between Mirabell and me, I have obliged him to make a resignation of it in your ladyship's presence; he is without, and waits your leave for admittance.

Lady Wish. Well, I'll swear I am something revived at this testimony of your obedience; but I cannot admit that traitor.—I fear I cannot fortify myself to support his appearance. He is as terrible to me as a gorgon; if I see him I fear I shall turn, to stone, and petrify incessantly.

Mil. If you disoblige him, he may resent your refusal, and insist upon the contract still. Then 'tis the last time he will be offensive to you.

Lady Wish. Are you sure it will be the last time?-If I were sure of that shall I never see him again?

Mil. Sir Wilfull, you and he are to travel together, are you not?

Sir Wil. S'heart, the gentleman's a civil gentleman, aunt, let him come in; why, we are sworn brothers and fellow-travellers. - We are to be Pylades and Orestes, he and I.-He is to be my interpreter in foreign parts. He has been overseas once already; and with proviso that I marry my cousin, will cross 'em once again, only to bear me company.-S'heart, I'll call him in,-an I set on't once, he shall come in; and see who'll hinder him. [Goes to the door and hems.

Mar. This is precious fooling, if it would pass ; but I'll know the bottom of it.

Lady Wish. O dear Marwood, you are not going?

Mar. Not far, madam; I'll return immediately.

SCENE IX.

Lady WISHPORT, MILLAMANT, Sir WILFULL, and
MIRABELL.

Sir Wil. Look up, man, I'll stand by you; 'sbud an she do frown, she can't kill you ;-besides -harkee, she dare not frown desperately, because her face is none of her own. S'heart, an she should, her forehead would wrinkle like the coat of a cream-cheese; but mum for that, fellow-traveller. Mir. If a deep sense of the many injuries I have offered to so good a lady, with a sincere remorse, and a hearty contrition, can but obtain the least glance of compassion, I am too happy.-—Ah, madam, there was a time !-but let it be forgotten-I confess I have deservedly forfeited the high place I once held of sighing at your feet. Nay, kill me not, by turning from me in disdain.—I come not to plead for favour ;-nay, not for pardon; I am a uppliant only for pity-I am going where I never shall behold you more

Sir Wil. How, fellow-traveller! you shall go by yourself then.

Mir. Let me be pitied first, and afterwards forgotten.-I ask no more.

Sir Wil. By'r Lady, a very reasonable request, and will cost you nothing, aunt! Come, come, forgive and forget, aunt; why you must an you are a Christian.

Mir. Consider, madam, in reality, you could not receive much prejudice; it was an innocent device; though I confess it had a face of guiltiness,-it was at most an artifice which love contrived;-and errors which love produces have ever been accounted venial. At least think it is punishment enough, that I have lost what in my heart I hold most dear,

that to your cruel indignation I have offered up this beauty, and with her my peace and quiet; nay, all my hopes of future comfort.

Sir Wil. An he does not move me, would I may never be o' the quorum!—an it were not as good a deed as to drink, to give her to him again, I would I might never take shipping !-Aunt, if you don't forgive quickly, I shall melt, I can tell you that. My contract went no farther than a little mouthglue, and that's hardly dry;-one doleful sigh more from my fellow-traveller, and 'tis dissolved.

Lady Wish. Well, nephew, upon your account -Ah, he has a false insinuating tongue! Well, sir, I will stifle my just resentment at my nephew's request. I will endeavour what I can to forget,-but on proviso that you resign the contract with my niece immediately.

Mir. It is in writing, and with papers of concern ; but I have sent my servant for it, and will deliver it to you, with all acknowledgments for your transcendent goodness.

Lady Wish.[Aside.] Oh, he has witchcraft in his eyes and tongue !-When I did not see him, I could have bribed a villain to his assassination; but his appearance rakes the embers which have so long lain smothered in my breast.

SCENE X.

Lady WISHFORT, MILLAMANT, Sir WILFULL, MIRABELL, FAINALL, and Mrs. MARWOOD.

Fain. Your date of deliberation, madam, is expired. Here is the instrument; are you prepared to sign?

Lady Wish. If I were prepared, I am not impowered. My niece exerts a lawful claim, having matched herself by my direction to sir Wilfull.

Fain. That sham is too gross to pass on methough 'tis imposed on you, madam. Mil. Sir, I have given my consent.

Mir. And, sir, I have resigned my pretensions. Sir Wil. And, sir, I assert my right; and will maintain it in defiance of you, sir, and of your instrument. S'heart, an you talk of an instrument, sir, I have an old fox by my thigh shall hack your instrument of ram vellum to shreds, sir!--it shall not be sufficient for a mittimus or a tailor's measure. Therefore withdraw your instrument, sir, or, by'r Lady, I shall draw mine.

Lady Wish. Hold, nephew, hold!

Mil. Good sir Wilfull, respite your valour.

Fain. Indeed! Are you provided of your guard, with your single beef-eater there? but I'm prepared for you, and insist upon my first proposal. You shall submit your own estate to my management, and absolutely make over my wife's to my sole use, as pursuant to the purport and tenor of this other covenant.-I suppose, madam, your consent is not requisite in this case; nor, Mr. Mirabell, your resignation; nor, sir Wilfull, your right. You may draw your fox if you please, sir, and make a bear-garden flourish somewhere else; for here it will not avail. This, my lady Wishfort, must be subscribed, or your darling daughter's turned adrift, like a leaky hulk, to sink or swim, as she and the current of this lewd town can agree.

Lady Wish. Is there no means, no remedy to stop my ruin? Ungrateful wretch! dost thou

not owe thy being, thy subsistence, to my daughter's fortune?

Fain. I'll answer you when I have the rest of it in my possession.

Mir. But that you would not accept of a remedy from my hands-I own I have not deserved you should owe any obligation to me; or else perhaps I could advise

Lady Wish. O what? what? to save me and my child from ruin, from want, I'll forgive all that's past; nay, I'll consent to anything to come, to be delivered from this tyranny.

Mir. Ay, madam; but that is too late, my reward is intercepted. You have disposed of her who only could have made me a compensation for all my services; but be it as it may, I am resolved I'll serve you; you shall not be wronged in this savage manner.

Lady Wish. How! dear Mr. Mirabell, can you be so generous at last! But it is not possible. Harkee, I'll break my nephew's match; you shall have my niece yet, and all her fortune, if you can but save me from this imminent danger.

Mir. Will you? I'll take you at your word. I ask no more. I must have leave for two criminals to appear.

Lady Wish. Ay, ay, anybody, anybody!

Mir. Foible is one, and a penitent.

Fain. If it must all come out, why let 'em know it; 'tis but the way of the world. That shall not urge me to relinquish or abate one tittle of my terms; no, I will insist the more.

Foib. Yes indeed, madam, I'll take my bible oath of it.

Min. And so will I, mem.

Lady Wish. O Marwood, Marwood, art thou false my friend deceive me! hast thou been a wicked accomplice with that profligate man?

Mar. Have you so much ingratitude and injustice to give credit against your friend, to the aspersions of two such mercenary trulls?

Min. Mercenary, mem? I scorn your words. 'Tis true we found you and Mr. Fainall in the blue garret; by the same token, you swore us to secrecy upon Messalina's poems. Mercenary! No, if we would have been mercenary, we should have held our tongues; you would have bribed us sufficiently.

Fain. Go, you are an insignificant thing! Well, what are you the better for this? is this Mr. Mirabell's expedient? I'll be put off no longer. You thing, that was a wife, shall smart for this! I will not leave thee wherewithal to hide thy shame; your body shall be naked as your reputation.

Mrs. Fain. I despise you, and defy your malice! -you have aspersed me wrongfully-I have proved your falsehood-go you and your treacherous-I will not name it, but starve together-perish!

Fain. Not while you are worth a groat, indeed, my dear.-Madam, I'll be fooled no longer.

Lady Wish. Ah, Mr. Mirabell, this is small comfort, the detection of this affair.

Mir. Oh, in good time-your leave for the other offender and penitent to appear, madam.

SCENE XII.

Lady WISHFORT, MILLAMANT, Sir WILFULL, MIRAPELI, FAINALL, Mrs. FAINALL, Mrs. MARWOOD, FOIBLE, MayCING, and WAITWELL, with a box of writings.

Lady Wish. O sir Rowland!-Well, rascal! Wait. What your ladyship pleases. I have brought the black box at last, madam.

Mir. Give it me.—Madam, you remember your promise.

Lady Wish. Ay, dear sir.

Mir. Where are the gentlemen ?

Wait. At hand, sir, rubbing their eyes-just risen from sleep.

Fain. 'Sdeath, what's this to me? I'll not wait your private concerns.

SCENE XIII.

Lady WISHFORT, MILLAMANT, Sir WILFULL, MIRABELI,
FAINALL, Mrs. MARWOOD, Mrs. FAINALL, FOIBLE, MIN
CING, WAITWELL, PETULANT, and WITWOUD.
Pet. How now? What's the matter? whose
hand's out?

Wit. Heyday! what, are you all got together, like players at the end of the last act?

Mir. You may remember, gentlemen, I once requested your hands as witnesses to a certain parchment.

Wit. Ay, I do, my hand 1 remember-Petulant set his mark.

Mir. You wrong him, his name is fairly writ ten, as shall appear.-You do not remember, gentlemen, anything of what that parchment contained?[Undoing the bos,

Wil. No.

Pet. Not I; I writ, I read nothing. Mir. Very well, now you shall know.-Madam, your promise.

Lady Wish. Ay, ay, sir, upon my honour.

Mir. Mr. Fainall, it is now time that you should know, that your lady, while she was at her own disposal, and before you had by your insinuations wheedled her out of a pretended settlement of the greatest part of her fortune

Fain. Sir! pretended!

Mir. Yes, sir. I say that this lady while a widow, having it seems received some cautions respecting your inconstancy and tyranny of temper, which from her own partial opinion and fondness of you she could never have suspected—she did, I say, by the wholesome advice of friends, and of sages learned in the laws of this land, deliver this same as her act and deed to me in trust, and to the uses within mentioned. You may read if you please-[Holding out the parchment] though per haps what is written on the back may serve your

occasions.

Fain. Very likely, sir. What's here ?-Damnstion!-[Reads.] A deed of conveyance of the whol estate real of Arabella Languish, widow, in trust to Edward Mirabell.-Confusion!

Mir. Even so, sir; 'tis the Way of the World,

sir; of the widows of the world. I suppose this deed may bear an elder date than what you have obtained from your lady.

Fain. Perfidious fiend! then thus I'll be rerenged. [Offers to run at Mrs. FAINALL. Sir Wil. Hold, sir! now you may make your bear-garden flourish somewhere else, sir. Fain. Mirabell, you shall hear of this, sir, be sure you shall.-Let me pass, oaf! [Exit.

Mrs. Fain. Madam, you seem to stifle your resentment; you had better give it vent.

Mar. Yes, it shall have vent-and to your confusion; or I'll perish in the attempt.

SCENE XIV.

Lady WISHFORT, MILLAMANT, MIRABELL, Mrs. FAINALL, Sir WILFULL, PETULANT, WITWOUD, FOIBLE, MINCING, and WAITWELL.

Lady Wish. O daughter, daughter! 'tis plain thou hast inherited thy mother's prudence.

Mrs. Fain. Thank Mr. Mirabell, a cautious friend, to whose advice all is owing.

Lady Wish. Well, Mr. Mirabell, you have kept your promise-and I must perform mine.-First, I pardon, for your sake, sir Rowland there, and Foible; the next thing is to break the matter to my nephew-and how to do that

Mir. For that, madam, give yourself no trouble; let me have your consent. Sir Wilfull is my friend; be has had compassion upon lovers, and generously engaged a volunteer in this action, for our service; and now designs to prosecute his travels.

Sir Wil. S'heart, aunt, I have no mind to marry. My cousin's a fine lady, and the gentleman loves her, and she loves him, and they deserve one another; my resolution is to see foreign parts-I have set on't-and when I'm set on't I must do't. And if these two gentlemen would travel too, I think they may be spared.

Pet. For my part, I say little-I think things are best off or on.

Wit. I'gad, I understand nothing of the matter; I'm in a maze yet, like a dog in a dancing-school. Lady Wish. Well, sir, take her, and with her all the joy I can give you.

Mil. Why does not the man take me? would you have me give myself to you over again?

Mir. Ay, and over and over again; [Kisses her hand.] I would have you as often as possibly I can. Well, heaven grant I love you not too well, that's all my fear.

Sir Wil. S'heart, you'll have time enough to toy after you're married; or if you will toy now, let us have a dance in the mean time, that we who are not lovers may have some other employment besides looking on.

Mir. With all my heart, dear sir Wilfull. What shall we do for music?

Foib. O sir, some that were provided for sir Rowland's entertainment are yet within call. A Dance.

Lady Wish. As I am a person, I can hold out no longer;-I have wasted my spirits so to-day already, that I am ready to sink under the fatigue; and I cannot but have some fears upon me yet, that my son Fainall will pursue some desperate

course.

Mir. Madam, disquiet not yourself on that account; to my knowledge his circumstances are such he must of force comply. For my part, I will contribute all that in me lies to a reunion; in the mean time, madam,-[To Mrs. FAINALL.] let me before these witnesses restore to you this deed of trust; it may be a means, well-managed, to make you live easily together.

From hence let those be warn'd, who mean to wed;
Lest mutual falsehood stain the bridal bed;
For each deceiver to his cost may find,
That marriage-frauds too oft are paid in kind.
[Exeunt omnes.

AFTER Our Epilogue this crowd dismisses, I'm thinking how this play'll be pull'd to pieces. sut pray consider, ere you doom its fall, low hard a thing 'twould be to please you all. There are some critics so with spleen diseased, They scarcely come inclining to be pleased: And sure he must have more than mortal skili, Who pleases any one against his will. Then all bad poets we are sure are foes, And how their number's swell'd, the town well knows: in shoals I've mark'd 'em judging in the pit; Though they're, on no pretence, for judgment fit, But that they have been damn'd for want of wit. Since when, they by their own offences taught, et up for spies on plays, and finding fault. Others there are whose malice we'd prevent; ach who watch plays with scurrilous intent To mark out who by characters are meant.

And though no perfect likeness they can trace,
Yet each pretends to know the copied face.
These with false glosses feed their own ill nature,
And turn to libel what was meant a satire.
May such malicious fops this fortune find,
To think themselves alone the fools design'd:
If any are so arrogantly vain,

To think they singly can support a scene,
And furnish fool enough to entertain.
For well the learn'd and the judicious know
That satire scorns to stoop so meanly low,
As any one abstracted fop to show.

For, as when painters form a matchless face,
They from each fair one catch some different grace;
And shining features in one portrait blend,

To which no single beauty must pretend;

So poets oft do in one piece expose

Whole belles-assemblees of coquettes and beaux.

OVID. de Arte Amandi, lib. i.

The scene is a landscape of a beautiful pasture supposed on Mount Ida. The Shepherd PARIS is seen seated under a tree, and playing on his pipe; his crook and scrip &c. lying by him. While a symphony is playing, MERCURY descends with his caduceus in one hand, and an apple of gold in the other; after the symphony he sings.

Mercury. From high Olympus, and the realms above,

Behold I come the messenger of Jove;

His dread commands I bear:
Shepherd, arise and hear;

Arise, and leave a while thy rural care ;
Forbear thy woolly flock to feed,
And lay aside thy tuneful reed;
For thou to greater honours art decreed.
Paris. O Hermes, I thy godhead know,
By thy winged heels and head,
By thy rod that wakes the dead,
And guides the shades below.

Say wherefore dost thou seek this humble plain,
To greet a lowly swain?

What does the mighty thunderer ordain ?
Mer. This radiant fruit behold,

More bright than burnish'd gold;

Three Goddesses for this contend;
See now they descend,

And this way they bend.

Shepherd, take the golden prize,

Yield it to the brightest eyes.

[JUNO, PALLAS, and VENUS, are seen at a distance descending in several machines.

Par. O ravishing delight!
What mortal can support the sight?
Alas too weak is human brain,
So much rapture to sustain.

I faint, I fall! O take me hence,
Ere ecstacy invades my aching sense.
Help me, Hermes, or I die,
Save me from excess of joy.

Mer. Fear not, mortal, none shall harm thee;
With my sacred rod I'll charm thee.
Freely gaze and view all over,

Thou mayst every grace discover. Though a thousand darts fly round thee, Fear not, mortal, none shall wound thee.

Venus rules the gods above,
Love rules them, and she rules Love.

Hither turn thee, gentle swain.
Pal. Hither turn to me again.
Juno. Turn to me, for I am she.
All three. To me, to me, for I am she.
Fen. Hither turn thee, gentle swain.
Juno and Pal. She will deceive thee.

Ven. They will deceive thee, I'll never leave thee.

Chorus of the three Goddesses.

Hither turn to me again,
To me, to me, for I am she;
Hither turn thee, gentle swain.

Par. Distracted I turn, but I cannot decide;
So equal a title sure never was tried.
United, your beauties so dazzle the sight,

That lost in amaze,

I giddily gaze,

Confused and o'erwhelm'd with a torrent of light. Apart let me view then each heavenly fair,

For three at a time there's no mortal can bear; And since a gay robe an ill shape may disguise, When each is undrest,

I'll judge of the best,

For 'tis not a face that must carry the prize. JUNO sings.

Let ambition fire thy mind,

Thou wert born o'er men to reign,
Not to follow flocks design'd;

Scorn thy crook, and leave the plain.
Crowns I'll throw beneath thy feet,
Thou on necks of kings shall tread,
Joys in circles joys shall meet,
Which way e'er thy fancies lead.
Let not toils of empire fright,
Toils of empire pleasures are;
Thou shalt only know delight,
All the joy, but not the care.
Shepherd, if thou'lt yield the prize
For the blessings I bestow,
Joyful I'll ascend the skies,
Happy thou shalt reign below.

Nature framed thee sure for loving,
Thus adorn'd with every grace;
Venus' self thy form approving,

Looks with pleasure on thy face.

Happy nymph who shall enfold thee,
Circled in her yielding arms!
Should bright Helen once behold thee,
She'd surrender all her charms.

Fairest she, all nymphs transcending,
That the sun himself has seen,

Were she for the crown contending,
Thou wouldst own her beauty's queen.
Gentle shepherd, if my pleading
Can from thee the prize obtain,
Love himself thy conquest aiding,
Thou that matchless fair shalt gain.
Par. I yield, I yield, O take the prize,

And cease, O cease the enchanting song!
All Love's darts are in thy eyes,
And harmony falls from thy tongue!
Forbear, O goddess of desire,
Thus my ravish'd soul to move;
Forbear to fan the raging fire,

And be propitious to my love.

[Here PARIS gives to VENUS the Golden Apple. Several Cupids descend, the three Graces alight from the chariot of VENUS, they call the Hours, who assemble, with all the attendants on VENUS. All join in a circle round her, and sing the lust grand chorus, while JUNO and PALLAS ascend.