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Show %0 The Recruiting Officer. Ball. O, my noble Captain! Rofe. And m y noble Captain too, Sir. Plume. 'Sdeath, Child! are you m a d ? Mr. Ballance, I a m fo full of bufinefs about m y Recruits, that I ha'n't a moment's time to I have juft now three or four People to Ball. Nay, Captain, I muft fpeak to you Rofe. And fo muft I too, Captain. Plume. Any other time, Sir • I cannot for m y Life^ Sir * Ball. Pray, Sir Plume. Twenty thoufand things • I wou'd • but now, Sir, pray Devil take m e I cannot I muft - [Breaks away. Ball. Nay, 111 follow you. [Exit. Rofe. And I too. [Exit. S C E N E, The Walk by the Severn fide. Enter Melinda, and her Maid Lucy. Mel. And pray, was it a Ring, or Buckle, or Pendants, or Knots ? or, in what Shape was the Almighty Gold transform'd, that has brib'd you io much in his Favour ? Luc. Indeed, Madam, the laft Bribe I had was from the Captain, and that was only a fmall piece of Flanders Edging for Pinners. Mel. Ay, Flanders Lace is as conftant a Prefent from Officers to their W o m e n , as fomething elfe is from their W o m e n to them. They every Year bring over a Cargo of Lace, to cheat the Queen of her Duty, and her Subjects of their Honefty. Luc. They only barter one fort of prohibited Goods for another, Madam. Mel. Has any of 'em been bartering with you, Mrs. Pert, that you talk lo like a Trader? Luc. Madam, you talk as peevifhly to me, as if it were m y fault; the Crime is none of mine, tho' I pretend to excufe it: tho'he fhou'd not fee you this Week, can I help it ? But as I was faying, M a d a m his Friend, Captain Plume, has fo taken him up this two Days. Mel. Pftia ! wou'd his Friend, the Captain, were ty'd upon his Back ; I warrant, he has never been fober fince that confounded Captain came to T o w n : The Devil take all Oflirers, I fry they do the Nation more harm by debauching us at home, than they do good by defending us abroad: s |