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Show ,E8 The FALSE FRIEND. Leo W h e n Eyes and Ears are much mdulg'd, like * a £ * i ^Servant, they are apt to abufe the too much Trtift, their Mafter places in em. Don. Ped. If I'm abus'd, aflift m e with fome f w Interpretation of all that prefent Trouble and Difquiet, which is not in m y power to overlook, nor yours to 1 uo You might methinks have fpar'd my Modefty; and without forcing m e to name your Abfence, have laid m v trouble there. # ' • 'Don f W . No, no, m y fair deluder, that s a Veil too thin to cover what's fo hard to hide, m y Prefence not m v Abfence is the Caufe: your cold Reception at my firft approach, prepar'd m e for the Stroke ; and'twas not long before your Mouth confirm'd m y doom, Don Guvnan, I a m yours, Leo. Is't theiV poffible the Mouth (hou d utter one N a m e for another ? m D o n Ped. Not at all, when it follows the Dictates of the Heart. ; . r . Leo Were it even fo, what wrong is from that Heart 'receiv'd, where Duty and where Virtue are its Ru'ers ' Don Ped. W^ere they prefide, our Honour maybe fafe, vet our Minds be on the Wreck. Leo This Difcourfe will fcarce produce a Remedy; we'll end it therefore if you pleafe, and leave the reft to t me. Befides, the Occafion of your Journey prefles you. D o n Ped. The Occafion of m y Delay prefles you, I fear, much more; you count the tedious Minutes 1 am with you, and are reduc'd to mind m e of m y Duty, to free your felf from m y fight. Leo. You ur*e this thing too far, and do me wrong, The Sentiments"! have for you are much more favour-able than your Jealoufy fuffers 'em to W™'J» m y Heart has feem'd to lean another way, befo ^ had a Title to it, you ought not to conclude I mall lut fer it to do fo Ions. . _ . . „J D o n Ped. 1 k n o w you have Virtue, Gratitude and Truth h and therefore 'ti.% 1 love you to my | » The F A L S E FRIEND. no Cou'd 1 believe you falfe, Contempt wou'd foon releafe me from m y Chains, which yet I can't but wifh to wear forever ; therefore indulge at leaft your Pity to your Slave, tis the foft Path in which we tread to love i leave behind a tortur'd Jleart to move you : Weigh well its Pains, think on its Paffion too, Remember all its Torments fpring from you And if ycu cannot love, at leaft be true. . [Exit Don Pedrcn Jac. N o w by m y troth, Madam, I'm ready to cry. He's a pretty Fellow, and deferves better Luck. Leo. I o w n he does : And his Behaviour wou'd engage any thing that were unengag'd. But, alas ! I want his Pity more than he does mine. Jac. You do ! N o w I'm of another mind. The m o ment he fees your Pidure, he's in love with you ; the moment he's in lov« with you, he imbai ks • and,' like Lightning, in a moment more he's here : where vou are pleas'd to receive him with a D o n Guzman, lam yours. Ah. i poor Man ! Leo. I own, Jacinta, he's unfortunate, but ftill I fay •my Fate is harder yer. The irreftftible Pallion I have for Guzman, renders D o n Pedro, with all his Merit, odious to m e ; yet I muft in his favour make eternal War, a-gainft the Strength of Inclination and the M a n I love. Jac. [Afide.'] U m . -If I were in her cafe, I cou'd find an Expedient for all this Matter. But (he makes fuch a buftle with her Virtue, I dare not propofe it to her. Leo. Befides, D o n Pedro pofTefTes what he loves, but I muft never think on poor D o n Guzman more. [Weeping. Jac. Poor D o n Guzman indeed ! W e han't faid a word of the pickle he's in yet. Hark ! fomebody knocks at the old Rendevouz. It's he, on m y Confcience. Leo. Let's be gone ; I muft think of him no more. Jac. Yes, let's be gone; but let's k n o w whether 'tis he or not firft. Leo, N o , Jacinta ; I muft not fpeak with him any wore. [Sighing.'] I'm married to another. Jac. |