A thousand more, why need you talk to me?
POLYDOR E.
Oh! I could talk to thee for ever: Thus
Eternally admiring, fix and gaze
On those dear Eyes, for every Glance they fend
Darts through my Soul, and almoft gives Enjoyment.
ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.
How can you labour thus for my Undoing?
I muft confefs, indeed, I owe you more
Than ever I can hope or think to pay.
There always was a Friendship 'twixt our Families;
And therefore when my tender Parents dy'd,
Whose ruin'd Fortunes too expir'd with them,
Your Father's Pity, and his Bounty, took me,
A poor and helpless Orphan to his Care.
"Twas Heav'n ordain'd it so, to make me happy. Hence with this peevish Virtue, 'tis a Cheat, And those who taught it first were Hypocrites.
Come, these soft tender Limbs were made for yielding. ΜΟΝΙΜΙΑ.
Here, on my Knees, by Heav'n's bleft Pow'r I fwear,
If you perfift, I ne'er henceforth will fee you,
But rather wander through the World a Beggar,
And live on fordid Scraps at proud Mens Doors;
For though to Fortune loft, I'll still inherit
My Mother's Virtues, and my Father's Honour.
POLYDORE.
Intolerable Vanity! your Sex
Was never in the right! y'are always false,
Or filly; ev'n your Dreffes are not more
Fantaftic than your Appetites: you think
Of nothing twice: Opinion you have none.
To-day y'are nice, To-morrow not fo free;
Now fmile, then frown; now forrowful, then glad ;
Now pleas'd, now not; and all you know not why!
Virtue you affect, Inconftancy's your Practice,
And when your loofe Defires once get Dominion,
No hungry Churl feeds coarfer at a Featt;
Ev'ry rank Fool goes down-
I own my Sexes Follies; have 'em all,
And to avoid its Fault, must fly from you:
Therefore believe me, could you raise me high
As most fantastic Woman's Wish could reach,
And lay all Nature's Riches at my Feet;
I'd rather run a Savage in the Woods
Amongst brute Beafts, grow wrinkled and deform'd,
As Wildness and most rude Neglect could make me,
So I might ftill enjoy my Honour fafe
From the deftroying Wiles of faithlefs Men. [Exit.
POLYDORE.
Who'd be that fordid foolish thing call'd Man,
To cringe thus, fawn, and flatter for a Pleasure,
Which Beafts enjoy fo very much above him?
The lufty Bull ranges through all the Field,
And from the Herd fingling his Female out,
Enjoys her, and abandons her at Will. -
It fhall be fo, I'll yet poffefs my Love,
Wait on, and watch her loose unguarded Hours:
Then when her roving Thoughts have been abroad,
And brought in wanton Wishes to her Heart;
I'th' very Minute when her Virtue nods,
I'll rush upon her in a Storm of Love,
Beat down her Guard of Honour all before me,
Surfeit on Joys till even Defire grow fick;
Then by long Abfence Liberty regain,
And quite forget the Pleasure and the Pain.
Enter ACASTO, CASTALIO, POLYDORE, Attendants.
O-day has been a Day of glorious Spor
When you, Caftalio, and your Brother left me,
Forth from the Thickets rufh'd another Boar,
So large, he feem'd the Tyrant of the Woods,
With all his dreadful Briftles rais'd up high,
They feem'd a Grove of Spears upon his Back;
Foaming he came at me, where I was posted,
Beft to obferve which way he'd lead the Chace,
Whetting his huge long Tusks, and gaping wide,
As if he already had me for his Prey;
Till brandishing my well-pois'd Javelin high,
With this cold executing Arm, I ftruck
The ugly brindled Monster to the Heart.
The Actions of your Life were always wond'rous.
ACASTO.
No Flatt'ry, Boy! an honeft Man can't live by't,
It is a little fneaking Art, which Knaves
Ufe to cajole and soften Fools withal;
If thou haft Flatt'ry in thy Nature, out with't,
Or fend it to a Court, for there 'twill thrive.
"Tis, next to Money, current there;
To be feen daily in as many Forms
As there are forts of Vanities, and Men;
The fuperftitious Statesman has his Sneer
To smooth a poor Man off with, that can't bribe him ;
ae dull Fellow of fmall Business fooths
Humorit, and will needs admire his Wit:
Who without Spleen could see a hot-brain'd Atheist
Thanking a furly Doctor for his Sermon,
Or a grave Counsellor meet a smooth young Lord,
Squeeze him by the Hand,and praife his good Complexion?
POLYDORE.
Courts are the places where beft Manners flourish;
Where the Deferving ought to rife, and Fools
Make show. Why should I vex and chase my Spleen,
To fee a gawdy Coxcomb fhine, when I
Have feen enough to footh him in his Follies,
And ride him to advantage as I please?
Who merit, ought indeed to rife i'th' World,
But no wife Man that's honest should expect it.
What Man of Sense would rack his generous Mind,
To practise all the bafe Formalities
And Forms of Bufinefs, force a grave ftarch'd Face,
When he's a very Libertine in's Heart ?
Seem not to know this or that Man in public,
When privately perhaps they meet together,
And lay the Scene of fome brave Fellow's Ruin.
Such things are done-
Your Lordship's Wrongs have been So great, that you with Juftice may complain; But fuffer us, whofe younger Minds ne'er felt Fortune's Deceits, to court her as fhe's fair: Were she a common Mistress, kind to all,
Her Worth would ceafe, and half the World grow idle. ACAST O.
Go to, you're Fools, and know me not; I've learnt Long fince to bear Revenge, or fcorn my Wrongs, According to the Value of the Doer.
You both would fain be great, and to that end
Defire to do things worthy your Ambition.
Go to the Camp, Preferment's noblest Mart,
Where Honour ought to have the fairest play, you'll find-
Corruption, Envy, Difcontent, and Faction,
Almoft in every Band:
: How many Men
Have spent their Blood in their dear Country's Service,
Yet now pine under Want, while selfish Slaves,
That ev'n would cut their Throats, whom now they fawn on,
Like deadly Locufts eat the Honey up,
Which those industrious Bees fo hardly toil'd for?
CAST ALIO.
These Precepts fuit not with my active Mind,
Methinks I would be bufy.
Not loiter out my Life at Home, and know
No farther than one Profpe&t gives me leave.
Bufy your Minds then, ftudy Arts and Men:
Learn how to value Merit though in Rags,
And scorn a proud ill-manner'd Knave in Office.
Enter SERINA, MONIMIA and Maid.
ACASTO.
Bleffings on my Child,
My little Cherub, what hast thou to ask me?
I bring you, Sir, most glad and welcome News : The Young Chamont, whom you've fo often wifh'd for, Is juft arriv'd and entring.
And all my Honours, he's moft dearly welcome;
Let me receive him like his Father's Friend.
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