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Show r 55o E S 0 P. Enter Learcus and Euphronia, Doris following at a diftance. Lear, to Euph.~) I muft tell you, Miftrefs, I'm too mild with you ; Parents fhou'd never intreat their Children, nor will I hereafter. Therefore, in a word, let Efop be lov'd, let Oronces be hated; let one be a Peacock, let t'other be a Bat: I'm Father, you are Daugh-ter; I command, and you fhall obey. Euph. I never yet did otherwife; nor fhall I now, Sir ; but pray let Reafon guide you. Lear. So it does: But 'tis m y own, not yours, Huffey. Dor. A h - W e l l , I'll fay no more; but were I in her place, by the Mafs I'd have a tug for't. Lear. Daemon, born to diftract me. Whence art thou, in the name of Fire and Brimftone ? Have I not fatisfy'd thee ? Have I not paid thee what's thy due ? And have not I turn'd thee out of doors, with Orders never more to ftride m y Threfhold, H a ? Anfwer, abominable Spirit; what is't that makes thee haunt me ? Dor. A foolifh Paftion, to do you good in fpite of your teeth : Pox on m e for m y Zeal, I fay. Lear. And Pox on thee, and thy Zeal too, I fay. Dor. N o w if it were not for her fake more than for yours, I'd leave all to your own Management, to be reveng'd of you. But rather than I'll fee that fweet thin° facrificed I'll play the Devil in your Houfe. Lear. Patience, I fummon thee to m y Aid. Dor. Paftion, I defy thee; to the laft drop of my Blood I'll maintain m y Ground. What have you to charge m e with ? Speak: I love your Child better than you do, and you can't bear that, ha ? Is't not fo ? Nay, it's well y'are afham'd on'tj there's fome fign of Grace ftill. Look you, Sir, in few words, you'll make m e mad ; and 'twere enough to make any body mad (who has Brains enough to be fo) to fee fo much Virtue fhip-wreck'd at the very Port. The World never faw a Virgin better qualify'd ; fo witty, fo difcreet, fo modeft, fo chafte ; in a word, I brought her up m y felf; a ™ 'twoud £ 5 0 P.^T 251 'twouM be the death of m e, to fee fo virtuous a Maid become a leud Wife •, which is the ufual effect of Parents pride and Covetoufnefs. Lear. H o w , Strumpet! wou'd any thing be able to debauch m y Daughter ? Dor. Your Daughter! Yes, your Daughter, and my felf into the bargain : A Woman's but a W o m a n *, and I'll lay a hundred Pound on Nature's fide. Come, Sir, few words difpatch Bufinefs. Let who will be the Wife of Efop, fhe's a Fool, or he's a Cuckold. But you'll never have a true Notion of this mattet, till you luppofe your felf in your Daughter's place. . As thus: You are a pretty, foft, warm, wifhing young Lady : I'm a ftrait, proper, handfome, vigorous, young Fellow. You have a peevifh, pofitive, covetous, old Father, and he forces you to marry a little, lean, crooked, dry, faplefs Husband. This Husband's gone abroad, you are left at home. I make you a Vifit; find you all alone •, the Servant pulls to the Door •, the Devil comes in at the Window. I begin to wheedle, you begin to melt ; you like m y Perfon, and therefore believe all I fay; fo firft I make you an Atheift, and then 1 make you a Whore. Thus the World goes, Sir. Lear. Pernicious Peftilence! Has not thy eternal Tongue run down its L a m m yet ? Dor. Yes. Lear. Then go out of m y Houfe, Abomination. Dor. I'll not ftir a foot, Lear. W h o waits there ? Bring m e m y great Stick. Dor. Bring you a Stick ! bring you a Head-piece: that you'd call for, if you knew your own wants. Lear. Death and Furies, the Devil, and fo forth ^ 1 fhall run diffracted. Euph. Pray, Sir, don't be fo angry at her, 1 m fure fhe means well, tho fhe may have an odd way of ex-prefting herfelf. _ „„, , , Lear. What, you like her meaning? W h o doubts it, Offspring of Venus ? But I'll make you ftay your Stomach with Meat of m y chufing, you hquonfh young Baggage you. In a word, Efop's the Man morrow he fhall be your Lord and Mafter, and to- But |