the honest Joys Of Loyal Wives But why do I reflect upon thy Beauties that after this sad hour must never see thee more Ero. What will you banish me your sight and all Kill me then I cannot bear it kill me or I shall fall By my own hand and miss the last of pleasures left for me The dying in your arms Cor. Oh! Eromena didst thou know thy Fate thou wou'd'st Not wish my hand shou'd come so near thee Ero. Come tell me then t' excuse thy perjury I would Be glad I ow'd this strange indifference to any thing But to thy want of Love Cor. Wilt thou be patient then and bear thy Fate Ero. I think I can I have been used to misery Cor. Oh! I can't tell it yet I will Let me but lean my head upon thy Bosom thus and not see thy Confusion Nor shew my own Ero. Oh Heavens I do begin to fear but what I know not Enter Beringaria mad Ber. Who 's there Ha! together Let me separate you You two incestuous Monsters 'T is not they This is my Husband do not chide me Sir for what I did Was for the love of you 't was Love that did occasion My mischance Can you forgive it I 'll weep thus at Your feet a thousand thousand years to beg your pardon Cor. Oh! Heaven and Earth see Eromena see Thy only Mother sure as she was mine Thou never hadst another nor another Father Than thy wretched Husband It was the work of Fate And thou art now my Daughter Sister Oh Heavens and my Wife Fly reason fly why dost thou stay to curse me Hadst thou been kind thou had not staid so long Ero. I hope my Lord I do not understand you Cor. Too well thou dost this is thy Fate and mine Ero. Oh! Heavens What have I done Ber. See there she is in that false Husbands arms Does she engross my Husband and my Son Nay then 't is time a quick dispatch Stabs Ero. Take that thou only ruin of my Life and Fame Ber. Oh! Mother Mother do not kill your Child Oh! cruel Woman what is' t you have done Ber. Sent her to Heaven to know if ever I shall arrive there for if I may I must take care I have a great deal of business to do before I can Provide for such a journey but if not I shall have No trouble for all 's pack'd up for t'other place already Runs off Cor. Oh! Eromena may I call you Wife Is this the happiness I have designed What have I done Good Heaven what have I done To be more curs'd than all mankind besides Oh! Eromena those pale looks now tell me All thy wretched life is past Ero. I thank the blow upon my knees I do And do with joy receive this first of blessings From my most noble Mother Life had been a Curse I could not bear Sir how to look on you I do not know But let my ignorance excuse me both to the World and you Oh I am in pain but you will call it a pleasure Because it brings me now a sure release Oh! Father Father give me your blessing too A Pass-port for me to the other World And let me hide my face within your Bosom And give you back that life you did bestow Dies Cor. If she be dead what have I then to do Oh! Eromena dead vanished like a deluding dream Of happiness for sure this was a dream I find I wake to curse the World and all Mankind My self and all If I should live I should turn Monster sure Hence with a thought of life Weep Eyes And burst your strings that hold you in that I may 'scape The shame of seeing the face of mankind more Enter Segerdo Seg. What are they so close I like not that But 't is no matter since I know that they must part Rise Cornaâ—o rise behold a Friend that 's truly sorry For thy misfortune tho' 't is the only thing Cou'd make him happy Cor. What barbarous wretch art thou that buildst Thy happiness on anothers ruin Oh Eromena Seg. I do forgive thee thy mistaken anger And own the disapointment is too great Easily to be born Speak fairest Eromena speak May I now hope a reward for all my sorrows past Since all your wishes for Cornaro now Are turn'd to duty for a kind Relation Cor. Hence wretch com'st thou to Triumph over misery Base and Unworthy have I not Grief enough Not yet enough must thou add more do I not bear enough Have I not caused this dear poor wretches death Is not that load enough Seg. Ha! is Eromena dead What cold pale dead The object of my Soul my only wish Are these my promis'd hopes Inhuman wretch And didst thou murder her Oh Eromena Unfortunate Fair Creature I shall not stay Behind thee long Oh! let me leave my Soul Here on thy Lips and if Heaven have pitty Make me now like thee Cor. Hence how darst thou touch my Wife before my face Seg. Thy Wife take care Cornaro brand not thy self With such an Infamy I know she is thy Sister Cor. Why then you know the Truth I tell thee she is both Wife and Sister nay and Daughter too she 's all she can be In one Woman Seg. How dar'st thou be alive After this Action marrying thy Sister and robbing me Of all my Joys on Earth by murdering the poor wretch Oh! Eromena Let me die now at thy feet Cor. Judge me Just Heaven have I done a willful fault Yes I have indeed by Marrying against her Will that bore me Had I but been obedient half my misery I had escaped How can'st thou upbraid my lost Condition Wert thou of humane race thou cou'dst not do it Cou'd any Creature Triumph o're a wretch suffering the Law Just breaking on the Wheel Thou see'st me worse than that Rise Rise I say or I shall add yet to my cruel Actions And kill thee as thou liest Seg. It would be like thee I draw this Sword now in a Noble cause To Revenge poor Eromena's murder that Had no fault but being kind to thee Cor. Heaven grant thee Vengeance equal They Fight To thy Wish I thank thee now Segerdo Cor. Falls Thou hast prevented self-murder all my miseries end here Enter Gabinius Dandalo Conall Cleon. Maâ—gar Cleo. How fares my dearest Brother What was the cause of this unhappy Quarrel How Eromena dead Gab. My Lord how is it with you Cor. Like one who in a fright securing what he thought His own mistakes and takes anothers Treasure And for that innocent Theft 's Condemned So I by the All-seeing powers am cast For doing that which but to think of doing Wou'd make me wish I never had been born Arapsia knows the story of our misery And after I am dead may tell it you But let it not be told whilst I 'm alive My Lord Segerdo you have been unkind In thinking me consenting to Eromena's death She did receive it from my Mothers hand Gabinius I 've
in Love with Charming Eromena Cor. Why wou'd you know this Seg. Because like some unhappy wretches my wants make me the greater Prodigal I had but little peace and now have thrown e'en that away Oh! Eromena Cruel Eromena Cor. Fair Charming Lovely Eromena What does those words tell you my Lord Seg. That I am lost for she will sure Love you But when she does remember this my Lord The moment that you take her for your Wife My life must end I can live without her all my desire is I may Take leave of her and never see her more Cor. My Lord I promise you the thing you ask Tho' may be I shall have no greater Comfort Than sighing at her feet in vain as you have What is there in her heart that 's so impenetrable That she cou'd e'er resist such merit and how Can I presume to hope when you have been deny'd Seg. Flatter me not my Lord you shine above me In every thing can Charm the Young and Fair Pitty me rather that am forc'd to own My Rival will deserve all he can wish Farewell my Lord be generous to one wou'd wish Your Friendship were you not his Rival Let me but know how my misery shou'd increase And I 'll take care it shall not want it 's due And think to check the happiness you 'll have That your success must send me to my Grave Exeunt Enter Eromena with a Book in hand Ero. Oh! Restless night or rather restless Love For day I find no kinder than the night Reading the soft deluder of the mind Is now no Friend to me but rather does increase What I wou'd shun Books make us read What we wou'd blush to hear the pleasing tales of Love Oh! Love 't is here describ'd This this is my Disease I feel a softness at my wretched heart That waits but till 't is ask'd to throw it self Beneath the feet of him it does adore What Eromena hast thou seen thy Love Desir'd Sollicited Courted by a Man That Envy cannot find a fault withal To give now unask'd to one perhaps That will revenge the scorn that thou hast shown Let me not think on that my woes are many But thought makes 'em worse Upon this Bank I 'll lay my restless body Thou God of Peace Compose the unquiet mind of the Most wretched Creature that did e'er petition thee Lies down Enter Cornaro Cor. What can I suffer if I give my Love to that poor Virtuous Maid Has not another equal in Birth Offer'd as much and has she not refus'd him It may be Heaven reserves her heart for me And see she 's here my fate has guided me To what I wish She sleeps her face is lovely And her Charming Eyes tho' they are cover'd Pierce me to the heart her Rosie Lips tho' they speak not Invite the lookers on to taste their sweetness And I must What to kiss her is no Crime It may be she 'll not wake But if she shou'd I 'm sure she cannot blame me They that will leave Locks open to a Thief Kisses her she starts up he kneels Must needs expect a Robbery Ero. Ha! who 's this commits this Rudeness My Lord is' t you Cor. Oh! Chide me not for what has made me wretched The tasting of those Lips has quite undone me Unless I may again fair lovely Maid You that were born to do nothing but wonders That have transform'd me from the thing I was And in the space of one poor night have made me Your everlasting slave I am no longer Master of my self Put this first time I ever speke to you I offer you my Life my Heart my Soul Oh! Love now work a wonder on us both And touch her Heart as thou hast surely mine Ero. What does he say Oh Heavens I feel it true My pain I 'm sure is Love and Love for him Aside Rise good my Lord and do not by this needless Ceremony Call up to my Rememâ—rance all my woes My wretched Poverty and obscure Fate nor die my Cheeks In deeper blushes than your new pretended Love has rais'd Cor. Oh! Call it not pretended nor expect I eâ—er can rise Till I have mov'd your heart to know 't is real And confess it too See see me here O Lovely Charming Creature Turn not away but look upon me in this humble posture May be it may move your pity nay I will force you And follow still with Humbleness and Love Till you at last shall say You know I Love you Ero. Call up thy Courage hapless Eromena Oh! I begin to find I 'm lost indeed Struggle a little heart give not thy self away The first attack Aside Rise good my Lord or I must kneel with you Cor. Oh! no! you shall not kneel nor will I rise But hugging thus your knees I do Conjure you To give my Love both hearing and acceptance If since the moment that I saw you first I 've had one minutes thought but only you Or any wiâ—h but of the gaining you Some power that hears me punish strait my falseness But if my vow is true Now touch her heart and fix her mine for ever Ero. 'T is done 't is done I find I am so now And 't is too late now to Recall my Fate Faints Cor. She faints what sudden illness overcomes my Love Speak speak oh speak my Dearest Charming Woman Ero. Away my Lord loose me from your Arms and add not Fresh confusion to my Soul by thinking on the weakness You 've surpriz'd me in Oh! let me go Cor. Oh stay and hear me a little longer Let me but know why you now fly from me After the Confirmation of a Love you ought to pardon Speak do you believe I love you Ero. My Lord I do not know yet I wish I did Cor. Oh! do not say you know not take my only last assurance I do not offer you a vitious Love But only that which holy marriage gives Speak once again is that a Confirmation Ero. It is my Lord but such a one I must take from you And from another I am sure I will not Aside a little Cor. What said you did I hear you right Are not my Scenes scatter'd in the storm of Love Will you ne're be another's Ero. Heavens what have I said unwary Tongue Thus to betray the secrets of my heart I said my Lord that I would never marry Cor. Yes me you must or see else most miserable What can I say to move you take this Sword And pierce my heart if you 'll not grant your Love Ero. Oh! Beringaria how might I betray thee In ruining thy only darling Son How make thee curse that noble Charity That rais'd this Serpent to destroy thy quiet Cor. No pity yet Heavens how she does distract me And all I can resolve on 's Ruin Death or Her Once more I kneel to move that stubborn heart With my own breaking Now O hopeless Conquest Ero. I have recall'd my sinking Gratitude
And Virtue now assumes its former place I 'll cast my eyes no more upon the object That cou'd prevail to make me do a thing Against all Laws of Hospitality Fly then Eromena from that bewitching Tongue I must look on him for methinks I tear A piece of my own Soul away when I resolve to go But one look more O I was flying to his Arms The more I do dispute the less I find I 'm able To forbear to tell him I love him die for him And cannot live without him O Love Love Love Exit Erom Cor. It is enough oh Heav'n let me rejoyce I saw Love sparkle from her shining eyes Who shuns the Battle is half overcome She flys to be pursu'd and I will fly To over-take the Treasure of my Soul Oh Love thou supreme power behold thy last Of wonders that has excell'd the rest But hold let not my Soul with this success Neglect compleating of my happiness Now is the time to perfect all my Joy Thus to her Arms with wings of Love I 'll fly And if not live for her before her dye Exit Cor. The End of the Third ACT. ACT IV. Scene a Hall Enter Beringaria and Arapsia WHat did you say I cou'd not hear you right Does Heav'n then think my miseries not enough Can it be possible Cornaro fallen in Love with Eromena Who told you this Alas what have I done In all the actions of my past unhappy Life That I must now be sentenc'd to this Fate Arap. Alas I 'm sorry that I told it you But now must tell you that my Lady Margaretta Over-heard all their Discourse this Morning in the Garden I do believe it is no more than a light Young-man's Love That vanishes upon the least resistance You know that Eromena's truly Vertuous And need not fear her condescending to his unlawful Love And then his spirit is too great ever to think Of making her his Wife Let me advise you Propose a Marriage to him with my Lord Segerdo's Sister The Lady is of the best Family in Venice And a great Beauty too her Fortune rather Exceeding what he can propose say you have Propos'd it to her Father and that he seems Well inclin'd to it and if you can't succeed with him Lay your Commands on her to marry Lord Segerdo This will be a means to prevent any ills may happen Ber. I thank you and perceive your Counsel good Let it be put in speedy execution Do you inform her my fix'd Resolution That she must marry Segerdo suddenly As for my Son I 'll use a Mothers Power And if that fail depend on you to make her comply With my Commands one way sure I may succeed Arap. Madam I think I see my Lord coming down Propose it now it cannot much surprize him Since such great Fortunes as the Lady is are sought After too much to let the least minute be lost Ber. I will away and leave me and to your design with Eromena Enter Cornaro who kneels Heav'n Bless my Son Rise Cornaro Rise And know I 'll bless thee more in Deeds than Words Cor. You always were a most Indulgent Mother O let me find the same Indulgence still 'T is you alone can make me Bless'd or Wretched Upon my knees I beg your will to Bless me Since 't is alone in your Almighty Power Ber. To shew how much my will complies to bless you Ill let you know what I have done for you But first my Son how stands your heart to Marriage Cou'd you like that State the only earthly blessing Of the Good and Virtuous and Curse of all the Wicked That know not how to use so great a Blessing And for that Reason turn depravers of what they Understand not Cor. So true a sence I have of that most blessed State If between two that Love whose hearts Heav'n has joyn'd That I believe it the first Tast to future Bliss I mean in Heav'n Ber. 'T is well my Son I joy to see you so differing From our present Youth who in the Arms of some Loose Courtizans wast all their Health and Means And despise the kind advice of all that let them See their Errours Now Cornaro to prevent these Snares For you are now of fitting years to marry No Boy but of Manly years I do propose it to you Consider well and let me have your answer There is a Lady whose Birth is equal if not above you Whose Beauty is I think the greatest I have seen Her Fortunes much Superiour to yours And her Vertue not to be blam'd by Envy or Detraction What think you Son of such a Lady Cor. I have not seen the Lady Ber. But you may I have already mov'd it to her Father Whose consent follows your liking Cor. Madam I thank you but how knows the Father The Lady may like me Ber. She 's all Obedience her liking waits upon her Fathers will Cor. Madam I must own I should not think my Wife Lik'd me the better for being an obedient Daughter Are these the marriages that Heaven makes Unseen unknown to one another Ber. I wou'd have you see this Lady it may be The thoughts that you may have her easily May pall your sickly taste I charge you see Nay strive to love her too wait on your Sister She goes there to carry the good news to Lord Segerdo That he shall now have Eromena that proud fool That is so blind to her own happiness she shall now Against her will accept that blessing she can never merit Consider well and as thou' rt obedient May Heaven prosper thee or curse thee ever Exit Ber. Cor. Oh! Heavens what said you Madam recall your blessing So you do your curse leave me to chance What now remains must my Love my Eromena Become anothers and must I know it and yet not prevent it I should be then a Boy O the curse of such a night That I should lie lamenting in my bed And think another revell'd in her Arms Keep me from such a thought you pittying powers Or I shall run through all extremities And kill this happy Fortune curs'd Rival And see she 's here my darling only Joy In spight of duty receive the endless vow Of a most constant tho' unhappy Lover Enter Eromena weeping Ero. Lost and undone Oh! wretched Eromena Let me not hear the name of Love again Sure there is poyson in a Lovers Tongue That breaks the heart it prays too How should I be so curs'd else I am Commanded By her whom yet I never knew do an injustice In â—â—ight of all known aversion to marry Lord Segerdo or seek my wretched bread in desart fields What have I done I ask no more than bread The meanest slave that walks about the house Has sure as much as that without Conditions Cor. Oh! Cruel Mother has then the Tyranny you sâ—ewd To me been but forerunner of a wrong to her What should the cause be tell me Eromena Do you think my Mother
knows my love to you Ero. Alas my Lord mock me not so again I am not born to be belov'd by you But this pretended Love of yours I find Has been discovered for which Arapsia told me My Lady Beringaria's Commands she bad me Have a care 't was honester to leap into my Fathers bed Than to give way to such Ingratitude And break the heart of her that had preserv'd me Cor. Nay then it is too late to trifle longer And we must both be wretched if we do Once more O thou who only can'st preserve me For know I am Commanded too to marry A Woman that I never saw fling not my Life Thy own and all away but give me Heaven By making me thy own O think a little On thy resolution depends our future Fate Say canst thou see me made another's speak Ero. I do confess I cannot nor must I e'er consent To be your Wife for shou'd I O what Mountains then Would hide me from her anger her Just Reproaches And a guilty Conscience more terrible than all Cor. I wou'd and shrowd thee in these longing arms Till I had stifâ—'d apprehension in thee And made thee own thy fears were needless there Ero. Oh! let me go tempt not a yielding heart A thing not worth your taking when so easie Cor. Consider we both are ruin'd if we do delay Oh think on that my Mother will undo us Perhaps we ne'er may meet again Ero. Let us ne'er meet so I preserve my Vertue I 've fortify'd my reason once again And can submit to any thing but baseness Cor. Then must we part for ever Ero. Indeed we must I 'll in some Cloister hide me from the World Farewell I find I ne'er must see you more To prevent the miseries must fall upon you When I 'm removed there will be no marriage forc'd upon you No Lady then Once more farewell for ever Cor. Stay yet and see the effect of all your prudence The minute that you leave me is my ruin Oh! Cruel Creature can you see me thus I vow Here on my knees unless you are my Wife Never to marry And will you leave me Well it shall be so I will be left alone to Fate Which has decreed I â—uust not live without you Going Ero. O Heavens I cannot beaâ— to part with him Come back my Lord but turn yoâ—r eyes away And do not see my blushes when I tell son I am no longer Mistress of my passion But with a heart softned with mighty Love Take the impression you are pleas'd to wish I love you dearer than my Life or Soul Receive me to your arms your Lawfull Wife And match my Love to a sincere obedience Cor. Oh! Joy Oh! too Transporting Joy that takes away The sence that does receive it but I will struggle With my Conquer'd Soul that faints with the excess Of its own happiness to grasp her thus for ever To my heart Oh! all my Joy my reall Heaven on Earth This moment now shall joyn our hearts for ever Ero. Oh! what have I done what makes my heart thus tremble Cor. Oh! do not now reflect on any thing But on the means to finish our Uniting Which shall this hour be done Meet me my Life Half an hour hence in the low Grove beyond the Garden-Wall there I 'll provide the Priest shall joyn our hands Pleas'd in my Loves Embrace my fairest Wife I 'll then look down on those ambitious Fools That chuse the vanity of gawdy Pomp Before the real Joys of Peacefull Love Let Interest feel a check unknown before I 'm blest in her dear arms that I adore No Crowns can ever my ambition move Nor warm that heart that 's given up to Love Exeunt Enter Captain Conall and Margaretta Con. Madam tho' I must not presume to wait on you upon my own account yet being employ'd I cou'd not avoid giving you this trouble and desiring you to do my Lord Segerdo the favour to try if you can give this last Letter to Eromena Mar. Sir I shall endeavour to serve my Lord tho' really Enomena did mightily press me not to desire her to receive any more Letters but I 'll do my best Captain Cor. Oh! what a look was there it has quite broke all my Resolutioâ—s I must speak once again Madam have you no pity yet What Task must I go through to obtain a certain blessing you can bestow Mar. Pray Captain speak no more upon that subject I would not run the hazard of being tempted Con. Say you so then I am sure this is my time Aside You cannot I 'm afraid be tempted by me and so may safely trust your self You 've a heart made of Iron sure or it could never resist the Affection of a Man that would undergo a thousand wracks rather than wrong the trust of so dear a Creature Come I see a little pitty in your Eyes Oh let it increase and make me happy for ever Mar. My Husband Con. Pox o'th at damn'd word 't is like the thought of a Tryal and Execution when a Man 's going to Fight an honourable Challenge Mar. Do you call this Challenge so honourable Con. Yes certainly when a Man has declined the Combat you have leave then to use him as you please 't is your Husband's Case Come my Lovely Charming Bewitching Creature my Soul is in a Flame I shall consume to ashes in a moment Mar. I must make my appointment quickly least my Husband should really come and prevent me Aside Well Captain I will not speak and if you can read in my Eyes what I would say you 'll find nothing to your disadvantage Con. Tell me then by these lovely Eyes when shall I come When will your Husband be abroad Oh! O tell me quickly least some cursed accident or other shou'd prevent the most desir'd pleasure of my life Mar. Nay Captain 't is not so far gone neither But if I had a mind to make an Intreague I believe I could not have a better opportunity than I shall have to day for my Husband is to be abroad about an hour hence at a place where he will be some hours and then if any body had a mind to come to me it were but their putting on some Womens Cloaths and slipping up those back stairs into my Womans Chamber and if I had a mind I cou'd but open my Chamber ' door and come to them for an hour or two and no body the wiser But Heaven forbid I should do so wicked a thing Well Captain farewell and mind what I say to you I 'll be sure to do what I can for my Lord Segerdo Exit smiling Con. So so I'gad my Judgment never fail'd me yet I was sure of this I understand her well enough and tho' I am not mightily in Love yet I can't resist the present Temptation I 'll run to Segerdo and tell him her answer and then to a she Friend to borrow some disguise the rest depends on
that thought disturbs me Sure she 'll forgive a Crime which Love committed Let it be how it will I have her now And she is all my own Enter Arapsia Arap. My Lord I 've waited all this morning To speak with you I should have don 't last night But could not find you Cor. I 'm glad to see you and will wait on you Any where else if this place ben't convenient Arap. My Lord last night my Lady order'd me To wait on you and keep you still in mind Of the Commands she gave you about your Marriâ—ge With the Lord Segerdo's Sister and by me Desires to know your Resolution Cor. Madam 't is this I will not marry her But with submission to my Mothers Right Over her Son desire she 'd give me leave In this the last great action of my Life On which my future happiness depends To make a choice my self Arap. Sir I dare promise you she will and except One Person You may have leave to marry whom you please Cor. Who is that Person whom I am debarr'd Arap. My Lord there has been whisp'ring 'mongst the Servants And those who have more Curiosity than Business That you are fallen in Love with Eromena This is the reason I suppose which makes Your Mother press you to resolve For to be plain 't is she you are forbid Cor. And all the rest Heaven knows I do despise Arap. My Lady farther bid me say That If by your discourse I found the Rumour true To tell you from that hour you resolved Any such thing as gaining Eromena That hour she 'd shut her self from humane Eyes And in Distraction end her wretched Life Cor. And all this is because poor Eromena Is most unhappy in her Birth and Fortune Oh! the curse of Money The sure destroyer both of Love and Friendship 'T will bring a common Courtezan to Repentance And make her wish she 'd liv'd on Bread and Water And would you have me prize it No no Arapsia since my Mother keeps A Womans Mercenary Quality I 'll shew the World her Son has no Inheritance But what is noble therefore to cut off all desputes For I perceive that it must come to this I here protest before the face of Heaven Never to marry ought but Eromena Arap. And is this Sir your final Resolution Cor. It is Arapsia but I 'd have you think I 'd not have shown this seeming disobedience Had not my Mother ta'n the way she has Not only upon me but upon Eromena Commanding her to force her Inclinations And marry Lord Segerdo But to prevent it I 'll not lose a moment Till I have shewn the World she 's mine for ever Arap. My Lord I have a secret to impart Which I am sure must stop you in this Love But you must swear by all the sacred ties That can bind Men never to speak of it Not even to your Mother Cor. If what you say be to remove my Love I 'd have you save your self the needless trouble For t is impossible it cannot be I love my Eâ—â—mena more than Life And do not Love her like a Boy whose Love So longer lasts than till it see 's another Bâ—t â—ith a manly passion not to be removed Mâ—thinks it is mâ— Duty as well as Inclination Arap. It is I must confess indeed your Duty For not to hold you longer in suspense She is your Sister Cor. How Arap. She is Indeed my Lord. Cor. How and which â—ay She 's not my Father's Child I 'm sure he did long before she was born Do not Arapsia strive by these mean ways Inventing stories which must be proved false As soon as told to break a passion which Must break my heart e'er you can bring 't about Arap. My Lord it is no story which I speak of But a firm truth such as will bear the Test Of the most strict Examination Cor. It must be this way then my Mothers Bastard Ha! can that be then thou must be the Bawd You could not know the story else so well Is this the secret which I must not speak off Call back thy words and swear thou 'st told a lye Or by the Rage which if thou dost speak truth Must take the place of Duty and Revenge My injur'd Fathers wrongs I 'll fly Even to this Mother who has shaken hands With honour to part with it for ever Just now I 'll fly and make her Infamy so loud 'Till she shall gladly do the thing she threatens And never shew her Strumpets face again Arap. Whatâ—s to be done now I must prevent The worst by telling him the worst Aside My Lord the promise that I did desire And then this Action shall be plainer made If not I 'm dumb upon this story ever Remember 't is never to tell your Mother Cor. I swear by all things Sacred by those powers Those only powers that e'er can make me happy Never to speak on 't to my Mother Arap. Then thus it is my Lord I will not run Thro' all the passages between my Lady And your Father for you know my Lord They parted Beds some years before he died But I would have your Lordship call to mind The night before that you were sent to Travel You 'd past an Engagement with a young And foolish Maid i' th' House to meet that night Your Father had made such another appointment Which was by one discovered to your Mother And my unhappy Lady in her stead Resolv'd to meet her Husband but by Accident She did mistake the room and came to you But in the morning slipping from her Husband As she believ'd for fear of a discovery She met my Lord just come from his Intrigue And then she found too late her fatal error You may Remember your remove was sudden And to be short poor Eromena was The first-fruit of that nights most unnatural meeting And is your Daughter now as well as Sister Born some few months after your Father died Cor. It is impossible I 'll not believe it It is a trick devis'd to break the marriage Arap. By all that 's Good and Sacred it is True Cor. It is impossible to be supposed 'T is all a trick but have a care 't is dangerous To trifle with me now and I must have More Witnesses before I can believe Arap. Who is it you can have but her whose Soul Must leave her Body when she finds you know it Cor. By Heaven the very thought has stunn'd my reâ—son But stay let me consider Yes I will I 'll know the truth from this unhappy Mother Arap. Alas my Lord do not forget your promise Cor. Away with promises my Life nay Soul Depends upon this knowledge What my Daughter And by my Mother too Oh! double mischief If it be false expect thou wretched Creature Thou that hast thrown my Soul upon the wreck Expect such Vengeance for thou hast told a story Would stagger Nature make her shrink to nothing For being capable