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vulge thee: Not a ship shall ship shall pass out from any port, but shall ask thee for a wind; thou shalt have all the trade of Lapland within a month.

Bel. And do you think it reasonable for me to stand defendant to all the impertinent questions, that the town can ask me?

Wild. Thou shalt do't, boy: Pox on thee, thou dost not know thine own happiness; thou wilt have the ladies come to thee; and if thou dost not fit them with fortunes, thou art bewitched.

Mask. Sir, 'tis the easiest thing in nature; you need but speak doubtfully, or keep yourself in general terms, and, for the most part, tell good rather than bad fortune.

Wild. And if at any time thou venturest at particulars, have an evasion ready like Lilly; as thus,It will infallibly happen, if our sins hinder not.-I would undertake, with one of his almanacks, to give very good content to all Christendom, and what good luck fell not out in one kingdom, should in another.

Mask. The pleasure on't will be to see how all his customers will contribute to their own deceiving; and verily believe he told them that, which they told him.

Bel. Umph! now I begin to taste it; I am like the drunken tinker in the play, a great prince, and never knew it.

Wild. A great prince! a great Turk; we shall have thee, within these two days, do grace to the ladies, by throwing out a handkerchief; 'life, I could feast upon thy fragments.

Bel. If the women come, you shall be sure to help me to undergo the burden; for, though you make me an astronomer, I am no Atlas, to bear all upon my back. But who are these?

Enter Musicians, with disguises; and some in their hands.

Wild. You know the men, if their masking habits were off; they are the music of our ambassador's retinue. My project is to give our mistress a serenade, this being the last evening of the carnival; and, to prevent discovery, here are disguises for us too.

Bel. 'Tis very well; come, Maskall, help on with them, while they tune their instruments.

Wild. Strike up, gentlemen; we'll entertain them with a song a l'Angloise; pray, be ready with your chorus.

SONG.

After the pangs of a desperate lover,
When day and night I have sighed all in vain;
Ah, what a pleasure it is to discover
In her eyes pity, who causes my pain!

When, with unkindness, our love at a stand is, And both have punished ourselves with the pain; Ah, what a pleasure the touch of her hand is! Ah, what a pleasure to press it again!

When the denial comes fainter and fainter, And her eyes give what her tongue does deny; Ah, what a trembling I feel, when I venture! Ah, what a trembling does usher my joy!

When, with a sigh, she accords me the blessing, And her eyes twinkle 'twixt pleasure and pain ; Ah, what a joy 'tis, beyond all expressing! Ah, what a joy to hear-shall we again!

THEODOSIA and JACINTHA above. JACINTHA throws down her handkerchief, with a favour tied to it.

Jac. Ill musicians must be rewarded: There, cavalier, 'tis to buy your silence.

[Exeunt women from above. Wild. By this light, which at present is scarce an oath, an handkerchief, and a favour!

[Music and guittars tuning on the other side of the Stage.

Bel. Hark, Wildblood! do you hear? There's more melody: On my life, some Spaniards have taken up this post for the same design.

Wild. I'll be with their catguts immediately. Bel. Prythee, be patient; we shall lose the sport else.

Don LOPEZ and Don MELCHOR disguised, with Servants and Musicians on the other side.

Wild. "Tis some rival of yours or mine, Bellamy; for he addresses to this window.

Bel. Damn him, let's fall on then.

[The two Spaniards and the English fight: The Spaniards are beaten off the Stage; the Musicians on both sides, and Servants, fall confusedly one over the other. They all get off, only MASKALL remains upon the ground.

Mask. [Rising.] So all's past, and I am safe: A pox on these fighting masters of mine, to bring me into this danger, with their valours and magnanimities. When I go a-serenading again with them, I'll give them leave to make fiddle-strings of my small-guts.

Lop. Who

To him Don LOPEZ.

goes there?

Mask. Tis Don Lopez, by his voice.

Lop. The same; and, by yours, you should belong to my two English guests. Did you hear no tumult hereabouts?

Mask. I heard a clashing of swords, and men a fighting.

Lop. I had my share in't; but how came you here?

Mask. I came hither by my master's order, to see if you were in any danger.

Lop. But how could he imagine I was in any?

Mask. 'Tis all one for that, sir; he knew it, byHeaven, what was I a going to say! I had like to have discovered all!

Lop. I find there is some secret in't, and you dare not trust me.

Mask. If you will swear on your honour to be very secret, I will tell you.

Lop. As I am a cavalier, and by my beard, I will. Mask. Then, in few words, he knew it by astrology, or magic.

Lop. You amaze me! Is he conversant in the occult sciences?

Mask. Most profoundly.

Lop. I always thought him an extraordinary person; but I could never imagine his head lay that

way.

Mask. He shewed me yesterday, in a glass, a lady's maid at London, whom I well knew; and with whom I used to converse on a pallet in a drawingroom, while he was paying his devotions to her lady in the bed-chamber.

Lop. Lord, what a treasure for a state were here! and how much might we save by this man, in foreign intelligence!

Mask. And just now he shewed me, how you were assaulted in the dark by foreigners.

Lop. Could you guess what countrymen?

Mask. I imagined them to be Italians.

Lop. Not unlikely; for they played most furiously at our backsides.

Mask. I will return to my master with the good news of your safety; but once again be secret; or disclose it to none but friends.-So, there's one woodcock more in the springe.[Exit.

Lop. Yes, I will be very secret; for I will tell it only to one person; but she is a woman. I will to Aurelia, and acquaint her with the skill of this rare artist: She is curious, as all women are; and, 'tis probable, will desire to look into the glass to see Don Melchor, whom she believes absent; so that by this means, without breaking my oath to him, he will be discovered to be in town. Then his intrigue with Theodosia will come to light too, for which Aurelia will, I hope, discard him, and receive me. I will about it instantly:

Success, in love, on diligence depends;
No lazy lover e'er attained his ends.

ACT III. SCENE I.

Enter BELLAMY and MASKALL.

[Exit.

Bel. Then, they were certainly Don Lopez and Don Melchor, with whom we fought.

Mask. Yes, sir.

Bel. And when you met Lopez, he swallowed all you told him?

Mask. As greedily, as if it had been a new saint's miracle.

Bel. I see 'twill spread.

Mask. And the fame of it will be of use to you in your next amour; for the women, you know, run mad after fortune-tellers and preachers.

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