offence to Mr. Goodvile. That she is innocent as to any thing on my part, I am ready with my sword to make good: but, sir, I wear it too to do my own honour justice, and to demand of you on what grounds you appear so highly concerned for a woman you were pleased to commend to your friend for a wife?

Good. Concerned, sir! have I not reason to be concerned for the honour of my family? for a kinswoman under my charge to be abroad and alone with a gentleman at this unseasonable hour, might alarm a man less tender of his reputation than I am.

Tru. Sir, this excuse won't serve my turn; nor am I so blind as not to be sensible (which I before suspected) that Victoria has been long your mistress.-A pox of the honour of your family! you had given her all your heart, you said; and your passion was not a thing to be thus abused: nor, sir, is my honour.

Good. No, but dear Jack Truman, thou art my friend.

Tru. You would have made me believe so indeed; but the daubing was too coarse, and the artificial face appeared too plain. One would have thought, sir, that you who keep a general decoy here for fools and coxcombs, might have found one to have recompensed a cast mistress withal, and not have endeavoured the betraying the honour of a gentleman and your friend. But, sir, I am glad I have heard it from your own mouth: I hope it will not be esteemed much ill-nature in me, if worthy Mr. Malagene and I join forces to publish a little, as he calls it.

Mal. Faith, Jack Truman, with all my heart; now I have him on my side, I dare say any thing-Frank Goodvile-pugh!

Good. Sir, I shall require a better account of this hereafter.

Lady Squ. Lord, Mr. Truman, what ails Mr. Goodvile? how happened this difference?-I'll swear. I'm strangely surprized.

Tru. Your ladyship, I suppose, can best give an

account how matters are with him: I am apt to believe he has been very free with you.

Lady Squ. Dear sir, what do you mean? I'll swear you are a scandalous person.

Good. Sir, since you are so rough, be pleased not to concern yourself with the honour of this lady; you may have enough to do, if you dare justify your own to-morrow.

Tru. If I dare?-nay, sir, since you question it, I'll convince you presently;-draw. [They fight.

Enter VALENtine.

Val. Hold, hold, what's the matter here?-Jack Truman, Frank Goodvile, for shame, put up.

Enter Mrs. GOODVILE.

Mrs. Good. Where is this perfidious false man! where is Mr. Goodvile? So, sir, I have found now the original of all my misfortunes: I have a rival it seems; Victoria, the happy Victoria possesses all my joys: what, have you been fighting too for the honour of your mistress?-Here, come kill me; would I had been laid in my grave, ere I had known thy odious polluted bed.

Good. 'Sdeath, I thought she had been in her chamber this hour at least:-'tis true, my dear, I must own a kindness for Victoria, as my kinswoman; but―

Mrs. Good. How! dare you own it? and to my face too? matchless impudence! let me come at him, that I may tear out those hot, lascivious, glowing eyes that wander after every beauty in their way:-O that I could blast him with a look!-Was my love so despicable, to be abandoned for Victoria? the thought of it makes me mad: I'll endure it no longer, I will have revenge, or I'll die! Oh!

Tru. Delicate dissimulation! how I love her! [Aside. Good. Dear madam, hear me speak-Madam, I say that

Mrs. Good. I know you cannot want an excuse; dissimulation and falshood have been your practice : but that you should wrong me with Victoria, a woman that for the sake of your relation I had made my friend, (for every thing that was allied to you, was dear to me), is an injury so great, that it distracts my reason-I could pardon any thing but my wronged love.-Let me be gone; send me to a nunnery; confine me to a charnel-house; vile ungrateful wretch! any thing but thy presence I can endure.

Good. Is there every way so damned a creature as a wife?-Lord, madam, do you know what you do?

Mrs. Good. I'll warrant it, you would persuade me I am mad:--would I had been born a fool! I might then have been happy; patiently have passed over the many tedious nights I have endured in your absence; contented myself with prayers for your safety

Mal. O Lord; prayers!

Mrs. Good. When you, in the very instant, were languishing in the arms of a prostitute.

Good. Lord, madam, I thought you had been in your chamber now.- -Curse on her, what shall I do! Mrs. Good. "Tis a sign you believed me safe enough; you would not certainly else have the impudence to have brought a new mistress under my nose; I see there how guilty she stands-have you a stomach so hot that it can digest carrion, that has been buzzed about and blown upon by all the flies in the town? or was it the fantasticalness of your appetite, to try how so coarse a dish would relish, after being cloyed with better feeding?-Nay, sir, I have been informed of all

Val. Has then your virtuous ladyship been taking a little love and air with Mr. Goodvile this evening? [To lady Squeamish

Good. Well, she has dealt with the devil, that's cer tain; -a pox on't, I see there's no living for me on this side of the world:-go, let the coach be made ready; I'll into the country.

Mrs, Good. Nay, sir, I know my presence has always

been uneasy to you: day and night you are from me; or if ever you come home, 'tis with an aching head and heavy heart, which Victoria only has charms enough to cure. This in the first year of our marriage! nay, and to own it! proclaim your own falshood, and my disgraceful injury, in the face of the world, when Malagene too, the trumpet of all the scandal in town, was by to be a witness; 'twas very discreetly done, and doubtless will be a secret long.

Good. Whirr,-nay, since it is so, what the devil should I strive to smother my good actions-well, if you will have it so, madam Victoria has been my mistress, is my mistress, and shall be my mistress, and what a pox would you have more? and so good-b'ye to you.

Enter Sir NOBLE CLUMSEY, CAPER, and SAUNTer,

Clum. How's this! who's that speaks dishonourably of my love, and lady that shall be, Victoria? before George she's a queen, and whoever says to the contrary, I'll first make him eat my sword, and then beat out his teeth with the hilt of it.

Cap. Oh! dear madam, yonder's all the town in masquerade; won't you walk in? they'll be gone if they see no company; Jack Truman, dear Jack, pr'ythee go and take one frisk :-as I hope to be saved, there are three or four of the finest ladies, the delicatest, shaped women; I am sure I know 'em all,

Tru. Sir, I wish you good fortune, but I dare not venture; you know my temper; I shall be very boisterous, and mistake 'em for whores, though if they be of your acquaintance, I know they must be of quality..

Cap. Igad, and so they are; but mum for that;— one of 'em is she that gave me this ring; and the other presented me with a gold enamelled watch could not cost less than thirty guineas; trifles, Jack, which I haye the fortune to meet withal sometimes.

Saunt. Nay, sir, you must not come off so-Victoria your mistress!

Good. Yes, sir, and how are you concerned at it? Saunt. Nay, sir, I can be as civil as any body-Victoria your mistress!

Good. 'Sdeath, you coxcomb, mind your singing, do you hear? and play the fool by yourself, or

Saunt. Sing, sir, so I can, fa, la, la, la, &c. Victoria your mistress!

Good. Yes, sir, I say my mistress.

Clum. 'Ounds then draw.

Val. Hold, sir Noble, you are too furious; what's the matter?

Cap. Why how now, Saunter? how dost do, dear, heart?-Sir, this gentleman's my friend, and

Good. Was ever man so overwhelmed with fools and blockheads? why you ill-ordered, addle-pated, waddling brace of puppies:-you fool, in the first place, sing and be safe-and you slight grasshopper, dance and divert me: dance, sirrah, do you hear?

Cap. Dance, sir, and so I think I can, sir, and fence, and play at tennis, and make love, and fold up a billetdoux, or any thing better than you, sir: dance quoth-athere, sir. [Capers Mrs. Good. Nay, sir Noble, not only so, but owned and boasted of it to my face: Told me

Clum. Soul of my honour, 'tis unpardonable; and I'll eat his heart for't.

Good. Dear raw-head and bloody-bones, be patient a little.-See, see, you beagles, game for you, fresh game; that great Towser has started it already! on, on, on, halloo, halloo, halloo.

[Thrusts 'em at his Wife, and Exit. Lady Squ. But dear Mr. Caper, masqueraders did you say? I'll swear I'll among 'em; shall I not have your company? Oh! dear masqueraders! I'll vow I can' stay no longer. [Exit hastily.

Val. Curse on her, she's gone, and has prevented meCaper, Saunter, did you not hear my lady call you? she's gone to the masqueraders; for shame, follow her; she'll take it ill you did not wait on her.