Matem. Je suis philosophe.

Lady F. Bless me, how you talk! Why, what if honour be a burden, mademoiselle, must it not be borne ?

Madem. Chaqu'un a sa façon-Quand quelque chose m'incommode, moi-je m'en defais, vite.

Lady F. Get you gone, you little naughty Frenchwoman you: I vow and swear I must turn you out of doors, if you talk thus.

Madem. Turn me out of doors!--turn yourself out of doors, and go see what de gentleman have to say to you-Tenez. Voilà [Giving her her things hastily.] votre esharp, voilà votre coife, votre masque, voilà tout. Hey, mercure, coquin: call one chair for matam, and one oder [Calling within.] for me. Vat'en vites [Turning to her Lady, and helping her on hastily with her things.] Allons, matam; depechez vous done. Mon dieu, quelles scrupules!

Lady F. Well, for once, mademoiselle, I'll follow your advice, out of the intemperate desire I have to know who this illbred fellow is. But I have too much delicatesse to make a practice on't.

Matem. Belle chose vraiment que la delicatesse, lorsqu'il s'agit de divertira ça-Vous voilà équipée, partons.-Hè bien ? qu' avez vous donc ! Lady F. J'ay peur.

Madem. Je n'en ai point moi.

Lady F. I dare not go.

Madem. Démeurez donc,

Lady F. Je suis poltrone.

Madem. Tant pis pour vous.

Lady F. Curiosity's a wicked devil.
Madem. C'est une charmante sainte.
It ruined our first parents.

Lady F.

Madem. Elle a bien diverti leurs enfans.

Lady F. L'honneur est contre.

Madem. Le plaisir est pour,

Lady F. Must I then go! Madem. Must you go ?- -must you eat, must you drink, must you sleep, must you live? De nature bid you do one, de nature bid you do toder. Vous me ferrez enrager.

Lady F. But when reason corrects nature, mademoiselle

Madam. Elle est donc bien insolente, c'est sa sœur ainée.

Lady F. Do you then prefer your nature to your reason, mademoiselle?

Madem. Oui da.

Lady F. Pourquoi ?

Madem. Because my nature make me merry, my reason make me mad.

Lady F. Ah, la mèchante Françoise.

Matem. Ah, la belle Angloise.

[Exit, forcing her Lady off.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

St. James's Park.

Enter LADY FANCIFUL and MADEMOISElle.

Lady F. Well, I vow, mademoiselle, I'm strangely impatient to know who this confident fellow is.

Enter HEARTFREE.

Look, there's Heartfree.

But sure it can't be him; he's a professed woman hater. Yet who knows what my wicked eyes may have done?

Madem. Il nous approache, matam.

Lady F. Yes, 'tis he; now will he be most intole rably cavalier, though he should be in love with me. Heart. Madam, I'm your humble servant! I perceive you have more humility and good-nature than I thought you had.

Lady F. What you attribute to humility and goodnature, sir, may perhaps be only due to curiosity. I had a mind to know who 'twas had ill manners enough to write that letter. [Throwing him his Letter. Heart. Well, and now I hope you are satisfied? Lady F. I am so, sir; good by t'ye.

Heart. Nay, hold there; though you have done your business, I ha'n't done mine by your ladyship's leave, we must have one moment's prattle together. Have you a mind to be the prettiest woman about town or not? How she stares upon me! What! this passes for an impertinent question with you now, because you think you are so already?

Lady F. Pray, sir, let me ask you a question in my turn; By what right do you pretend to examine

me ?

Heart. By the same right that the strong govern the weak, because I have you in my power; for you cannot get so quickly to your coach, but I shall have time enough to make you hear every thing I have to say to you.

Lady F. These are strange liberties you take, Mr. Heartfree.

Heart. They are so, madam, but there's no help for it; for know that I have a design upon you. Lady F. Upon me, sir!

Heart. Yes, and one that will turn to your glory and my comfort, if you will be but a little wiser than you use to be.

Lady F. Very well, sir.

Heart. Let me see— -Your vanity, madam, I take to be about some eight degrees higher than any woman's in the town, let t' other be who she will; and my indifference is naturally about the same pitch. Now could you find the way to turn this indifference into fire and flame, methinks your vanity ought to be satisfied and this, perhaps, you might bring about uponpretty reasonable terms.

:

Lady F. And pray at what rate would this indifference be bought off, if one should have so depraved an appetite to desire it?

Heart. Why, madam, to drive a quaker's bargain, and make but one word with you, if I do part with it you must lay down-your affectation.

Lady F. My affectation, sir!

Heart. Why, I ask you nothing but what you may very well spare.

Lady F. You grow rude, sir : Come, mademoiselle, it is high time to be gone.

Madem. Allons, allons, allons.

Heart. [Stopping them.] Nay, you may as well stand still; for hear me you shall, walk which way you please.

Lady F. What mean you, sir?
Heart. I mean to tell you, that

ungrateful woman upon earth,
Lady F. Ungrateful! to whom?
Heart. To nature.

you are the most

Lady F. Why, what has nature done for me

Heart. What you have undone by art; It made you handsome; it gave you beauty to a miracle, a shape without a fault, wit enough to make them relish, and so turned you loose to your own discretion, which has made such work with you, that you are be

come the pity of our sex, and the jest of your own. There is not a feature in your face, but you have found the way to teach it some affected convulsion; your feet, your hands, your very fingers' ends, are directed never to move without some ridiculous air or other; and your language is a suitable trumpet, to draw people's eyes upon the raree show.

Madem. [Aside.] Est ce qu'on fait l'amour en Angleterre comme ça?

Lady F. [Aside.] Now could I cry for madness, but that I know he'd laugh at me for it.

Heart. Now do you hate me for telling you the truth, but that's because you don't believe 'tis so; for were you once convinced of that, you'd reform for your own sake.

Lady F. Every circumstance of nice breeding must needs appear ridiculous, to one who has so natural an antipathy to good manners.

-Heart. But suppose I could find the means to convince that the whole world is of my opinion?

you,

Lady F. Sir, though you, and all the world you talk of, should be so impertinently officious, as to think to persuade me I don't know how to behave myself; I should still have charity enough for my own understanding, to believe myself in the right, and all you in the wrong.

Madem. Le voilà mort.

[Exeunt LADY FANCIFUL and MADEMOISELLE. Heart. [Gazing at her.] There her single clapper has published the sense of the whole sex. Well, this once I have endeavoured to wash the black-moor white but hence forward I'll sooner undertake to teach sincerity to a courtier, generosity to a userer, honesty to a lawyer, than discretion to a woman, I see has once set her heart upon playing the fool.

Enter CONSTANT.

'Morrow, Constant.