hour Or two when a man had rather if it were not for The disgrace sake stand all that while in the Pillory Paulted with rotten Eggs and Oranges Cour. This is a very hard case indeed Sir Oliver Sir Oliv. And then the inconvenience of keeping Regular hours but above all that damn'd fiend Jealousie does so possess these passionate Lovers That I protest Ned under the Rose be it spoken If I chance to be a little prodigal in my expence On a private Friend or so I am call'd to so strict An account at night that for quietness sake I am Often forc'd to take a Dose of Cantharides to Make up the sum Cour. Indeed Sir Oliver every thing consider'd You are not so much to be envy'd as one may Rashly imagine Sir Oliv. Well a pox of this tying man and woman Together for better for worse upon my conscience It was but a Trick that the Clergy might have A feeling in the Cause Cour. I do not conceive it to be much for their Profit Sir Oliver for I dare lay a good wager Let 'em but allow Christian Liberty and they Shall get ten times more by Christnings Than they are likely to lose by Marriages Sir Oliv. Faith thou hast hit it right Ned and now Thou talk'st of Christian Liberty prethee let us Dine together to day and be swingingly merry But with all secrecy Cour. I shall be glad of your good company Sir Oliver Sir Oliv. I am to call on a very honest Fellow whom I left here hard by making a Visit Sir Iossin Iolly A Kinsman of my Wifes and my Neighbour in the Country we call Brothers he came up to Town With me and lodgeth in the same house he has Brought up a couple of the prettiest Kinswomen Heiresses of a very good Fortune would thou Hadst the instructing of 'em a little Faith if I am not very much mistaken They are very prone to the study of the Mathematicks Cour. I shall be beholding to you for so good an Acquaintance Sir Oliv. This Sir Ioslin is in great favour with my Lady one that she has an admirable good Opinion of and will trust me with him Any where but to say truth he is as arrant A sinner as the best of us and will boggle at Nothing that becomes a man of Honour We will go and get leave of my Lady For it is not fit I should break out so soon Without her approbation Ned. Cour. By no means Sir Oliver Sir Oliv. Where shall we meet about an hour hence Cour. At the French-house or the Bear Sir Oliv. At the French-house by all means Cour. Agreed agreed Sir Oliv. Would thou could'st bring a fourth man Cour. What think you of Franck Freeman Sir Oliv. There cannot be a better well Servant Ned Servant Ned Exit Sir Oliver Cour. Your Servant Sir Oliver Mrs. Sentry Sentry in the hole Is he gone Cour. Ay Ay! you may venture to bolt now Sentry crawling out Oh Heavens I would not Endure such another fright Cour. Come come prethee be compos'd Sent. I shall not be my self again this fortnight I never was in such a taking days of my life To have been found false and to one who to Say truth has been always very kind And civil to me but above all I was concern'd For my Lady's Honour Cour. Come come there 's no harm done Sent. Ah! Mr. Courtall you do not know Sir Oliver So well as I do he has strange humours sometimes And has it enough in 's Nature to play the Tyrant but that my Lady and my self awe him By our Policy Cour. Well well all 's well did you not hear What a taring Blade Sir Oliver is Sent. Ah! 't is a vile dissembling man how fairly He carries it to my Lady's face but I dare not Discover him for fear of betraying my self Cour. Well Mrs. Sentry I must dine with 'em And after I have enter'd them with a Beer-glass Or two if I can I will slip away and pay my Respects to your Lady Sent. You need not question your welcome I assure you Sir your Servant Sir Cour. Your Servant Mrs. Sentry I am very sensible Of this Favour I assure you Sent. I am proud it was in my pow'r to oblige you Sir Exit Sentry Cour. Freeman come come out of thy hole how Hast thou been able to contain Free Faith much ado the Scene was very pleasant But above all I admire thy impudence I could never have had the face to have wheadl'd The poor Knight so Cour. Pish Pish 't was both necessary and honest We ought to do all we can to confirm a Husband in the good opinion of his Wife Free Pray how long if without offence a man may Ask you have you been in good grace with this Person Of Honour I never knew you had that Commendable quality of secrecy before Cour. You are mistaken Freeman things go not As you wickedly imagine Free Why hast thou lost all sense of modesty Do'st thou think to pass these gross wheadles on Me too come come this good news should make Thee a little merrier faith though she be an old Acquaintance she has the advantage of four or five Months absence 'Slid I know not how proud You are but I have thought my self very spruce E're now in an old Suit that has been brush'd And laid up a while Cour. Freeman I know in cases of this nature thou Art an Infidel but yet methinks the knowledge Thou hast of my sincere dealing with my Friends should make thee a little more confiding Free What devilish Oath could she invent to Fright thee from a discovery Cour. Wilt thou believe me if I swear the preservation Of her Honour has been my fault and not hers Free This is something Cour. Why then know that I have still been as Careful to prevent all opportunities as she has been to Contrive 'em and still have carried it so like a Gentleman that there has not had the least suspicion Of unkindness she is the very spirit of impertinence So foolishly fond and troublesom that no man above Sixteen is able to endure her Free Why did you engage thus far then Cour. Some conveniences which I had by my Acquaintance with the Sot her Husband made Me extraordinary civil to her which presently By her Ladiship was interpreted after the manner Of the most obliging women this Wench came Hither by her Commission to day Free With what confidence she deny'd it Cour. Nay that 's never wanting I assure you Now is it expected I should lay by all other Occasions and watch every opportunity to wait Upon her she would by her good will give her Lover no more iest than a young Squire that Has newly set up a Coach does his only pair of Horses Free Faith if it be as thou say'st I cannot much Blame the hardness of thy heart but did Not the Oafe talk of two young Ladies Cour. Well remembred Frank and now I think On 't 't
of countenance Who came out of pure love to tender You their service Gatty 'T were pity to baulk 'em Sister Aria Indeed methinks they look as if they never Had been slip'd before Free Yes faith we have had many a fair course In this Paddock have been very well flesh'd And dare boldly fasten They kiss their hands with a little force Aria Well I am not the first unfortunate woman That has been forc'd to give her hand where She never intends to bestow her heart Gatty Now do you think 't is a bargain already Cour. Faith would there were some lusty earnest Given for fear we should unluckily break Off again Free Are you so wild that you must be hooded thus Cour. Fy fy put off these scandals to all good Faces Gatty For your reputations sake we shall keep 'em On ' slife we should be taken for your Relations If we durst shew our Faces with you thus Publickly Aria And what a shame that would be to a couple Of young Gallants methinks you should blush To think on 't Cour. These were pretty toys invented first meerly For the good of us poor Lovers to deceive The jealous and to blind the malicious but The proper use is so wickedly perverted That it makes all honest men hate the Fashion mortally Free A good Face is as seldom cover'd with a Vizard Mask as a good Hat with an oyl'd Case And yet on my Conscience you are both Handsome Court Do but remove 'em a little to satisfie a foolish Scruple Aria This is a just punishment you have brought Upon your selves by that unpardonable Sin of talking Gatty You can only brag now of your acquaintance With a Farendon Gown and a piece Of black Velvet Cour. The truth is there are some vain fellows Whose loose behaviour of late has given Great discouragement to the honourable proceedings Of all vertuous Ladies Free But I hope you have more charity than To believe us of the number of the wicked Aria There 's not a man of you to be trusted Gatty What a shame is it to your whole Sex That a Woman is more fit to be a Privy Councellour than a young Gallant a Lover Cour. This is a pretty kind of fooling Ladies for Men that are idle but you must bid a Little fairer if you intend to keep us From our serious bus'ness Gatty Truly you seem to be men of great Imployment that are every moment ratling from The Eating-Houses to the Play-Houses from the Play-Houses to the Mulberry-Garden that Live in a perpetual hurry and have little Leisure for such an idle entertainment Cour. Now would not I see thy face for the world If it should but be half so good as thy humour Thou would'st dangerously tempt me to doat Upon thee and forgetting all shame become Constant. Free I perceive by your fooling here that wit and Good humour may make a man in love with A Blackamore That the Devil should contrive It so that we should have earnest bus'ness now Cour. Wou'd they wou'd but be so kind to meet us Here again to morrow Gatty You are full of bus'ness and 't would but Take you off of your employments Aria And we are very unwilling to have the sin to Answer for of ruining a couple of such Hopeful young men Free Must we then despair Aria The Ladys you are going to will not be so Hard-hearted Cour. to Free On my Conscience they love us and Begin to grow jealous already Free Who knows but this may prove the luckier Adventure of the two Cour. Come come we know you have a mind to Meet us we cannot see you blush speak it out Boldly Gatty Will you swear then not to visit any other Women before that time Aria Not that we are jealous but because we would Not have you tir'd with the impertinent Conversation of our Sex and come to us dull And out of humour Cour. Invent an Oath and let it be so horrid 'T would make an Atheist start to hear it Free And I will swear it readily that I will not So much as speak to a woman 'till I Speak to you again Gatty But are you troubl'd with that foolish Scruple of keeping an Oath Free O most religiously Cour. And may we not enlarge our hopes upon a Little better acquaintance Aria You see all the freedom we allow Gatty It may be we may be intreated to hear a Fiddle or mingle in a Country Dance or so Cour. Well! we are in too desperate a condition To stand upon Articles and are resolv'd to Yield on any terms Free Be sure you be punctual now Aria Will you be sure Cour. Or else may we become a couple of credulous Coxcombs and be Jilted ever after Your Servants Ladys Ex. Men. Aria I wonder what they think of us Gat. You may easily imagine for they are not of A humour so little in fashion to believe the best I assure you the most favourable opinion they can Have is that we are still a little wild and stand in Need of better manning Aria Prithee dear Girl what dost think of ' em Gat. Faith so well that I 'm asham'd to tell thee Aria Wou'd I had never seen ' em Gat. Ha! Is it come to that already Aria Prithee let 's walk a turn or two More and talk of ' em Gat. Let us take care then we are not too particular In their commendations lest we should discover We intrench upon one anothers inclinations And so grow quarrelsom Exeunt SCENE II. Sir Oliver's Lodgings Enter Lady Cockwood and Sentry Sent. Dear Madam do not afflict your self thus Unreasonably I dare lay my life it is not want Of devotion but opportunity that stays him La. Cock Ingrateful man to be so insensible Of a Ladies passion Sent. If I thought he were so wicked I should Hate him strangely but Madam La. Cock Do not speak one word in his behalf I am resolv'd to forget him perfidious Mortal To abuse so sweet an opportunity Sent. Hark here is some body coming up stairs La. Cock Peace he may yet redeem his Honour Enter Courtall Court Your humble Servant Madam La. Cock starting Mr. Courtall for Heav'n sake How came you hither Court Guided by my good Fortune Madam Your Servant Mrs. Sentry Sent. Your humble Servant Sir I protest you made Me start too to see you come in thus unexpectedly La. Cock I did not imagine it could be known I was in Town yet Court Sir Oliver did me the favour to make me A Visit and dine with me to day which brought Me to the knowledge of this happiness Madam And as soon as I could possibly I got the Freedom to come hither and enjoy it La. Cock You have ever been extream obliging Sir Sent. 'T is a worthy Gentleman how punctual He is to my directions Aside La. Cock Will you be pleas'd to repose Sir Sentry set some Chairs Exit Sentry Court With much difficulty Madam I broke Out of my Company and
then You 'le have enough of it I warrant you Aria It may be if your tongue be not altogether So nimble I may be conformable But I hope You do not intend we shall play such mad Reaks As we did last Summer Gatty ' Slife do'st thou think we come here to be Mew'd up and take only the liberty of going from our Chamber to the Dining-Room and from the Dining-Room to our Chamber again and like a Bird in a Cage with two Perches only to hop Up and down up and down Aria Well thou art a mad Wench Gatty Would'st thou never have us go to a Play But with our grave Relations never take the air but With our grave Relations to feed their pride And make the world believe it is in their power To afford some Gallant or other a good bargain Aria But I am afraid we shall be known again Gatty Pish the men were only acquainted with Our Vizards and our Petticoats and they are wore Out long since how I envy that Sex well we Cannot plague 'em enough when we have it in Our power for those priviledges which custom Has allow'd 'em above us Aria The truth is they can run and ramble here And there and every where and we poor Fools Rather think the better of ' em Gatty From one Play-house to the other Play-house And if they like neither the Play nor the Women They seldom stay any longer than the combing Of their Perriwigs or a whisper or two with a Friend and then they cock their Caps and out they Strut again Aria But whatsoever we do prithee now let us Resolve to be mighty honest Gatty There I agree with thee Aria And if we find the Gallants like lawless Subjects who the more their Princes grant The more they impudently crave Gatty We 'll become absolute Tyrants and deprive 'Em of all the priviledges we gave 'em Aria Upon these conditions I am contented to trail A Pike under thee march along Girl Exeunt ACT II. SCENE I. The Mulberry-Garden Enter Courtal and Freeman Court WAs there ever a couple of Fops better match'd Than these two Knights are Free They are Harp and Violin Nature has so Tun'd 'em as if she intended they should Always play the Fool in Consort Court Now is Sir Oliver secure for he dares not go Home 'till he 's quite drunk and then he grows Valiant insults and defies his sweet Lady For which with Prayers and Tears he 's forc'd To feign a bitter repentance the next morning Free What do we here idling in the Mulberry-Garden Why do not we make this visit then Court Now art thou as mad upon this trail as if We were upon a hot scent Free Since we know the bush why do we not start The Game Court Gently good Franck first know that the laws Of Honour prescrib'd in such nice cases will not Allow me to carry thee along with me and next Hast thou so little wit to think that a discreet Lady that has had the experience of so much humane Frailty can have so good an opinion of the constancy Of her Servant as to lead him into temptation Free Then we must not hope her Ladiship shou'd Make us acquainted with these Gentlewomen Cour. Thou may'st as reasonably expect that an old Rook should bring a young Snap acquainted With his Bubble but advantages may be Hereafter made by my admission into the Family Free What is to be done then Cour. Why look you thus I have contriv'd it Sir Oliver when I began to grow resty that he Might incline me a little more to drunkenness In my ear discover'd to me the humour of His dear friend Sir Ioslin he assur'd me that When he was in that good natur'd condition To requite their courtesie he always carried The good Company home with him and Recommended them to his Kinswomen Free Very good Court Now after the fresh air has breath'd on us A while and expel'd the vapours of the Wine We have drunk thou shalt return to these Two Sots whom we left at the French-house According to our promise and tell 'em I am a Little stay'd by some unlucky bus'ness and Will be with 'em presently thou wilt find 'em Tir'd with long fight weak and unable to observe Their Order charge 'em briskly and in a moment Thou shalt rout 'em and with little or no damage To thy self gain an absolute Victory Free Very well Court In the mean time I will make my visit to the Longing Lady and order my business so Handsomly that I will be with thee again immediately To make an Experiment of the good humour of Sir Ioslin Free Let 's about it Court 'T is yet too early we must drill away a little Time here that my excuses may be more probable And my persecution more tolerable Enter Ariana and Gatty with Vizards and pass nimbly over the Stage Free Ha ha how wantonly they trip it there is Temptation enough in their very gate to Stir up the courage of an old Alderman Prithee let us follow ' em Cour. I have been so often balk'd with these Vizard Masks that I have at least a dozen times Forsworn 'em they are a most certain sign Of an ill face or what is worse an old Acquaintance Free The truth is nothing but some such weighty Reason is able to make women deny themselves The pride they have to be seen Cour. The Evening's fresh and pleasant and yet There is but little company Free Our Course will be the better these Deer â—â—â—not herd come come man let 's follow 〈…〉 I find it is a meer folly to forswear any 〈…〉 does but make the Devil the more 〈…〉 temptation They go after the Women Enter Women again and cross the Stage Aria Now if these should prove two men of War That are crusing here to watch for Prizes Gatty Would they had courage enough to set upon Us I long to be engag'd Aria Look look yonder I protest they chase us Gatty Let us bear away then if they be truly valiant They 'le quickly make more Sail and board us The Women go out and go about behind the Scenes to the other Door Enter Courtall and Freeman Free 'Sdeath how fleet they are whatsoever faults They have they cannot be broken-winded Cour. Sure by that little mincing step they Shou'd be Country Fillies that have been breath'd At Course a Park and Barly-Break we shall Never reach ' em Free I 'le follow directly do thou turn down the Cross-walk and meet ' em Enter the Women and after 'em Courtal at the lower Door and Free at the upper on the contrary side Cour. By your leave Ladies Gatty I perceive you can make bold enough Without it Free Your Servant Ladies Aria Or any other Ladys that will give themselves The trouble to entertain you Free ' Slife their tongues are as nimble as their heels Cour. Can you have so little good nature to dash A couple of bashful young men out