave no Body for the Company to laugh at. I think there I was with you, ha? Mellefont. Mell. O' my Word, Brisk, that was a home thruft, you have filenc'd 'him. Brisk. Oh, my Dear Mellefont, let me perifh, if thou art not the Soul of Converfation, the very Effence of Wit, and Spirit of Wine,- -The Duce take me, if there were three good Things faid, or one understood, fince thy Amputation from the. Body of our Society.-He, I think that's pretty and metaphorical enough: I'gad I could not have faid it out of thy Company,-Careless, ha? Care. Hum, ay, what is't? Brisk. O, Mon Cour! What is't! Nay gad l'il punifa you for want of Apprehenfion: The Duce take me if I tell you. Mel. No, no, hang him, he has no Tafte, dear Brisk, excufe me, I have a little Bufinefs. But, Care. Pr'ythee get thee gone; thou fee'ft we are serious. Mell. We'll come immediately, if you'll but go in, and keep up good Humour and Senfe in the Company: Pr'ythee do, they'll fall afleep elfe. -- But Brisk. Igad fo they will Well I will, I will, gad you fhall command me from the Zenith to the Nadir. the duce take me if I fay a good thing 'till you come.But pr'y thee dear Rogue, make hafte, pr'ythee make hafte, fhall burft elfe. And yonder your Uncle, my Lord Touchwood, Touchwood, fwears he'll difinherit you, and Sir Paul Plyant threatens to difclaim you for a Son-in-Law, and my Lord Froth won't dance at your Wedding to Morrow; nor the Duce take me, I won't write your Epithalamium→→ and fee what a Condition you're like to be brought to. 3 Mell, Well, I'll fpeak but three Words, and follow you. Brisk. Enough, enough, Careless, bring your Appre henfion along with you. SCENE III. Care. Pert Coxcomb. Mel. Faith 'tis a good-natur'd Coxcomb, and has very entertaining Follies- You must be more human to him; at, this Juncture, it will do me Service. I'll tell you, I would have Mirth continued this. Day at any rate; tho' Patience purchase Folly, and Attention be paid with Noife: There are Times when Senfe may be unfeafonable, as well as Truth. Pr'ychee do thou wear none to Day; but allow Brisk to have Wit, that thou may'ft feem a Fool. Care. Why, how now, why this extravagant Propofi tion? Mel O, I would have no room for ferious Design for I am jealous of a Plot. I would have Noife and Impertinence keep my Lady Touchwood's Head from working: For Hell is not more bufy than her Brain, nor contains mere Devils, than that Imaginations. Care. I thought your Fear of her had been over- -Ts not to Morrow appointed for your Marriage with Cynthia, and her Father Sir Paul Plyant, come to fettle the Wris tings this Day, on purpose? Mel. True; but you fhall judge whether I have not Reason to be alarm'd. None befides you, and Maskwell, are acquainted with the Secret of my Aunt Touchwood's violent Paffion for me. Since my firft Refufal of her Addreffes, fhe has endeavour'd to do me all ill Offices with my Uncle; yet has managed 'em with that Subtilty, that to him they have born the Face of Kindness; while her Malice, like a dark Lanthorn, only fhone upon me, where it was directed. Still it gave me lefs Perplexity to prevent the Succefs of her Difpleafure, than to avoid the Importunities Importunities of her Love; and of two Evils, I thought my felf favour'd in her Averfion: But whether urg'd by her Despair, and the fhort Profpect of Time the faw, to accomplish her Defigns; whether the Hopes of Revenge, or of her Love, terminated in the View of this my Marriage with Cynthia, I know not; but this Morning the furpriz'd me in my Bed. Care. Was there ever fuch a Fury! 'tis well Nature has not put it into her Sex's Power to ravifh,- Well, blefs us! proceed. What follow'd? Mel. What at first amaz'd me; for I look'd to have feen> her in all the Transports of a flighted and revengeful Woman: But when I expected Thunder from her Voice, and Lightning in her Eyes; I faw her melted into Tears, and hufh'd into a Sigh. It was long before either of us fpoke, Paffion had ty'd her Tongue, and Amazement mine.In fhort, the Confequence was thus, the omitted nothing that the most violent Love could urge, or tender Words exprefs; which when the faw had no effect, but ftill I pleaded Honour and Nearnefs of Blood to my Uncle; then came the Storm I fear'd at firft: For ftarting from my Bed-fide like a Fury, fhe flew to my Sword, and with much ado I prevented her doing me or her felf a Mischief : Having difarm'd her, in a Guft of Paffion fhe left me, and in a Refolution, confirm'd by a thoufand Curfes, not to clofe her Eyes, 'till they had feen my Ruin. Care. Exquifite Woman! But what the Devil does the think, thou haft no more Sense, than to get an Heir upon her Body to difinherit thy felf: for as I take it this Settlement upon you, is, with a Provifo, that your Uncle have no Children. Mel. It is fo. Well, the Service you are to do me, will be a Pleafure to your felf; I must get you to engage my Lady Plyant all this Evening, that my pious Aunt may not work her to her Intereft. And if you chance to fecure her to your felf, you may incine her to mine. She's bandsom, and knows it; is very filly, and thinks he has Senfe, and has an old fond Husband. Care. I confefs a very fair Foundation, for a Lover to build upon.. Mel. For my Lord Froth, he and his Wife will be sufficiently |