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Show ' , Tbe A[siznatm : ^r' *> 4 6 ____-l^ • * You are not fit for higher Wg**^ can a[vc y0u. You may have what you think the Vv orld can Di y / ^ . U u a adore y o u ^ ^ £ ^ t(hall advife witon. ^ foruS( Madam_ Soph. For you, dear Neeces, I have long confider d The Injuries you fuffer horn m y Brother, And I rejoyce it is in me to help you. I will endeavour, from this very hour, Tr, nnr von both into your Lovers hands, WhP o b ^ o u r own Confeffion, have defervd you: But fo asY(though 'tis done by m y Connivance) It fliall not feem to be with m y Content. / au. You do an Aft of noble Charity, A n d may juft Heav'n reward it. Enter Hippolita, and whifpers Lucretia. Soph. Oh, you're a faithful Portrefs of a Cloyfter. W h a t is't you whifper to Lucretia * On your Obedience tell me. Luc.. -Since you muft know, Madam, I have receiT'd a Courtfhip from the Prince OfManteua. The reft Hippolita may fpeak. Hip. His Page Afcanio is at the Grate, _ To know, from him, how you efcap d this danger: And brings with him thofe Habits Soph, ffind that here has been a long Commerce: ^Uc . I bloO. to tell you, Madam. They were Masking Habits, in which we went abroad. Soph. O ftrange Impiety! Well, I conclude You are no longer for Religious Cloathing: You would infeft our Order. Luc. kneeling. Madam, you promis'd us Forgivenefs. Soph. I have done, for 'tis indeed too late to chide. ,_____•. Hip. With Afcanio, there are two Gentlemen, Aurelian and Camillo, I think they call themfelves, w h o came to me, recommended from the Prince, and dc-ftr'd to fpeak with Laura and Violetta. Soph. I think they are your Lovers, Neeces. Vio. Madam, they are. Hip. But, for fear of difcovery from your Uncle Mario, whofe Houfe, you know, joins to the Monaftery, are both in Mafquerade. Soph, to Lau-\ This Opportunity muft not be loft. ra and Violetta. \ You two fhall take the Masking-habits inftantly, And, in them, fcape your jealous Uncle's Eyes. W h e n you are happy, make mefo, by hearing your Succefs. Kijfes them. [ Exeunt Lau and Vio. Luc. A fudden Thought is fprung within m y Mind, Which, by the fame Indulgence you have fhown, May make m e happy too. I have not time To tell you now, for fear I lofe this Opportunity. V 'hen I return from fpeaking with Afcanio, 1 ill declare the Secrets of m y Love, And crave your farther help. Soph. In all that Virtue will permit you fhall not fail to find it. [_ExitLuc. Hip. Madam, the foolilh Fellow w h o m we took grows troublefome, what fhall we do with him ? Soph. Send for the Magiftrate, he muft be punith'd - Yet hold, that would betray the other Secret. Let him be ftrait turn'd out, on this Condition, That he prefumenot ever to difclofe Me was within thefe Walls. I'll fpeak with him : Come, and attend me to him. ££*;, Sophronia. Love in a Nunnery. ^^rj Hip. You fit to be an Abbefs? W e that live out of the World, fhould at leaft have tlie common Senfe of thofe that live far from T o w n , ifa Pedlar come? by 'cm once a Year, they will not let him go without providing themfelves with what they want. f Exit after Sophronia. SCENE II. The Street. Aurelian, Camillo, Laura, Violetta : All in Masking-habits. Cam. This Generofity of the Abbefs is never to be forgot, and it is the more to be efteem'd, becaufe it was the lefs to be expected. Vio. At length, m y Camillo, I fee m y felf fife within your Arms:, and yet, methinks, I can never be enough fecure of you, for n o w I have nothing elfe to fear, I a m afraid of you, I fear your Conftancy : They fay Poifeffion is fo dangerous to Lovers, that more of them die with Surfeits than of Fafting. Lau. You'll be rambling too, Aurelian, 1 do not doubt it, if I would let you, but I'll take Care to beasTittle a Wife, and as much a Miftrifs to you, asispof-fible : I'll be fure to be always pleafant, and never fuffer you to be cloy'd. Aur. You are certainly in the right: Pleafantnefs of Humour makes a Wife laft in'the fweet Meat, when it will no longer in the Fruit. But pray let's make hafte to the next honeft Prieft, that can fay Grace to us, and take our Appetites while they are coming. Cam. That way leads to the Auflin-Fryers, there lives a Father ot m y Acquaintance. ._ . . , Lau I have heard of him, he has a mighty ftroke at Matrimonies, and mumbles em over as faft, as if he were teaching" us to forget 'em all the while. Enter Benito, and over-hears th laft Speech. Ben. Cabpari^ that's the Voice of Madam Laura. N o w , Benito, is the Time to repair the loft Honour of thy Wit, and to blot out the laft Adventure of the Nunnery. Vio. That way I hear Company, let's go about by thus other Street, and fhun Cl\n. That Voice I know too, 'tis the younger Sifter Vloletta's. Now have thefe two moft treacheroufly convey'd themfelves out of the Nunnery, for m y Mafter and Camillo, and given up their Perfons to thole lewd Rafcals in Mafque-rade, but I'll prevent 'em. Help there, Thieves and Ravifhers, v.llanous Maskers, ftop Robbers, ftop Ravi fhers. Cam. W e are purfu'd that way, let s take this Street. Lau. Save your felves, and leave us. Cam We'll rather die than leave you. . Enter at fever al Doors D a k n/Mantoua and Guards, and Don Mario and Servants, with Torches. Aur. So, now the way is tout up on both tides. We'll die merrily how-ever • i- have at the faireft. " ' , ~.., , , ,. ,, ' Aurelian and Camillo fall upon the Duke's Guards and are fit, d behind by Mario's Servants! At the drawing cf Swords, Benito runs of n I Aro rhefe Infolencies ufually committed in Rome by Night ? It has the P a S a w e u t v e r n ' u C i ^ a J methinks, Don M,rio. it does fomewhat ^rg^^S********* *» fee, Sir, th r have *£?£* %£*£> us, we are ruin'd , rherefore be fore you do n°D^kHow then can we be fatisfy'd this was not a Device of Masking, rather 'XttJIr j&bftd, I ^ him run at the beginning ofthe Scuffle, but I'll examine the Ladies. ,7,Nowweare,oft £.£_*£ "& How the toil does £«££? ' Cam. 'Tis alike to i.s; they arc loft both w»5 »• aikf_ fo |