Harc. Who is that pretty youth with him, Sparkish?

Spark. Some relation of Peggy's, I suppose, for he is something like her in the face and gawkiness.

Enter BELVILLE.

Belv. By all my hopes, uncle--Peggy in boy's clothes-I am all over agitation!

[Aside to HARCOURT. Harc. Be quiet, or you'll spoil all. They return Alithea has seen you, Sparkish, and will be angry if you don't go to her: besides, I would fain be reconciled to her, which none but you can do, my dear friend.

Spark. Well, that's a better reason, dear friend: 1 would not go near her now for hers or my own sake; but I can deny you nothing: for, though I have known thee a great while, never go, if I do not love thee as well as a new acquaintance.

Harc. I am obliged to you, indeed, my dear friend: I would be well with her, only to be well with thee still; for these ties to wives usually dissolve all ties to friends.

Spark. But they sha'n't, though-Come along.

[They retire.

Enter MOODY, PEGGY, and ALITHEA. Moody. Sister, if you will not go, we must leave you. [To ALITHEA.] The fool, her gallant, and she, will muster up all the young saunterers of this place. What a swarm of cuckolds and cuckold-makers are here! I begin to be uneasy. [Aside.] Come, let's be gone, Peggy.

Peg. Don't you believe that, I ha'n't half my belly full of sights yet.

Moody. Then walk this way.

Peg. Lord, what a power of fine folks are here! And Mr. Belville, as I hope to be married! [Aside.

Moody. Come along, what are you a muttering at?

Peg. There's the young gentleman there, you were

so angry about-that's in love with me.

Moody. No, no, he's a dangler after your sister-or pretends to be-but they are all bad alike-Come along, I say. [He pulls her away. [Exeunt PEGGY, and MOODY. BELVILLE following.-SPARKISH, HARCOURT, and ALITHEA Come forward.

Spark. Come, dear madam, for my sake you shall

be reconciled to him.

Alith. For your sake I hate him.

Harc. That's something too cruel, madam, to hate me for his sake.

Spark. Ay, indeed, madam, too, too cruel to me, to hate my friend for my sake.

Alith. I hate him because he is your enemy; and you ought to hate him too, for making love to me, if love me. you

Spark. That's a good one! I hate a man for loving you! If he did love you, 'tis but what he can't help: and 'tis your fault, not his, if he admires you.

Alith. Is it for your honour, or mine, to suffer a man to make love to me, who am to marry you to`morrow?

Harc. But why, dearest madam, will you be more concerned for his honour than he is himself? Let his honour alone for my sake and his. He has no honour.

Spark, How's that?

Harc. But what my dear friend can guard himself.
Spark. O ho--that's right again.

Álith. You astonish me, sir, with want of jealousy. Spark. And you make me giddy, madam, with your jealousy and fears, and virtue and honour. 'Gad, I see virtue makes a woman as troublesome as a little reading or learning.

Harc. Come, madam, you see you strive in vain to make him jealous of me: my dear friend is the kindest creature in the world to me.

Spark. Poor fellow !

Harc. But his kindness only is not enough for me, without your favour, your good opinion, dear madam: 'tis that must perfect my happiness. Good gentleman, he believes all I say: 'would you would do so! -Jealous of me! I would not wrong him nor you for the world.

Spark. Look you there: hear him, hear him, and not walk away so. Come back again.

[ALITHEA walks carelessly to and fro. Harc. I love you, madam, so

Spark. How's that! nay-now you begin to go too far indeed.

Harc. So much, I confess, I say I love you, that I would not have you miserable, and cast yourself away upon so unworthy and inconsiderable a thing as what you see here.

[Clapping his Hand on his Breast, points to SPARKISH. Spark. No, 'faith, I believe thou wouldst not; now his meaning is plain; but I knew before thou wouldst not wrong me nor her.

Harc. No, no, Heavens forbid the glory of her sex should fall so low, as into the embraces of such a contemptible wretch, the least of mankind-my dear friend here-I injure him! [Embracing SPARKISH. Alith. Very well.

Spark. No no, dear friend, I knew it: Madam, you see he will rather wrong himself than me in giving himself such names.

Alith. Do not you understand him yet?

Spark. Come, come, you shall stay till he has saluted you; that I may be assured you are friends, after his honest advice and declaration: come, pray, madam, be friends with him.

Enter MOODY and PEGGY. BELVILLE at a Distance.

Moody. What, invite your wife to kiss men? Monstrous! Are you not ashamed?

Spark. Are you not ashamed, that I should have more confidence in the chastity of your family, than you have? You must not teach me, I am a man of honour, sir, though I am frank and free; I am frank,

sir

Moody. Very frank, sir, to share your wife with your friends. You seem to be angry, and yet won't go. [TO ALITHEA. Alith. No impertinence shall drive me away. Moody. Because you like it.-But you ought to blush at exposing your wife as you do.

Spark. What then? It may be I have a pleasure in't, as I have to show fine clothes at a playhouse, the first day, and count money before poor rogues,

Moody. He, that shows his wife or money, will be in danger of having them borrowed sometimes.

Spark. I love to be envied, and would not marry a wife that I alone could love. Loving alone is as dull as eating alone; and so good night, for I must to Whitehall.-Madam, I hope you are now reconciled to my friend; and so I wish you a good night, madam, and sleep if you can; for to-morrow, you know, I must visit you early with a canonical gentleman. Good night, dear Harcourt-remember to send your brother. [Exit SPARKISH.

Harc. You may depend upon me. Madam, I hope you will not refuse my visit to-morrow, if it should be earlier, with a canonical gentleman, than Mr. Sparkish?

Moody. This gentlewoman is yet under my care, therefore you must yet forbear your freedom with her.

Harc. Must, sir!

Moody. Yes, sir, she is my sister.

Harc. "Tis well she is, sir--for I must be her servant, sir.

-Madam

Moody. Come away, sister, we had been gone if it had not been for you, and so avoided these lewd rake hells, who seem to haunt us.

Harc. I see a little time in the country makes a man turn wild and unsociable, and only fit to converse with his horses, dogs, and his herds.

Moody. I have business, sir, and must mind it: your business is pleasure, therefore you and I must go different ways.

Harc. Well, you may go on; but this pretty young gentleman [Takes hold of PEGGY.] shall stay with us, for I suppose his business is the same with ours, pleasure.

Moody. 'Sdeath, he knows her, she carries it so sillily; yet, if he does not, I should be more silly to discover it first. [Aside:] Come, come.

Harc. Had you not rather stay with us? [To PEGGY.] Pr'ythee, who is this pretty young fellow?

Moody. One to whom I am a guardian.-I wish I could keep her out of your hands.

[Aside. Harc. Who is he? I never saw any thing so pretty in all my life.

Moody. Pshaw, do not look upon him so much, he's a poor bashful youth, you'll put him out of coun[Offers to take her away.

tenance.

Harc. Here, nephew, let me introduce this young gentleman to your acquaintance-You are very like, and of the same age, and should know one anotherSalute him, Dick, à la Françoise.

[BELVILLE kisses her. Moody. I hate French fashions. Men kiss one an[Endeavours to take hold of her. Peg. I am out of my wits- -What do you kiss me for? I am no woman.

other!

Harc. But you are ten times handsomer.