_Prince._ And thou to mine as the kind Mistress to the longing Lover; my Soul’s Delight, and Darling of the Fair. _Geo._ Ah Prince! you touch my bleeding Wound. _Prince._ Ha, _Lejere_! leave to unhappy Lovers those Sighs, those folded Arms, and down-cast Eyes. _Geo._ Then they are fit for me; my Mistress, Sir, that Treasure of my Life, for whom you’ve heard me sigh, is perjur’d, false, and married to another. Yet what is worse, I find my Prince, my Friend, here in my native Country, and am not able to pay him what his Greatness merits. _Prince._ You pain me when you compliment my Friendship. [Embracing. _Geo._ Perhaps you will not think me worth this Honour, when you shall hear my Story. _Prince._ Thou canst say nothing I can value less. _Geo._ Perhaps too my way of Living has deceiv’d you, being still receiv’d by Princes, as Companions in all their Riots, Loves, and Divertisements; where ev’n you did me the Honour to esteem, and call me Friend. _Prince._ Whate’er thou art, I’m sure thy Mind’s illustrious. _Geo._ My Family, I must confess, is honourable; but, Sir, my Father was the younger House, of which my unhappy self was destin’d to be last: I’m a _Cadet_, that Out-cast of my Family, and born to that curse of our old _English_ Custom. Whereas in other Countries, younger Brothers are train’d up to the Exercise of Arms, where Honour and Renown attend the Brave; we basely bind our youngest out to Slavery, to lazy Trades, idly confin’d to Shops or Merchants Books, debasing of the Spirit to the mean Cunning, how to cheat and chaffer. _Prince._ A Custom insupportable!-- _Geo._ To this, to this low wretchedness of Life, your Servant, Sir--was destin’d by his Parents, and am yet this bound indentur’d Slave. _Prince._ Thou hast no cause to quarrel with thy Stars, since Virtue is most valu’d when opprest--Are all your Merchants Apprentices thus gay? _Geo._ Not all--but, Sir, I could not bow my Mind to this so necessary Drudgery; and yet however, I assum’d my native Temper, when out o’th’ Trading City; in it, I forc’d my Nature to a dull slovenly Gravity, which well enough deceiv’d the busy Block-heads; my Clothes and Equipage I lodg’d at this End of the Town, where I still pass’d for something better than I was, whene’er I pleas’d to change the Trader for the Gentleman. _Prince._ And liv’d thus undiscover’d-- _Geo._ With Ease, still lov’d and courted by the Great, ever play’d high with those durst venture most; and durst make Love where’er my Fancy lik’d: but sometimes running out my Master’s Cash, (which was supply’d still by my Father) they sent me, to reform my expensive Life, a Factor, into _France_--still I essay’d to be a plodding Thriver, but found my Parts not form’d for dirty Business. _Prince._ There’s not a Thought, an Action of thy Soul, that does not tend to something far more glorious. _Geo._ If yet you think me worthy of your Favour, command that Life you have so oft preserv’d.