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Show 84 The ©i\Jappointment; or, lab. My Lord! I am pleas'd the Lot is fain on you j You'll keep the Sex in A&ion : W h e n w e come Hackt from the Field, to find our W o m e n right, Under good Difcipline, and Eafinefs, Is all the Chriftian Comfort of a Soldier. Alb. O ! this is but the opening of the Scene, That (hews m y Triumph. Thou (bah k n o w it all. N o anfwer of m y Letter ? Serv. None, m y Lord. Alb. Attend without. l^xit Servem, *Twas to Alphonfo\ Houfe. Lesb. Not to his Wife ? Alb. Suppcfe it were ! Lesb. D o you expect an Anfwer ? Alb. I grant a Virgin's Modefty may blufh, And ftart at her o w n Wifhes : But a Wife, A high-fed, wanton, underftanding Wife, That knows h o w Beauty in a Husband's Arms, Like Treafure rufting in a Mifer's Chefls, Lies unenjoy'd, yet coveted by all: "For fucb a Wife, fecure on every hand, F r o m Jealoufie at home, and Tongues abroad,' Youth in her Veins, and Wilbes in her Heart, That knows the Price of Opportunity j For her to trifle out the Hours of Love In coy Denials, is beyond m y Creed. Lesb. But, Sir, Report fpeaks loudly of her Virtue, Alb. W h y virtuous let her be to all the World, T o e3fie Husbands, and believing Fools : For me, F m fettled in m y Faith : Tve made A Study of the Sex, and found it frail : T h e black, the brown, the fair, the old, the young; Are earthly-minded all: There's not a She, T h e coldeft Constitution of the Sex, Nay, at the Altar, telling o'er her Beads, But fome one rifes on her heav'nly Thoughts, That drives her d o w n the Wind of ffrong Dcfire, And makes her tafte Mortality ?gain, The M O T H E R in Fafhion. Enter Servant, whifpers Alberto, and goes out. 8? Am'it her. > •his is the Hinge of m y Defigns ; Confident; the bawdy ConfefTor, t probes her Lady's Confcience to the quick, wive it Eafe She comes ! you muft withdraw, h Enter Clara. flat Comfort ? Speak, thou Meffenger of Love. Clar. Undone ! undone ! for ever ! O m y Lord ! was b^rn to be ruin'd in your Service ! Alb. Hah ! what's the Matter ? Ckr. Your Letter, by what Accident I k n o w nor, ifaln into m y Lord's Hands. Alb. Death and Hell! then all's difcover d. Clar. O nothing but m y Falfhood. Alb. The Duke's N a m e was fubferib'd. Clar. Ay, you are not fufpe<fted : But the Credit Df my Fan&ion's loft for ever. I -have wept nd fworn m y Innocence over, and over -, ,nd all to no Purpofe. Alb. That's hard indeed. Clar. He's waging mad, and has laid fuch a ftri& lonrmement on m y poor Lady, fo hardly us'd her, hat fure fhe'll never think of Mankind m o r e - - [Alb. fhews a Purfe. Inlefs the Thoughts of ferving your Lordfhip, prevail Jpon my Good-Nature, to bring her about again. Alb. Here, thou haft w o n it fairly. Clar. Our Doors are all barr'd up, and none can find Omittance but Lorenzo. 'Twas with difficulty ftolc to find you out, and let you k n ow am not idle: Leave the reft to m e : I muft away. [Exl Lesb. I've heard it all. And n o w m y Lord your Thoughts upon the Matter ? Alb. Faith, were knot for a charitable Principle of m y rirtuous Friend there, in fetting all Things right again, he Power of m y Gold, and her o w n natural Inclinations to the Office, I fhould think m y Affairs were but in a melancholy Condition. Uib. What do you refolye on }' 4ft |