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Lend me thine arm; I have assumed a courage
Above my force, and can hold out no longer:
Auria, unkind, unkind!
Cast. She faints.
Aur. Spinella!

Regent of my affections, thou hast conquer'd:
I find thy virtues as I left them, perfect,
Pure and unflaw'd; for instance, let me claim
Castanna's promise.

Cast. Mine?

Aur. Yours, to whose faith

I am a guardian, not by imposition,

But by you chosen. Look you, I have fitted
A husband for you, noble and deserving;
No shrinking back.

A wife of worth.

Mal. How's that?

Adurni, I present her,

Adur. So great a blessing

Crowns all desires of life. The motion, lady,
To me, I can assure you, is not sudden :

But welcomed and forethought; would you could please

To say the like!

Aur. Castanna, do.-Speak, dearest, It rectifies all crooked, vain surmises;

I prithee speak.

Spin. The courtship's somewhat quick,

The match, it seems, agreed on; do not, sister,
Reject the use of fate.

Cast. I dare not question

The will of heaven.

Mal. Unthought of and unlook'd for!

Spin. My ever-honourd lord.

Aurel. This marriage frees

Each circumstance of jealousy.

Aur. Make no scruple,

Castanna, of the choice; 't is firm and real:

Why else have I so long with tameness nourish'd Report of wrongs, but that I fixed on issue

Of my desires? Italians use not dalliance,
But execution: herein I degenerated
From custom of our nation;

*

*

[turns to Spinella.]-Yet in sooth, My dearest, I might blame your causeless absence, To whom my love and nature were no strangers: But being in your kinsman's house, I honour His hospitable friendship, and must thank it. Now lasting truce on all hands.

Aurel. You will pardon

A rash and over-busy curiosity?

Spin. It was to blame; but the success remits it. Adur. Sir, what presumptions formerly have grounded

Opinion of unfitting carriage to you,

On my part I shall faithfully acquit
At easy summons.

Mal. You prevent the nicety;

Use your own pleasure.

BENATZI rushes in with his sword drawn, followed by

LEVIDOLCHE and MARTINO.

Aurle. What's the matter?

Aur. Matter?

Ben. Adurni and Malfato found together!

Now for a glorious vengeance.

Lev. Hold, oh, hold him!

Aurel. This is no place for murder; yield thy sword.

Aur. Yield it, or force it ;-[BEN. is disarmed.set

you up your shambles

Of slaughter in my presence?

Adur. Let him come.

Mal. What can the ruffian mean?

Ben. I am prevented;

The temple or the chamber of the duke
Had else not proved a sanctuary. Lord,

Thou hast dishonourably wrong'd my wife.

Adur. Thy wife! I know not her, nor thee.
Aur. Fear nothing.

Lev. Yes, me you know. Heaven has a gentle mercy For penitent offenders: blessed ladies,

Repute me not a castaway, though once
I fell into some lapses, which our sex
Are oft entangled by; yet what I have been
Concerns me now no more, who am resolv'd
On a new life. This gentleman, Benatzi,
Disguised as you see, I have remarried.-
I knew you at first sight, and tender constantly
Submission for all errors.

Mart. Nay, 't is true, sir.

Ben. I joy in the discovery, am thankful'
Unto the change.

Aur. Let wonder henceforth cease,
For I am partner with Benatzi's counsels,
And in them was director: I have seen
The man do service in the wars late past,
Worthy an ample mention: but of that
At large hereafter; repetitions now,

Of good or bad, would straiten time presented
For other use.

Mart. Welcome, and welcome ever.

Lev. Mine eyes, sir, never shall without a blush Receive a look from yours: please to forget All passages of rashness; such attempt

Was mine, and only mine.

Mal. You have found a way

To happiness; I honour the conversion.

1 I joy in the discovery, am thankful

Unto the change.] Benatzi takes the matter with all due composure. That his precious moiety should recognise him through his rags, his formidable mustachios, and his Pistol-like demeanour, is natural enough; the wonder is that Benatzi should not recollect her. She wore no disguise, she retains the name by which he married her, she still lived, as before, with her foolish uncle, and she confides to him a part of her history, in which he was a sharer. The author seems to have discovered all this when it was too late; and has just allowed us to surmise, from Auria's next speech, that the "remarried gentleman" might not be so complete a dupe as he appears.-GIFFORD,

VOL. II.-8

Adur. Then I am freed.

Mal. May style your friend your servant.
Mart. Now all that 's mine is theirs.
Adur. But let me add

An offering to the altar of this peace.

[Gives her money.

Aur. How likes Spinella this? our holyday

Deserves the calendar.

Spin. This gentlewoman

Reform'd, must in my thoughts live fair and worthy.

Indeed you shall.

Cast. And mine; the novelty

Requires a friendly love.

[Offering her money.

Lev. You are kind and bountiful.

Enter TRELCATIO, FUTELLI, AMORETTA, PIERO, driving in FULGOSO and Guzman.

Trel. By your leaves, lords and ladies! to your jollities,

I bring increase with mine too; here's a youngster Whom I call son-in-law, for so my daughter

Will have it.

Amor. Yeth, in sooth the will.
Trel. Futelli

Hath wean'd her from this pair.

Piero. Stand forth, stout lovers.

[Presenting Fut,

Trel. Top and top-gallant pair-and for his pains,

She will have him or none. He's not the richest
I' the parish; but a wit: I say, amen,

Because I cannot help it.

Amor. "Tith no matter.

Aur. We'll remedy the penury of fortune;
They shall with us to Corsica. Our cousin

Must not despair of means, since 't is believed
Futelli can deserve a place of trust.

Fut. You are in all unfellow'd.

Amor. Withely thpoken.

Piero. Think on Piero, sir.

Aur. Piero, yes;

But what of these two pretty ones?

Ful. I'll follow

The ladies, play at cards, make sport, and whistle,
My purse shall bear me out: a lazy life

Is scurvy and debosh'd; fight you abroad,
And we'll be gaming, while you fight, at home,
Run high, run low, here is a brain can do 't.

But for my martial brother, don, pray ye make him
A-what d'ye call 't-a setting dog,-a sentinel;
I'll mend his weekly pay.

Guz. He shall deserve it. Vouchsafe employment, honourable.

Ful. Marry,

The don's a generous don.

Aur. Unfit to lose him.

Command doth limit us short time for revels;
We must be thrifty in them. None, I trust,

Repines at these delights, they are free and harmless :
After distress at sea, the dangers o'er,

Safety and welcomes better taste ashore.

[Exeunt.

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