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presumes, the insulted husband's sure to make her chain the shorter.

"Lady W. Her mind, at least, is more at liberty; "the ease of giving shame for pain, stands yet in some "degree of pleasure: the wretch that 's basely killed, "falls better satisfied to see his murderen bleed.

"Lord W. Nay, now I crave your mercy, madam, " I find I mistook your grievance all this while-It " seems then, to be refused the pleasure of reproaching, " is what you can't bear-and when you are wronged, "to lock up your tongue is the greatest cruelty your " tyrant can impose upon you- If that be the hard"ship, pray be easy, when you please, in the name of "thunder go on, spare no invectives, but open the "spout of your eloquence, and see with what a calm " connubial resignation, I will both hear and bow to "the chastisement.

"Lady W. Poor helpless affectation! This shew of "temper is as much dissembled as your innocence-I "know, in spite of all your hardened thoughts, to "hear your guilt confronted thus, must gall your soul; " patients don 't use to smile while their fresh wounds "are probed, nor criminals to laugh under the smart " of justice.

"Lord W. My life, you begin extremely well, and "with abundance of fire, only give me leave to ob. " serve one thing to you, that as you draw towards an "end, don't forget the principal thing you were " going to say.

"Lady W. How poor! how low! how wretched is a " guilty mind, that stands without a blush the shock "of accusation !

"Lord W. Hold, madam, don't mistake me nei"ther; for I allow you to accuse me of nothing, but " of what we fine gentlemen think is next to nothing "-a little gallantry.

"Lady W. Audacious! horrid wretch! and dare "you own the fact ?

"Lord W. Own it! no, no, if I were guilty, I " would not do that; but I give you leave to suppose " me so, because, by what you say, I fancy it would " ease your heart to reproach me; though methinks "-its very hard that demonstration won't convince "you of my innocence.

"Lady W. Demonstration!

"Lord W. Demonstration! Ay, demonstration : "for, if I were guilty, pray who could better know it " than myself? and have not I told you with my own "mouth it is no such thing? Pray, what demonstra"tion can be plainer?"

Lady W. I find you are resolved to stand it to the last; but since I know your guilt, I owe myself the justice to resent it. When the weak wife transgresses, the husband's blood has leave to boil; his fury's justified by honour! the wrong admits no measure of amends; his reputation bleeds, and only blood can staunch it. And I must tell you, sir, that in the scales of conscience, the husband's falsehood is an equal injury, and equal too you'll find the wife's resentment : " henceforth be sure you're private in your shame; for " if I trace you to another proof, expect as little mercy " for the wretch you doat on, as you yourself would "shew to the felonious lover,

"My wrongs through her shall shoot you to the soul, "You shall not find 1 am an injur'd fool."

[Exit.

Lord W. Well said, 'egad, if she could but love with half the fire she can hate, I would not desire to pass my time in better company - Not but between me and myself, our dear consorts have something of a hard time on 't: we are a little apt to take more liberty than we give but people in power don't care to part with it, whether it be lawful or no; " to bear her insolence is positively intolerable-What " shall I do with her? I know no way of making an " honourable peace, better than sword in hand-E'en " let her pride swell till it burst, and then 't is possi" ble she may hear reason."

Enter BRUSH.

Brush. Here's Sir Friendly Moral, my lord. "Lord W. Desire him to, walk in [Exit Brush.] I hold fifty pounds the old gentleman comes to school me about his young kinswoman, if he does, I know he 'll do it handsomely: for give him his due, with all the severity of principles, he is as good-humoured, and as well-bred, as if he had no principles at all.

Enter BRUSH with Sir FRIENDLY.

Sir Fr. My lord, I am your most humble servant. Lord W. Sir Friendly! this is kind indeed! Chairs there. Well, how goes the gout, sir?

Sir Fr. In troth very untowardly; for I can hardly walk with it-Will your lordship give me leaveLord W. To stand upon any thing but ceremony.

Enter Lord GEORGE from the inner room.

Lord G. Nuncle, I am glad to see you.

Sir Fr. Hah! Monsieur Brilliant, and in a sober visit after sun-set!

Lord G. Oh, dear sir, I am grown a fellow of the most retired conversation in the world.

Sir Fr. Your reformation is not of a very long date, I believe; "for, if I don't mistake, I saw you but "yesterday at the Thatched-house, with a napkin upon your head, at the window, in a very hopeless "company!

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"Lord G. How! how, nuncle! two men of title, " and a foreign count, hopeless company!

"Sir Fr. Most deplorable! Your count's a counter, " and only passes for what he is in his own country; "your men of title are indeed no counterfeits, every " body sees into their worth, Sir Bubble Squander, " and my Lord Lawless: but the sparks I observed " you with, were Done-first the jockey, and Touchum "the gamester; as infamous a fellow as ever broke "the head of a box-keeper.

"Lord G. Pshah! People that play keep all com"pany: but to let you see I had my account in it, I " had a mind to bite Sir Bubble in a horse-match, and "so took these two fellows with me to let him into "the secret,

"Sir Fr. A fine instance of our modish morals in"deed! To make one's conscience a bawd, to the " dishonour of biting a wretch of perhaps an hundred "pounds! What a shame it is the world should not " call it by its true name, cheating, that men of ho"nour might not be guilty of it!

"Lord G. Oh, Sir, the name I grant you would " strangely alter the case; but people of rank and

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power, nuncle, are wiser, and nick-name one an"other's infirmities. Therefore 't is your little cheat, "you see, that 's sent to Newgate; your great one's only "turned out of place.

"Sir Fr. Nay, 'tis a comfortable world indeed, for "knaves, fools, fops, cowards, and sharpers.

"Lord G. Right! their quality and quantity keep "them in countenance.

"Sir Fr. So that a man may be any one, or all of "them, and yet appear no monster in most of the " public places about town.

"Lord W. But with submission, Sir Friendly, if I " meet with a man of figure, that talks agreeably over "a glass, what in the name of good-nature have I to "do with his morals?

"Sir Fr. Tis, in my opinion, as dishonest for a " man of quality to converse with a well-bred rogue, " as 't were unsafe for a woman of reputation to make " a companion of an agreeable strumpet. People's " taste and principles are very justly measured by " their choice of acquaintance; besides, a man of ho"nour owes the discountenance of a villain as a debt

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