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Show 36 The R E H E A R S A L . Bayes. Held the Honour of your Company; prettily ex prefs'd: Held the Honour of your Company ! Gadzookers thefe Fellows will never take notice of any thin<*. Johnf I affure you, Sir, I admire it extremely; I don't know what he does. Bayes. Ay, ay, he's a little envious ; but'tis no great matter. Come. 6 Ama. Pray let us two this fingle Boon obtain ! That you will here, with poor us, ftill remain ! Before your Horfes come, proneunce our Fate For then, alas ! I fear 'twill be too late. Bates. Sad ! Volf Barry, m y Boots ; for I'll go range among M y Blades encamp'd, and quit this Vrban Throne. Smith. But pray, M r . Bayes, is not this a little difficult that you were faying e'en now, to keep an Army thus conceal'd in Knights- bridge ? Bayes. In Knights-bridge P Stay. Johnf No, not if the Inn-keepers be his Friends. Bayes. His Friends! ay, Sir, his intimate Acquaintance ; or elfe indeed I grant it could not be. Smith. Yes, faith, fo it might be very eafy. Bayes. Nay, if I do not make all things eafy, I'gad I'll give you leave to hang me. N o w you would think that he's going out of T o w n ; but you fhall fee how prettily i have ccntriv'd to flop him prefently. Smith. By m y troth, Sir, you have fo amaz'd me, that I know not what to think. Enter Parthenope. Volf. Blefs m e ! h o w frail are all m y beii Refolves! Flow, in a moment, is m y Purpofe chang Too foon I thought myfelf fecure from Love. Fair M a d a m , give m e leave to ask her Name, WAho does fo gently rob m e of m y Fame : For I fhould meet the A r m y out of T o w n, And if I fail, mnft hazard m y Renown. Par. M y Mother, Sir, fells Ale by the Town-Walls ; And m e her dear Parthenope fhe calls. Bayes. Nov > the Parthenope I told you of. Johnf Ay, ay, I'gad, you are very right. Volf. Can vulgar Veftments high-born Beauty fhroud ? Thou bring'ft the Morning pictur'd in a Cloud. Bayes. The R E H E A R S A L . 37 Bayes. T h e Morning pictur'd in a Cloud ! A h gadzookers, what a Conceit is there ! Par. Give you good Even, Sir. [Exit. Volf. O inaufpicious Stars ! that I was born T o fudden Love, and to more fudden Scorn ! Ama. 7 How, Prince, Volfcius in love? Ha, ha, ha! Clo. 5 [Exeunt laughing. Smith. Sure, M r . Bayes, we have loft fome Jefl here, that they laugh at fo. Bayes. W h y , did you not obferve ? H e firft refolves to go out of T o w n , and then as he's pulling on his Boots, falls in love with her ; ha, ha, ha ! Smith. Well, and where lies the Jeft of that ? Bayes. H a ? [Turns to Johnf. Johnf W h y in the Boots ? where fhould the Jeft lie ? Bayes. I'gad, you are in the right: it does he in the Boots [Turns to Smith. Your Friend and I know where a good Jeit lies, tho' you don't, Sir. Smith. M u c h good do't you, Sir. Bayes. Here now, Mr. Johnfon, you fhall fee a Combat betwixt Love and Honour. An antient Author has made a whole Play on't; but I have difpatch'd it all in this Scene. Volfcius fits down to pull on his Boots : Bayesfiands by, and over ads the Part as he [peaks it. Volf H o w has m y Paftion made m e Cupid's Scoff! This hafty Boot is on, the other off, And Allien lies with amorous DeftVn, T o quit loud Fame, and make that Beauty minr\ Smith. Prithee mark what pains M r . Bayes takes to act this Speech himfelf! Johnf. Yes, the Fool, I fee, is mightily tranfportcd with it. Volf. M y Legs the Emblem of m v various Thought Shew to what fad Detraction I a m brought."3 Sometimes with ftubborn Honour, like this Boot, M y Mind is guarded, and refolv'd to do't: Sometimes again, that very Mind, by Love Difarmed, like this other Leg does prove. Shall I to Honour or to Love give way ? G o on, cries Honour; tender Love fays, N a y : Honour • |