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Show 9* The Tit/appointment; or> Tho* bred up to the Pleafures or the Court, ^ith all thofe entertaining Qualities, That M e n admire, and W o m e n envy, Young, as fhe is, n o w , when her Blood might well Employ her Beaury in its proper ufej Faints in the Fury of her Appetite: And, (what I muft confefs I blufh to o w n) She foolifhly arTetts a Houfewife's Praife Amongft her Maids, and fpins her Youth away. Is not this ftrange? Alb. O moft Impofhble! Alph. That I expe&ed, and indeed I grant you, This Vtdgar, Wife-like Virtue, Houfwifry, In a young Lady, is fcandaloufly old, Quite out of Fafhion, and muft be forgotten. Alb. Y o u cannot be in earned ? Alph. O m y Lord! Marriage would mainly help your Unbelief. r£ Alb. As Hanging cures the Tooth-ach; G o thy ** Old Jealoufie: Tho' I have fail'd in this j ] Clara fights wary, and can never mifs. [ SCENE changes to ErminiaV Chamber, A S O N G by an unknown Hand* POor, Hl-inftruBed, -wretched Woman-kind\ Decree'd by Fate, Prepofteroufly to Love and Hate; Our feeble Mind Tields up the Keys of our ill-guarded Treafure, To Tyrant Man, whofe arbitrary Reign Scarce gives us Will, or Power, to complain: Us and our Paftions they inchann j The fleeting Pleafure Holds no proportion with the lofting Pain. And thou the moft ungrateful of thy Race, Who haft my Honour, wouldft.my Name deface, Ceafe thy purfuing,,. To my undoing. The MOTHER/// Fafhion. 93 Since all the Cruel Perjuries I prove, Do but exalt the Merit of my Love, And whilft thy Falfhood Mortal proves to me, My Love afpires to Immortality. tnter Erminia and Clara. trm. M y melancholy Thoughts are all employ'd , thofe hard-fated Maids, that are bought in, fome poor Circumftance of Intereft, j the eternal Slavery of Life. Clar. Ah! w h o that fees in you the Marriage Joys, ill ever truft their Freedom with a M a n? Irm. In m e ! I a m moft happy in Content: love the Hand that Jays this Load upon me, nd (hall, although it fink m e to m y Grave: Clara! this were Wretchednefs indeed, his Ufage were beyond the reach of Patience, fom any but Alphonfo, him I love, m, w h o m m y Heart hangs after for its Peace. Clar. In him, 'tis Tyranny to ufe you thus. lm. 0 ! I a m run behind-hand with m y Love: avenot yet difcounted for thofe Sums, ofe endlefs Sums of Joys, that made m e happy: d thefe are but the poor compounding Tears j is Scene of Sorrow the bare Intereft, hich 1 will pay, till he remits the Debt, d takes m e to the Comfort of his Bofom. Enter Alphonfo. Alph. He fends for me, invites m e to the Court j bring m y Wife to Court; n o w the great Duke pears himfelf, and claims m e for his Cuckold. hat! bring m y Wife to Court! Damnation! none 11 to bawd to m y Difgrace! fure fomething pears upon me, fpintlei5 and poor, k marks m e for that Office, in his Eye: durft not eife have done it: ieve her honeft yet: fBody not acquainted with the Sin, tit her Thoughts run foul, her Mind's a W h o r - the next Opportunity compleats black Difhonour. Clar, |