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Show **rt_ And ask him Pardon, as I do m y Father, W h e n 1 have done a Fault. , ntlicr be in Pain K/P P™//*" has often faid that Nature makes Nothing in vain: W h y then are W o m e n made ? Are they to fuck the Poylon of the Ear h As gaudy colour'd Serpents are? I'll ask that OnHlion when next I fee him here. Qucition, E^ Mirandi and Dormdapeefing. Dor. O Sifter, there it is; it walks about like one ot us. Mir. I, iuft fo; and he has Legs as w e have too HIP. It ftrangely puzzles m e : Yet'tis moft likely W o m e n are fomewhat between M e n and Spirits. Z. Heark! It talks, fure this is not it m y Father meant, For this is juft like one of us: Methinks I a m not halt So much afraid on't as I was: See, now it turns this way. Mir. Heav'n ! What a goodly thing it is t Dor. I'll go nearer it. :-' Mir. Ono, 'tis Dangerous, Sifter! I'll go to it. I would not for the World that you fhould venture. M y Father charg'd m e to fecure youTrom it. Dor. I warrant youth* is a tame Man, dear Sifter, He'll not-hurt me, I fee it by his Looks. • M r . Indeed he will! But go back, and he fhall Eat m e hilt. Fye, are you not afham'd to be fo much iriquifitive ? Dor. You chide m e for't, and wou'd give your felt. Mir. Come back, or I will tell m y Father. Obferve how he begins to ftare already. I'll meet the Danger firft, and then call you. _ Dor. Nay, Sifter, you fhall never vanquifh m e in kmdnels. I'll venture you, no more, than you will me. Profp. [Witbw.~] Miranda, Child, where are you? Mir. D o you nOt hear m y Father call ? G o in. Dor. 'Twas you he nam'd, not me;: I will but fay m y Prayers, And follow you immediately. J" . ... , jjfti Well, Sifter, you'll repeat it. ltxtt Miranda. Dor. Though I Die for't, I muft have th' other peep. ' ' ' , r,, Hip. [Seeing her.-] What thing is that ? Sure'tis fome Infant of tWSun, (frets d in its Father's gayeft Beams, and comes to play with Birds i M y Sight is daZl d, and yet I find I'm loath to fhut m y Eyes. I muft go nearer it but ftay a while, May it not be that Beauteous Murderer, W o m a n, Which I was charg'd to fhun? Speak, What art thou ? Thou fhining Vifion! Dor. Alats! I know not: But I'm told I a m a W o m a n . Do not hurt me, pray, Fair Thing/' Hip. I'd fooncr tear m y Eyes out, than content to do you any. harm ; tliough I was told a W o m a n was m y Enemy. Dor. I never knew what 'twas to be an Enemy; nor can I e'er prove fo to that which looks like you : For though I have been charg'd by him (whom yet I never Difobey'd) to fhun your Prefence, yet I'd rather Die than loofe it; therefore, I hope, you will not have the Heart to hurt m e : though I fear you are a Man, tha; Dangerous Thing of which I have been warn'd: Pray tell m e whaft you are ? Hip. I muft confefs, I was inform'dl am a Man, But if I fright you, I fhall wifh I were fome other Creature. I was bid to fear you too. Dor. Ay me! Heav'n grant w e be not Poyfon to each ether ! Alafs! can wc not meet but we muft Die ? Hip. I hope not fo! For when two Poyfonous Creatui Both The Enchanted ljland. 2±t Both of the fame kind, meet, yet neither dies. I've feen two Serpents harmlefs to each other,' Though they have twin'd into a mutual Knot: If w e have any venome in us, fure, w e cannot be more Poyfonous, when w e meet, than Serpents are. You have a hand like mine, may I not gently touch it ? [Takes her hand Dor. I've touch'd m y Father's and m y Sifter's hands And felt no pain; but now, alas! there's fomething, W h e n I touch yours, which makes m e figh : juft fo I've feen two Turtles mourning when they met; Yet mine's a pleafing grief; and fo methought was theirs; For ftill they mourn'd, and ftill they feem'd to murmur too, And yet they often met. Hip. O h Heavens! I have the famefenfe too :' your hand Methinks goes through m e ; I feel at m y heart, And find it pleafes, though it pains me. Profp. within. Dorinda! Dor. M y Father calls again, ah, I muft leave you. Hip. Afas, I'm fubject to the fame Command. Dor. This is m y firft offence againft m y Father, Which he, by fevering us, too cruelly does punifh. Hip. And this is m y firft trefpafs too : but he hath more Offended truth than w e have him : H e faid our meeting would deftructive be, But I no Death but in our parting fee. [Exeunt ftveral ways. ACT III. Enter Profpero and Miranda. Proff- TT'Xcufe it not, Miranda, for to you ("the Elder, and, I thought thc J_J more difcreetj I gave the conduct of your Sifter's actions. Mir. Sir, when you call'd m e thence, I did not fail to mind her of her*duty to depart. Profp. H o w can I think you did remember hers, when you forgot your own? did you not fee the M a n w h o m I commanded you to fhun ? Mir. I muft confefs I faw him at a diftance. Profp. Did not his Eyes infect and poyfon you ? W h a t alteration found you in your felf? Mir. I only wondred at a fight fo new. Profp. But have you no defire once more to fee him ? Come, tell m e truly what you think of him ? Mir. As of the gayeft thing I ever faw, fo fine, that it appear'd more fit to be belov'd than fear'd, and feem'd fo near m y kind, that I did think I might have call'd it Sifter. Profp. You do not love it ? Mir. H o w is it likely that I fhould, except the thing had firft lov'd m e ? Profp. Cherifh thofe thoughts: you have a gen*rous Soul; And fince I fee your Mind not apt to take the light Impreflions of a fudden Love, I will unfold A Secret to your Knowledge. That Creature which you faw, is of a kind which Nature made a prop and guide to yours. . Mir. W h y did you then propofe him as an object of terrour to m y Mind ? you never us'd to teach m e any thing but God-like truths, and what you faid I did believe as facred. Profp. I fear'd the pleafing form of this young M an Might unawares poffefs your tender Breaft, Which for a nobler Gueft I had defign'd; For fhortly, m y Miranda, you fhall fee another of his kind, The full blown Flower, ot which this youth was but the Op'ning-bud. Go in, and fend your Sifter to me. Mir. Heav'n ftill preferve you, Sir. [Ex. Miranda. ^ ' Profp. |