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Show The Recruiting Officer. 53 Enter Plume and Worthy. Wor. O , Doctor ! That Letter's worth a Million, let m e fee it, and now I have it, I'm afraid to open it. Plume. Pho! Let me fee it? (Opening the Letter.) If (he be a Jilt! Damn her, fhe is one There's her N a m e at the bottom on't. Wor. H o w ! Then I'll travel in good earneft By all my Hopes, 'tis Lucy's Hand. Plume. Lucy'sl Wor. Certainly 'tis no more like Aielind.is Character than Black is to white. Plume. Then 'tis certainly Lucy's Contrivance to draw in , Brazen for a Husband But are you fure 'tis not Mdiiula Hand? Wor. You fhall fee; where's the bit of Paper I gave you juft n o w that the Devil writ Melinda upon. Kite. Here, Sir. Plume. 'Tis plain they're not the fame; and is this the m a licious N a m e that was iubferibed to the Letter, which made Mr. Ballance fend his Daughter into the Country. Wor. The very fame, the other Fragments I fhew'd you juft now. Plume. But twas barbarous to conceal this fo long, and to continue me fo many hours in the pernicious Hereiie of believing that Angelick Creature cou'd change: Poor Silvia * Wor. Rich Silvia you mean, and poor Captain, ha, ha, ha, Come, come, Friend, Melinda is true, and lhall be mine; Silvia is conftant, and may be yours. Plume. N o , fhe's above m y Hopes But for her fake I'll recant m y Opinion of her Sex. By fome the Sex is blam'd without Defign, Light harmlefs Cenfure, fuch as yours and mine, Sallys of Wit, and Vapours of our Wine. Others the Jufiice of the Sex condemn, And wanting Merit to create Efieem, Woud hide their own Defetls by cens'ring them. But they fecure in their all-conqu 'ring Charms Laugh at the vain Efforts of falfe Alarms ; He magnifies their Conquefis who complains, For none wou'd flruggle were they not in Chains. The End of the Fourth ACT. Dd4 y i (Exeuntt ACT |
