Let no ill-natur'd She feverely fay Her fairer Friend's fuccessful Pow'r in Love; Les Satyr be the Word, and the whole Subject Man. Tell of dull Knights, fad Squires, and wretched Cits, Then Jay what Wine, what Friends, what choice Delights, Where's your Mafter? Enter Trick. Trick. He'll e here in a minute, Sir; just get rid of a little Misfortune that follows him. Cler. Misfortune! What Misfortune? Gler. The Devil! Is the with him? Trick. Too true, Sir: Your ancient Gentlewoman is a tenacious Animal,they feldom loose their hold 'till they have drawn Blood; tho' to give my Mafter his due, he lives after a frank manner enough with her; -he'll make no fcruple of dropping her, leave her to daggle about the Fair by her felf, at the firft Stop fhe makes; we shall have him here préfently- See, didn't I tell you fo, Sir? Enter Friendly. Friend. Dear Clerimont, I have Ten Thoufand Pardons to beg of you; I trefpafs upon your Patience at a strange rate. Cler. Dear Sir, truce with your Compliments; and if you please, let us come to the Matter in hand- Yon new House is my Uncle's. Trick. Twou'd ha' made your Honour a pretty Seat, if you had not fallen out with him. ry Cler. He has been there with his Daughter thefe Three Days, you are in love with her, have a mind to marher; he's a fantastical obftinate old Fellow, and refolves against parting either with her or his Mony, but to a Coxcomb of his own chufing; who (by the way) came down in the fame Coach with me to-day, -fo that unlefs we can find out fomeStratagem to make an Afs of him, and a happy Man of you, poor Angelica muft die a Maid, or marry the Fool, as aforefaid. Friend. In order to that we have already taken all meafures, tho' I muft own I apprehend fome Difficulty in the Execution of 'em.- Did the Booby Lover that came with you know you? Cler. Not at all. I'll affure you he's a most extraordinary Perfon, and a Biter, as his miferable FellowTravellers, the very Coachman, and indeed every body we met upon the Road found to their Coft. Friend. The Devil he is! That new Generation of Wags are the most insufferable Teizers! -It happens luckily enough; for your Uncle has met with 'em fome where or other, and I fuppofe has been bit to the purpose, for he raves raves at the very mention of the Word, fwears 'tis a vil lanous Defign to corrupt all our Morality, and breed up our Youth in the Practice of early Lying; he hopes to fee it made Felony by Act of Parliament.- I perceive my Rival will hardly prove fo formidable as we took him to be. Trick. Fear nothing, Sir; Rug's the Word, all's fafe. For the old Gentleman, leave him to me. This Fairtime gives his Country Neighbours a Liberty of coming to his Houfe, tho' the Infide of it at another time is as hard to be feen as a fortify'd Place in the time of War,but the Devil's in him if he can keep us out now:I have engag'd two or three very pretty Fellows here of the Town to be of the Party with us, fmart Dogs for the contriving part, and of moft invincible paffive Courage to go thro' with the Execution,they have had the Honour to be beaten black and blue in feveral Adventures already. Cler. For the reft, the lovely Mariana, your charming Kinfwoman, has engag'd a notable Limb of the Law, a City Sollicitor, in your Interefts;-if there be any thing in his way of Roguery to do you Service you may depend upon him. My Uncle is luckily enough too in Love with Mariana, to a very ridiculous Extravagance; and when a Woman of Wit and Beauty has an old Fellow under those Circumftances, fhe feldom fails of a Secret to make him pliant. Friend. But can you, who are fo delicate a Lover, allow Mariana to make any Advances to this extravagant Uncle of yours? Cler. To truft you then with a Secret of the laft Importance, you must know I have been marry'd to her this Week. Friend. To Mariana! Cler. She has made me the happie ft Man in the World. ter? Cler. Not a Syllable; I have been fo long upon fcurvy |