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Show -Q£~~ " The Rival Ladies. Should be prefer'd to Julia her felt / Could anv Man thinldt a greater good T o fave a Rival, than poffefs a Miftrefs Yet this I do ; thefe are thy riddles Love; What Fortune gives m e I m y felt deftroy , And feed m y Virtue, but toftarvemy Joy. Honour fits on m e like fome heavy Armour, And with its ftiff defence incumbers m e : And yet when I would put it off it fticks. Like Hercules his Shirt; heats m e at once, And Poyfons m e .' , Man. I find m y felf grow calm by thy example , M y panting Heart heaves lefsand lets each Pulle; And all the boiling Spirits featter from it. Since thou defir'ft he fhould not die, he fhall not Till I on nobler Terms can take his Life. Rod. The next turn may be yours: Remember, Julia, I ow'd this danger to your wilfulness; rg . Rodorick Once you might eafily have been mine, and would not. [Exit Kooonc*. Man. Lead out m y Sifter, Friend, her hurt's fo fmau 'Twill fcarce difturb the Ceremony : ^^^ Ladies once more your Pardons. A / • x LJ fc,i;a *«X W J W J - [mint Julia, Gonfalvo, Amideo: Gonfalvooffers his hand, Juliapfc****". Jul. This hand would rife inBlifters ftiould'ft thou touch it: M y Rodortck's difpleas'd with me, and thou Unlucky M a n the caufe; dare not fo much ^ ^ As once to follow m e L J Gonf. Not follow her! Alas fhe need not bid me.' O how could I prefume to take that hand T o which mine prov'd fo fatal! Nay, if I might, fhould I not fear to touch it? A Murd'rers touch would make it bleed afrefh. Amid. I think, Sir, I could kill her for your fake. Gonf. Repent that word, or I fhall hate thee ftrangely : Harfh words from her, like blows from angry Kings, Though they are meant Affronts, are conftrued Favours Hip. Her Inclinations and Averfions Arebothalikeunjuft; and both, I hope, Too violent to laft, chear up your felf; \Ajyde, For if I live (I hope I fhall not long) She fhall be yours. Amid. 'Twere much more Noble in him T o make a Conqueft of himfelf than her. She ne'er can merit him, and hadft not thou A mean low Soul, thou wouldft not name her to him. Hip. Poor Child, who wouldft be Wife above thy Years, W h y doft thou talk like a Philofopher, Of Conquering Love, who art not yet grown up To try the force of any Manly Paffion? The fweetnefs of thy Mother's Milk is yet Within thy Veins, notfowr'd and turn'd by Love. Gonf. Thou haft not Field enough in thy young Breaft, To entertain fuch ftorms to ftruggle in. Amid. Young as I am, I know the pow'r ofLove; Its lefs Difquiets, and its greater Cares, And all that's in it, but the Happinefs. Truft a Boys word, Sir, if you pleafe, and take M y Innocence for Wifdom ; Leave this Lady; Ceafeto perfuade your felf you are in Love, And you will foon be freed : Not that I wifh A thing fo noble as your Paffion, loft T o all the Sex ; beftow it on fome other; You'll find many as Fair, though none fo Cruet Would I could be a Lady for your fake. • /r The Rival Ladies. Hip. If I could be a W o m a n with a wifh, You thould not be without a Rival long, Amid. A Cedar of your Stature would not caufe Much jealoufie. Hip. More than a Shrub of yours. Gonf. H o w eagerly thefe Boys fall out for nothing» Tell m e Hippolito, wert thou a W o m a n , W h o would'ft thou be ? Hip. I would be Julia, Sir, Becaufe you Love her. Amid. I would not be fhe, ecaufe fhe Loves not you. Hip. True, Amideo: And therefore I would wifh m y felf a Lady, W h o I a m fure does infinitely love him. Amid. I hope that Lady has a N a m e : • Hip. She has; Andfhe is czM'dHonoria, Sifter to This Julia, and bred up at Banellona. W h o loves him with a Flame fo pure and fo Noble, That did fhe know his Love to Julia, She would beg Julia to make him happy. Gonf. This ttartles m e ! Amid. O h Sir, believe him not; They Love not truly, w h o on any terms Can part with what they love. Gonf. I faw a Lady At Banellona of what name I know not, W h o next to Julia was the faireft Creature M y Eyes did e'er behold : But how cam'ft thou T o know her ? Hip. Sir, fome other time I'll tell you. Amid. It could not be Honoria w h o m you faw, For, Sir, fhe has a Face fo very ugly, That if fhe were a Saint for Holinefs, Yet no M a n would feek Virtue there. Hip. This is the lying'ft Boy, Sir, I am fure H e never faw Honor ia; for her Face 'Tis not fo bad to fright any M a n; None ofthe Wits have Libell'd it. Amid. Don Roderick's Sifter, Angellina, does So far exceed her in the Ornaments Of Wit and Beauty, though n o w hid from fight, That like the Sun (ev'n while Eclips'd) fhecafts A yellownefs upon all other Faces. Hip. I'll not fay much other; but only this, Don Manuel faw not with his Eyes, if e'er H e lov'd that Flanders fhape, that lump of Earth And Flegm together. Amid. You have often feen her It feems by your Defcription of her Perfon : But I'll maintain on any Spanifh ground, Whate'er fhe be, yet fhe is far more worthy T o have m y Lord her Servant, than Honor ia. Hip. And I'll maintain Honoria's right againft her In any partof all the World. Gonf. You go Too far, to quarrel on fo flight a ground. Hip. O pardon me, m y Lord, it is not flight: I muft confefs I a m fo much concern'd I fhall not bear it long. Amid. Nor I, affureyou. Gonf. I will believe what both of you have faid, That Honoria and Angellina 3oth equally are fair. M I |