+Alex.+ Why, you young witch, call your elder brother fool! But go thy ways, and keep thy maidenhead till it grow more deservedly despised than are the old base boots of a half-stewed pander: lead a Welsh morris with the apes in hell amongst the little devils; or, when thou shalt lie sighing by the side of some rich fool, remember, thou thing of thread and needles, not worth threepence halfpenny. +Moll.+ Too late, I fear; I ha' been too coy. [_Aside._] You are to be married then, sir? +Anc.+ I am indeed, sweet mistress, to a maid Of excellent parentage, breeding, and beauty. +Alex.+ I ha' thought of such musicians for thee! +Anc.+ But let it not be any way distasteful unto you, that thus I tried you; for your brother persuaded me to pretend to love you, that he might perceive how your mind stood to marriage, in that, as I guess, he has a husband kept in store for you. +Alex.+ Ay, I have provided a husband for thee, Moll. +Moll.+ But I'll have no husband of your providing; for, alas! now I shall have the old man, whether I will or no. +Alex.+ I have such a stripling for thee, he wants one eye, and is crooked-legged; but that was broke at football. +Anc.+ Alas! we cannot mould men, you know. +Alex.+ He's rich, he's rich, Moll. +Moll.+ I hate him and his riches. Good sir, are you to be married in earnest? +Alex.+ In earnest! Why, do you think men marry, as fencers sometimes fight, in jest? Shall I show her Mistress Elizabeth's letter I snatched from thee? [_To +Ancient+._ +Anc.+ Not, and thou lovest me. +Moll.+ Good brother, let me see it; sweet brother, dainty brother, honey brother. +Alex.+ No indeed, you shall not see it, sweet sister, dainty sister, honey sister. +Moll.+ O good sir, since so long time I have loved you, let me not die for your sake. +Alex.+ The tide turns. [_Aside._ +Anc.+ Long time loved me! +Moll.+ Long ere you went to sea, I did. I have lov'd you very long with all my heart. +Alex.+ Think of Bess, think of Bess; 'tis the better match. +Moll.+ You wicked brother! Indeed I love you better than all the Besses in the world; and if to-night I shift not into better fortunes, to-morrow I am made the miserablest wife marriage and misery can produce. +Alex.+ Is't possible? +Moll.+ Alas, sir! I am to marry an old man--a very old man, trust me. I was strange[83] in the nice timorous temper of a maid: I know 'tis against our sex to say we love; but rather than match with sixty and ten, threescore and ten times I would tell you so, and tell them ten times over, too. Truth loves not virtue with more of virtuous truth than I do you; and wonnot you love me then? [_Weeps._