_Mir._ My Lord the Prince! now you are kind indeed.
[Goes and embraces him.
--hah! what means this Unconcern?
_Prince._ I thought I’ad left you sick, extremely sick.
_Mir._ And are you griev’d to find my Health return?
_Prince._ No, wondrous glad of it. You’re mighty gay, _Mirtilla_, much
in Glory.
_Mir._ Can he, who lays his Fortune at my Feet, think me too glorious
for his Arms and Eyes?
_Geo._ Fifty to one the Gipsy jilts him yet. [Aside.
_Prince._ Pray Heaven she lyes but handsomly-- [Aside.
--for mine, _Mirtilla_! Ha--ha--
_Mir._ Am I not yours? You cannot doubt my Vows.
_Geo._ She’ll do’t, and make me love her anew for her rare dexterity at
dissembling.
_Prince._ I left you wearied, going to your Bed, but find you at your
Toylet gayly dress’d, as if some Conquest you design’d e’er morning.
_Mir._ _Manage_, Sir, from the Fire, secur’d these Trifles, and I was
trying several Dresses on; that this slight Beauty that you say has
charm’d you, might, when you saw it next, complete the Conquest.
_Geo._ And that thou wilt, if Flattery can do’t.
_Prince._ Now, were she guilty, as I’m sure she’s not, this Softness
would undo me, and appease me.
_Mir._ You seem as if you doubted what I say.
[This while, _Olivia_ gets off unseen.
By all the Powers--
_Prince._ Hold, I scorn to need an Oath to fix my Faith; Oh! thou art
all divine, and canst not err.
[Embraces her.
Curs’d be the Tongue that dares profane thy Virtue, and curs’d the
listning Fool that dares believe it.
_Geo._ What a poor, wretched, baffled thing is Man, by feebler Woman
aw’d and made a Coxcomb!
_Mir._ Durst any one traduce my Virtue, Sir, and is it possible that you
could hear it?--Then perish all the Beauties you have flatter’d.
[Tears her Head-things.
_Prince._ Come to my Arms, thou Charmer of my Soul! and if one spark of
Jealousy remain, one of those precious Tears shall quench the Crime--Oh,
come, and let me lead thee to thy Bed, and breathe new Vows into thy
panting Bosom.
[Leads her off, she looks back on _George_ and smiles.
_Geo._ Now all the Plagues of injur’d Lovers wreck thee; ‘Sdeath, where
has she hid _Olivia_? or how am I deceiv’d?--’Tis Day, and with it new
Invention rise to damn this Woman to the sin of Shame; break all the
Chains that hold the princely Youth, and sink her with her fancy’d Power
and Vanity.
[Exit.
SCENE III. Changes to Lady _Youthly’s_.
Enter Sir _Rowland_ half dress’d, Lady _Blunder_ in an Undress,
Lady _Youthly_ in her morning-dress, _Teresia_ and Mr. _Twang_.
Sir _Row._ Morrow, my Lady _Youthly_, and thank you for my Night’s
Lodging--You are as early up as if it had been your Wedding-day.
L. _Youth._ Truly, Sir _Rowland_, that I intend.
Sir _Row._ But where’s the Bride-groom, Madam?
Enter _Roger_.
How now, _Roger_, what, no news yet of _George_?
_Rog._ Alas! none, Sir, none, till the Rubbish be removed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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