Let us now see what Quarter the _Stage_ gives to _Quality_. And here we shall find them extreamly free, and familiar. They dress up the _Lords_ in Nick Names, and expose them in _Characters_ of Contempt. _Lord Froth_ is explain'd a _Solemn Coxcomb_;[342] And _Lord Rake_, and _Lord Foplington_ give you their Talent in their Title.[343] Lord _Plausible_ in the _Plain Dealer_ Acts a ridiculous Part, but is with all very civil. He tells _Manly he never attempted to abuse any Person_, The other answers; _What? you were afraid?_[344] _Manly_ goes on and declares _He would call a Rascal by no other Title, tho' his Father had left him a Dukes_.[345] That is, he would call a Duke a Rascal. This I confess is very much _Plain Dealing_. Such Freedoms would appear but odly in Life, especially without Provocation. I must own the _Poet_ to be an Author of good Sense; But under favour, these jests, if we may call them so, are somewhat high Season'd, the Humour seems overstrain'd, and the _Character_ push'd too far. To proceed. _Mustapha_ was selling _Don Alvarez_ for a Slave. The Merchant asks _what Virtues he has_.[346] _Mustapha_ replies. _Virtues quoth ah! He is of a great Family and Rich, what other Virtues would'st thou have in a Nobleman?_ Don _Carlos_ in _Love Triumphant_ stands for a Gentleman, and a Man of Sense, and out-throws _Mustapha_ a Bars Length. He tells us _Nature has given_ Sancho _an empty Noddle, but Fortune in revenge has fill'd his Pockets: just a Lords Estate in Land and Wit_.[347] This is a handsom Compliment to the Nobility! And my Lord _Salisbury_ had no doubt of it a good Bargain of the _Dedication_.[348] _Teresa's_ general Description of a Countess is considerable in its Kind: But only 'tis in no Condition to appear. In the _Relapse_, Sir _Tunbelly_ who had Mistaken Young _Fashion_ for Lord _Foplington_, was afterwards undeceiv'd; and before the surprize was quite over, puts the Question, _is it then possible that this should be the true Lord_ Foplington _at Last_? The Nobleman removes the scruple with great Civility and Discretion! _Lord_ Fopl. _Why what do you see in his Face to make you doubt of it? Sir without presuming to have an extraordinary Opinion of my Figure, give me leave to tell you, if you had seen as many Lords as I have done you would not think it Impossible A Person of a worse Taille then mine might be a Modern Man of Quality._[349] I'm sorry to hear _Modern Quality_ degenerates so much. But by the way, these Liberties are altogether new. They are unpractised by the Latin _Comedians_, and by the _English_ too till very lately, as the _Plain Dealer_ observes.[350] And as for _Moliere_ in _France_, he pretends to fly his Satir no higher than a Marquis.[351]