Mask. A thing so much against the rules of modesty! So indecent a thing!

Wild. Ay. so indecent a thing: Nay, now I do not wonder at myself for being angry. And then to wonder I should love her in those disguises! To quarrel at the natural desires of human kind, assaulted by powerful temptations; I am enraged at that.

Jac. Heyday! you had best quarrel too for my bringing you the money.

Wild. I have a grudging to you for't: (Maskall, the money, Maskall! now help, or we are gone.) Mask. Would she offer to bring money to you? first, to affront your poverty

Wild. Ay, to affront my poverty: But that's no great matter; and then

Mask. And then to bring you money, sir. (I stick fast, sir.)

Wild. (Forward, you dog, and invent, or I'll cut your throat.) And then, as I was saying, to bring me money

Mask. Which is the greatest and most sweet of all temptations; and to think you could resist it: Being also aggravated by her handsomeness, who brought it.

Wild. Resist it? No; I would she would understand it; I know better what belongs to flesh and blood than so.

Beat. to Jac. This is plain confederacy: I smoke it; he came on purpose to quarrel with you; break first with him, and prevent it.

Jac. If it be come to that once, the devil take the hindmost! I'll not be last in love, for that will be a dishonour to my sex.

Wild. And then

Jac. Hold, sir, there needs no more; you shall fall out, and I'll gratify you with a new occasion:

I only tried you in hope you would be false; and, rather than fail of my design, brought gold to bribe you to't.

Beat. As people, when they have an ill bargain, are content to lose by it, that they may get it off

their hands.

Mask. Beatrix, while our principals are engaged, I hold it not for our honour to stand idle.

Beat. With all my heart: Please you let us draw off to some other ground.

Mask. I dare meet you on any spot, but one. Wild. I think we shall do well to put it to an issue: this is the last time you shall ever be troubled with my addresses.

Jac. The favour had been greater to have spared this too.

Mask. Beatrix, let us dispatch; or they'll break off before us.

Beat. Break as fast as thou wilt; I am as brittle as thou art, for thy heart.

Wild. Because I will absolutely break off with you, I will keep nothing that belongs to you; therefore take back your picture, and your handkerchief.

Jac. I have nothing of yours to keep; therefore take back your liberal promises. Take them in imagination.

in your

Wild. Not to be behindhand with you frumps, I give you back your purse of gold: Take you that in imagination.

Jac. To conclude with you, take back your oaths and protestations; they are never the worse for the wearing, I assure you: Therefore take them, spick and span new, for the use of your next mistress.

Mask. Beatrix, follow your leader; here's the sixpenny whittle you gave me, with the mutton haft: I can spare it, for knives are of little use in Spain.

Beat. There's your scissars with the stinking brass chain to them: "Tis well there was no love betwixt us; for they had been too dull to cut it.

Mask. There's the dandriff comb you lent me. Beat. There's your ferret-ribbanding for garters. Mask. I would never have come so near as to have taken them from you.

Beat. For your letter, I have it not about me; but upon reputation I'll burn it.

Mask. And for yours, I have already put it to a fitting employment.-Courage, sir; how goes the battle on your wing?

Wild. Just drawing off on both sides. Adieu, Spain.

Jac. Farewell, old England.

Beat. Come away in triumph; the day's your own, madam.

Mask. I'll bear you off upon my shoulders, sir; we have broke their hearts.

Wild. Let her go first then; I'll stay, and keep the honour of the field.

Jac. I'll not retreat, if you stay till midnight. Wild. Are you sure then we have done loving? Jac. Yes, very sure; I think so.

Wild. 'Tis well you are so; for otherwise I feel my stomach a little maukish. I should have doubted another fit of love were coming up.

Jac. No, no; your inconstancy secures you enough for that.

Wild. That's it which makes me fear my own returning: Nothing vexes me, but that you should part with me so slightly. as though I were not worth your keeping. Well, 'tis a sign you never loved me.

Jac. "Tis the least of your care whether I did or did not: It may be it had been more for the quiet

of myself, if I—but 'tis no matter, I'll not give you that satisfaction.

Wild. But what's the reason you will not give it

me?

Jac. For the reason that we are quite broke off.
Wild. Why, are we quite, quite broke off?
Jac. Why, are we not?

Wild. Well, since 'tis past, 'tis past; but a pox of all foolish quarrelling, for my part.

Jac. And a mischief of all foolish disguisements, for my part.

Wild. But if it were to do again with another mistress, I would even plainly confess I had lost my money.

Jac. And if I had to deal with another servant, I would learn more wit than to tempt him in disguises for that's to throw a Venice-glass to the ground, to try if it would not break.

Wild. If it were not to please you, I see no necessity of our parting.

Jac. I protest, I do it only out of complaisance to you.

Wild. But if I should play the fool, and ask your pardon, you would refuse it.

Jac. No, never submit; for I should spoil you again with pardoning you.

Mask. Do you hear this, Beatrix! They are just upon the point of accommodation; we must make haste, or they'll make a peace by themselves, and exclude us from the treaty.

Beat. Declare yourself the aggressor then, and I'll take you into mercy.

Wild. The worst that you can say of me is, that I have loved you thrice over.

Jac. The prime articles between Spain and England are sealed; for the rest, concerning a more

strict alliance, if you please, we'll dispute them in

the garden.

Wild. But, in the first place, let us agree on the article of navigation, I beseech you.

Beat. These leagues, offensive and defensive, will be too strict for us, Maskall: A treaty of commerce will serve our turn.

Mask. With all my heart; and when our loves are veering,

We'll make no words, but fall to privateering. [Exeunt, the men leading the women.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Enter LOPEZ, AURELIA, and CAMILLA.

Lop. "Tis true, if he had continued constant to you, I should have thought myself obliged in honour to be his friend; but I could no longer suffer him to abuse a person of your worth and beauty, with a feigned affection.

Aur. But is it possible Don Melchor should be false to love? I'll be sworn I did not imagine such a treachery could have been in nature; especially to a lady who had so obliged him.

Lop. 'Twas this, madam, which gave me the confidence to wait upon you at an hour, which would be otherwise unseasonable.

Aur. You are the most obliging person in the world.

Lop. But to clear it to you that he is false, he is, at this very minute, at an assignation with your cousin in the garden; I am sure he was endeavouring it not an hour ago.

Aur. I swear this evening's air begins to incommode me extremely with a cold: but yet, in hope