Poor harmless animal--pretty e'en in death: Death might have overlooked thy little life-- How could'st thou, Robin, leave thy nuts and me? How was't importunate, dearest, thou should'st die? Thou never did'st invade thy neighbour's soils; Never mad'st war with specious shows of peace; Thou never hast depopulated regions, But cheerfully did'st bear thy little chain, Content--so I but fed thee with this hand. _Tat._ Alas, alas! we are all mortal. Consider, madam, my lord's dead too. [_Weeps._ _Wid._ Ay, but our animal friends do wholly die; an husband or relation, after death, is rewarded or tormented; that's some consolation--I know her tears are false, for she hated Robin always; but she's a well-bred, dishonest servant, that never speaks a painful truth. [_Aside._]--But I'll resolve to conquer my affliction--never speak more of Robin--hide him there. But to my dress: How soberly magnificent is black--and the train--I wonder how widows came to wear such long tails? _Tat._ Why, madam, the stateliest of all creatures has the longest tail; the peacock, nay, 't has of all creatures the finest mien too--except your ladyship, who are a Phœnix---- _Wid._ Ho! brave Tattleaid! But did not you observe what a whining my Lady Sly made when she had drank a little? Did you believe her? Do you think there are really people sorry for their husbands? _Tat._ Really, madam, some men do leave their fortunes in such distraction that I believe it may be----[_Speaks with pins in her mouth._ _Wid._ But I swear I wonder how it came up to dress us thus. I protest, when all my equipage is ready, and I move in full pageantry, I shall fancy myself an embassadress from the Commonwealth of Women, the distressed State of Amazonia--to treat for men. But I protest I wonder how two of us thus clad can meet with a grave face! Methinks they should laugh out like two fortune-tellers, or two opponent lawyers that know each other for cheats---- _Tat._ Ha! ha! ha! I swear to you, madam, your ladyship's wit will choke me one time or other. I had like to have swallowed all the pins in my mouth---- _Wid._ But, Tatty, to keep house six weeks, that's another barbarous custom; but the reason of it, I suppose, was that the base people should not see people of quality may be as afflicted as themselves. _Tat._ No, 'tis because they should not see 'em as merry as themselves.