Bella. Uds-light! enjoy your wishes: whilst I live,

One way or other you shall crown your will.
Would you have him your husband that you love,
And can it not be? he is your servant, though,
And may perform the office of a husband.

Beaumel. But there is honour, wench.
Bella. Such a disease

There is indeed, for which ere I would die.-
Beaum. Prithee, distinguish me a maid and wife.
Bella. 'Faith, madam, one may bear any man's
children, t'other must bear no man's.

Beaumel. What is a husband?

Bella. Physick, that, tumbling in your belly, will make you sick in the stomach. The only distinction betwixt a husband and a servant is, the first will lie with you when he pleases; the last shall lie with you when you please. Pray tell me, lady, do you love, to marry after, or would you marry, to love after?

Beaumel. I would meet love and marriage both at once.

Bella. Why then you are out of the fashion, and will be contemned: for I will assure you, there are few women in the world, but either they have married first, and loved after; or love first, and married after. You must do as you may, not as you would; your father's will is the goal you must fly to. If a husband approach you, you would have further off, is he you love, the less near you? A husband in these days is but a cloak, to be oftener laid upon your bed, than in your bed.

Beaumel. Hum!

Bella. Sometimes you may wear him on your shoulders; now and then under your arm; but seldom or never let him cover you, for 'tis not the fashion.

Enter NOVALL junior, PONTALIER, MALOTIN, LILADAM, and AYMER.

Nov. jun. Best day to nature's curiosity, Star of Dijon, the lustre of all France! Perpetual spring dwell on thy rosy cheeks, Whose breath is perfume to our continent!See! Flora trimmed in her varieties.

Bella. Oh, divine lord!

Nov. jun. No autumn nor no age ever approach This heavenly piece, which nature having wrought, She lost her needle, and did then despair Ever to work so lively and so fair!

Lilad. Uds-light, my lord, one of the purls of your band

Is, without all discipline, fallen out of his rank. Nov. jun. How? I would not for a thousand crowns she had seen it. Dear Liladam, reform it. Bella. Oh, lord per se, lord! Quintessence of honour! she walks not under a weed that could deny thee any thing.

Beaumel. Prythee peace, wench! thou dost but blow the fire,

That flames too much already.

[LILADAM and AYMER trim NOVall, whilst BELLAPERT her lady. Aymer. By gad, my lord, you have the divinest

| taylor in Christendom; he hath made you look like an angel in your cloth-of-tissue doublet.

Pont. This is a three-legged lord; there is a fresh assault. Oh! that men should spend time thus !-See, sec how her blood drives to her heart, and strait vaults to her cheeks again!

Malot. What are these?

Pont. One of them there, the lower, is a good, foolish, knavish, sociable gallimaufry of a man, and has much caught my lord with singing; he is master of a music house. The other is his dressing block, upon whom my lord lays all his cloaths and fashions, ere he vouchsafes them his own person; you shall see him in the morning in the galley-foist, at noon in the bullion, in the evening in Quirpo, and all night in—

Malot. A bawdy-house.

Pont. If my lord deny, they deny; if he affirm, they affirm: They skip into my lord's cast skins some twice a year; and thus they flatter to eat, eat to live, and live to praise my lord.

Malot. Good sir, tell me one thing.
Pont. What's that?

Malot. Dare these men ever fight on any cause? Pont. Oh, no, 'twould spoil their clothes, and put their bands out of order.

Nov. jun. Mistress, you hear the news? Your father has resigned his presidentship to my lord my father.

Malot. And lord Charalois undone for ever.
Pont. Troth, 'tis pity, sir.

A braver hope of so assured a father
Did never comfort France.

Lilad. A good dumb mourner.
Aymer. A silent black.

Nov. jun. Oh, fie upon him, how he wears his

clothes!

As if he had come this Christmas from St Omers, To see his friends, and returned after twelfth-tide.

Lilad. His colonel looks finely like a droverNov. jun. That had a winter lain perdue in the rain.

Aymer. What, he that wears a clout about his neck,

His cuffs in his pocket, and his heart in his mouth?
Nov. jun. Now, out upon him!
Beaumel. Servant, tie my hand.

[Nov. jun. kisses her hand. How your lips blush, in scorn that they should pay Tribute to hands, when lips are in the way! Nov. jun. I thus recant; yet now your hand looks white,

Because your lips robbed it of such a right.
Monsieur Aymer, I prithee sing the song
Devoted to my mistress.
[Music.

SONG.

A Dialogue between a Man and a Womun. Man. Set, Phœbus! set; a fairer sun doth rise From the bright radiance of my mistress' eyes Than ever thou begat'st: I dare not look; Each hair a golden line, each word a hook, The more I strive, the more still I am took. Wom. Fair servant! come; the day these eyes de lend

No man but has or must bury a father.
Char. Grave sir, I buried sorrow for his death
In the grave with him. I did never think
He was immortal-though I vow I grieve,
And see no reason why the vicious,
Virtuous, valiant, and unworthy men,
Should die alike.

Roch. They do not.

Char. In the manner

Of dying, sir, they do not; but all die,
And therein differ not: But I have done.
I spied the lively picture of my father,
Passing your gallery, and that cast this water
Into mine eyes: See-foolish that I am,
To let it do so.

Roch. Sweet and gentle nature!
How silken is this well comparatively
To other men! I have a suit to you, sir.
Char. Take it; 'tis granted.

Roch. What?

Char. Nothing, my lord.

Roch. Nothing is quickly granted.
Char. Faith, my lord,

That nothing granted is even all I have,
For, all know, I have nothing left to grant.
Roch. Sir, have you any suit to me? I'll grant
You something, anything.

Char. Nay, surely, I, that can
Give nothing, will but sue for that again.
No man will grant me anything I sue for,
But begging nothing, every man will give it.
Roch. Sir, the love I bore your father, and the
worth

I see in you, so much resembling his,
Made me thus send for you:-And tender here
[Draws a curtain, and discovers a Table,
with money and jewels upon it.
Whatever you will take, gold, jewels, both,
All, to supply your wants, and free yourself.
Where heavenly virtue in high-blooded veins
Is lodged, and can agree, men should kneel down,
Adore, and sacrifice all that they have;
And well they may, it is so seldom seen.
Put off your wonder, and here freely take,
Or send your servants: Nor, sir, shall you use,
In aught of this, a poor man's fee, or bribe
Unjustly taken of the rich, but what's
Directly gotten, and yet by the law.

Char. How ill, sir, it becomes those hairs to mock!

Roch. Mock! thunder strike me then.

Char. You do amaze me:

But

you shall wonder too. I will not take

One single piece of this great heap. Why should I
Borrow, that have no means to pay? nay, am
A very bankrupt, even in flattering hope
Of ever raising any. All my begging
Is Romont's liberty.

Enter ROMONT, BEAUMONT, and Creditors loaded with money.

Roch. Here is your friend,

Enfranchised ere you spake. I give him to you:
And, Charalois, I give you to your friend,
As free a man as he: Your father's debts

Are taken off.

Char. How?

Rom. Sir, it is most true. I am the witness.

1 Cred. Yes, faith, we are paid.

2 Cred. Heaven bless his lordship! I did think him wiser.

3 Cred. He a statesman! He an ass. Pay other men's debts?

1 Cred. That he was never bound for. Rom. One more such

Would save the rest of pleaders.

Char. Honoured Rochfort

Lie still my tongue, and blushes scald my cheeks, That offer thanks in words for such great deeds. Roch. Call in my daughter : still I have a suit to you, [Exit BEAUMONT.

Would you requite me.

Rom. With his life, I assure you.

Roch. Nay, would you make me now your
debtor, sir!

Re-enter BEAUMONT, with BEAUMELLE.
This is my only child : What she appears,
Your lordship well may see: her education
Follows not any; for her mind, I know it
To be far fairer than her shape, and hope
It will continue so. If now her birth

Be not too mean for Charalois, take her, take
This virgin by the hand, and call her wife,
Endowed with all my fortunes. Bless me so,
Requite me thus, and make me happier,
In joining my poor empty name to yours,
Than if my 'state were multiplied tenfold.

Char. Is this the payment, sir, that you expect?
Why, you precipitate me more in debt,
That nothing but my life can ever pay.
This beauty being your daughter, in which YOURS
I must conceive necessity of her virtue,
Without all dowry is a prince's aim:
Then, as she is, for poor and worthless me
How much too worthy! Waken me, Romont,
That I may know I dreamed, and find this va-
nished.

Rom. Sure I sleep not.

Roch. Your sentence-life or death.
Char. Fair Beaumelle, can you love me?
Beaumel. Yes, my lord.

Enter NOVALL jun. PONTALIER, MALOTIN,
LILADAM, and AYMER.-All salute.

Char. You need not question me if I can you: You are the fairest virgin in Dijon,

And Rochfort is your father.

Nov. jun. What's this change?

Roch. You meet my wishes, gentlemen.
Rom. What make

These dogs in doublets here?

Beaumel. A visitation, sir.

Char. Then thus, fair Beaumelle, I write my

faith,

Thus seal it in the sight of Heaven and men! Your fingers tie my heart-strings with this touch, In true love-knots, which nought but death shall loose.

And let these tears, an emblem of our loves,
Like crystal rivers individually

Flow into one another; make one source,
Which never man distinguish, less divide!
Breath marry breath, and kisses mingle souls;
Two hearts and bodies here incorporate;
And, though with little wooing I have won,
My future life shall be a wooing time,
And every day new as the bridal one.
Oh, sir! İ groan under your courtesies,
More than my father's bones under his wrongs.
You, Curtius-like, have thrown into the gulf
Of this his country's foul ingratitude,
Your life and fortunes, to redeem their shames.
Roch. No more, my glory! come, let's in, and
hasten

This celebration.

Rom. Mal. Pon. Beau. All fair bliss upon it! [Exeunt ROCHFORT, CHARALÕIS, ROMONT, BEAUMONT, and MALOTIN.

Nov. jun. Mistress !

Beaum. Oh servant!-Virtue strengthen me ! Thy presence blows round my affection's vane: You will undo me if you speak again.

[Erit BEAUMELLE. Lilad. Aym. Here will be sport for you. This works. [Exeunt LILADAM and AYMER. Nov. jun. Peace! peace!

Pont. One word, my lord Novall!

Nov. jun. What, thou wouldst money?-there! Pont. No, I'll none, I'll not be bought a slave, A pander, or a parasite, for all

Your father's worth. Though you have saved my life,

Rescued me often from my wants, I must not
Wink at your follies that will ruin you.
You know my blunt way, and my love to truth:
Forsake the pursuit of this lady's honour,
Now you do see her made another man's,
And such a man's, so good, so popular!
Or you will pluck a thousand mischiefs on you.
The benefits you've done me are not lost,
Nor cast away; they are pursed here in my heart;
But let me pay you, sir, a fairer way,
Than to defend your vices, or to sooth them.
Nov. jun. Ha, ha! what are my courses unto
thee?

Good cousin Pontalier, meddle with that
That shall concern thyself. [Exit NOVALL.
Pont. No more but scorn?

Move on then, stars, work your pernicious will:
Only the wise rule, and prevent your ill. [Exit.
Hautboys. Here a passage over the stage, while
the act is playing for the marriage of CHARA-
LOIS with BEAUMELLE, &c..

Bella. I will,

Relish and taste, and make the banquet easy.
You say my lady's married-I confess it:
That Charalois hath enjoyed her 'tis most true:
That with her he's already master of
The best part of my old lord's state-still better.
But that the first or last should be your hindrance,
I utterly deny: For, but observe me,
While she went for, and was, I swear, a virgin,
What courtesy could she with her honour give,
Or you receive with safety? Take me with you;
When I say courtesy, do not think I mean
A kiss, the tying of her shoe or garter,
An hour of private conference; those are trifles.
In this word courtesy we, that are gamesters,

Re-enter BELLAPERT.

I had forgot to tell your ladyship,

The closet is private, and your couch there ready;

And, if you please that I shall lose the key,
But say so, and 'tis done.

[Exit. Beaumel. You come to chide me, servant, and bring with you

Sufficient warrant. You will say, and truly,
My father found too much obedience in me,
By being won too soon; yet, if you please
But to remember, all my hopes and fortunes
Had reference to his liking, you will grant,
That though I did not well towards you, I yet
Did wisely for myself.

Nov. jun. With too much fervour

I have so long loved, and still love you, mistress,
To esteem that an injury to me,

Which was to you convenient; that is past
My help, is past my cure. You yet may, lady,
In recompence of all my duteous service,
(Provided that your will answer your power)
Become my creditress.

Beaumel. I understand you;
And for assurance the request you make
Shall not be long unanswered, pray you sit;
And by what you shall hear, you'll easily find
My passions are much fitter to desire,
Than to be sued to.

Enter ROMONT and FLORIMEL behind.

Flor. Sir, it is not envy

At the start my fellow has got of me in
My lady's good opinion, that is the motive
Of this discovery; but the due payment

Of what I owe her honour. Rom. So I conceive it.

Flor. I have observed too much, nor shall my
silence

Prevent the remedy:-yonder they are;
I dare not be seen with you. You may do
What you think fit, which will be, I presume,
The office of a faithful and tried friend
To my young lord.
[Exit FLORIMEL
Rom. This is no vision: Ha!
Nov. jun. With the next opportunity?
Beaumel. By this kiss, and this, and this.
Nov. jun. That you would ever swear thus!
Rom. [Comes forward.] If I seem rude, your
pardon, lady;-yours

I do not ask: Come, do not dare to shew me
A face of anger, or the least dislike;
Put on, and suddenly, a milder look;
I shall grow rough else.

Nov. jun. What have I done, sir,

To draw this harsh unsavoury language from you? Rom. Done, popinjay! Why, dost thou think that, if

I e'er had dream't that thou hadst done me wrong, Thou shouldst outlive it?

Beaumel. This is something more

Than my lord's friendship gives commission for.
Nov. jun. Your presence and the place make
him presume
Upon my patience.

Rom. As if thou e'er wert angry

But with thy taylor! and yet that poor shred Can bring more to the making up of a man, Than can be hoped from thee: Thou art his creature,

And, did he not each morning new create thee, Thou'dst stink and be forgotten. I will not change

One syllable more with thee, until thou bring
Some testimony, under good men's hands,
Thou art a Christian: I suspect thee strongly,
And will be satisfied; 'till which time, keep
from me.-

The entertainment of your visitation
Has made what I intended one a business.
Nov. jun. So we shall meet-Madam!

Rom. Use that leg again, and I'll cut off the other.