SCENE IV.

LAMORCE'S _Lodgings_.

_Enter_ YOUNG MIRABEL.

_Y. Mir._ Bloody hell-hounds! I overheard you:--Was not I two hours ago, the happy, gay, rejoicing Mirabel? How did I plume my hopes in a fair, coming prospect, of a long scene of years! Life courted me with all the charms of vigour, youth, and fortune; and to be torn away from all my promised joys, is more than death;--the manner too, by villains!--O my Oriana, this very moment might have blessed me in thy arms!--and my poor boy! the innocent boy! Confusion!--But hush, they come--I must dissemble still.--No news of my wine, gentlemen?

_Enter the Four_ BRAVOES.

_1 Bra._ No, sir, I believe your country booby has lost himself, and we can wait no longer for't:--True, sir, you're a pleasant gentleman, but, I suppose you understand our business?

_Y. Mir._ Sir, I may go near to guess at your employments; you, sir, are a lawyer, I presume--you a physician, you a scrivener, and you a stock jobber.----All cut-throats, egad! [_Aside._

_4 Bra._ Sir, I am a broken officer; I was cashiered at the head of the army, for a coward, so I took up the trade of murder, to retrieve the reputation of my courage.

_3 Bra._ I am a soldier too, and would serve my king; but I don't like the quarrel, and I have more honour than to fight in a bad cause.

_2 Bra._ I was bred a gentleman, and have no estate; but I must have my whore and my bottle, through the prejudice of education.

_1 Bra._ I am a ruffian too; by the prejudice of education, I was born a butcher.--In short, sir, if your wine had come, we might have trifled a little longer.--Come, sir, which sword will you fall by? mine, sir?

_2 Bra._ Or mine? [_Draws._

_3 Bra._ Or mine? [_Draws._

_4 Bra._ Or mine? [_Draws._

_Y. Mir._ I scorn to beg my life; but to be butchered thus!--O, there's the wine!--this moment for [_Knocking._] my life or death.

_Enter_ ORIANA.

Lost! for ever lost!--Where's the wine, child! [_Faintly._

_Oriana._ Coming up, sir. [_Stamps._

_Enter_ DURETETE _with his Sword drawn, and six of the_ GRAND MUSQUETEERS, _with their Pieces presented, the_ RUFFIANS _drop their Swords_.--ORIANA _goes off_.

_Y. Mir._ The wine, the wine, the wine! Youth, pleasure, fortune, days and years, are now my own again! Ah, my dear friends! did not I tell you, this wine would make me merry?--Dear Captain, these gentlemen are the best natured, facetious, witty creatures, that ever you knew.

_Enter_ LAMORCE.

_Lam._ Is the wine come, sir?

_Y. Mir._ O yes, madam, the wine is come----see there! [_Pointing to the_ SOLDIERS.] Your ladyship has got a very fine ring upon your finger.

_Lam._ Sir, 'tis at your service.

_Y. Mir._ O ho! is it so? Thou dear seven hundred pound, thou'rt welcome home again, with all my heart!--Ad's my life, madam, you have got the finest built watch there! Tompion's, I presume?

_Lam._ Sir, you may wear it.

_Y. Mir._ O madam, by no means, 'tis too much--Rob you of all!--[_Taking it from her._] Good, dear time, thou'rt a precious thing, I'm glad I have retrieved thee. [_Putting it up._] What, my friends neglected all this while! Gentlemen, you'll pardon my complaisance to the lady.--How now! is it civil to be so out of humour at my entertainment, and I so pleased with yours? Captain, you're surprised at all this--but we're in our frolics, you must know.--Some wine here!

_Enter_ SERVANT, _with Wine_.

Come, Captain, this worthy gentleman's health. [_Tweaks the First_ BRAVO _by the Nose; he roars_.

But now, where--where's my dear deliverer, my boy, my charming boy?

_1 Bra._ I hope some of our crew below stairs have dispatched him.

_Y. Mir._ Villain, what say'st thou? dispatched! I'll have ye all tortured, racked, torn to pieces alive, if you have touched my boy.--Here, page! page! page! [_Runs out._

_Dur._ Here, gentlemen, be sure you secure those fellows.

_1 Bra._ Yes, sir, we know you, and your guard will be very civil to us.

_Dur._ Take them to justice. [_The_ GUARDS _carry off the_ BRAVOES.] Now for you, madam;----He! he! he! I'm so pleased to think that I shall be revenged of one woman, before I die.--Well, Mrs. Snap Dragon, which of these honourable gentlemen is so happy to call you wife?

_1 Bra._ Sir, she should have been mine to-night, 'cause Sampre, here, had her last night.--Sir, she's very true to us all four.

_Enter_ OLD MIRABEL, DUGARD, _and_ BISARRE.

_Old Mir._ Robin! Robin!--Where's Bob? where's my boy!--What, is this the lady? a pretty creature, 'faith!--Harkye, child, because my son was so civil as to oblige you with a coach, I'll treat you with a cart, indeed I will.

_Dug._ Ay, madam, and you shall have a swinging equipage, three or four thousand footmen at your heels, at least.

_Dur._ No less becomes her quality.

_Bis._ Faugh! the monster!

_Dur._ Monster! ay, you're all a little monstrous, let me tell you.

_Enter_ YOUNG MIRABEL.

_Old Mir._ Ah, my dear Bob! art thou safe, man?

_Y. Mir._ No, no, sir, I am ruined: the saver of my life is lost!

_Old Mir._ No, he came and brought us the news.

_Y. Mir._ But where is he?

_Enter_ ORIANA.

Ha! [_Runs and embraces her._] My dear preserver! what shall I do to recompense your trust?--Father, friends, gentlemen, behold the youth, that has relieved me from the most ignominious death!--Command me, child; before you all--before my late, so kind, indulgent stars, I swear to grant whate'er you ask.

_Oriana._ To the same stars, indulgent now to me, I will appeal, as to the justice of my claim: I shall demand but what was mine before--the just performance of your contract to Oriana. [_Discovering herself._

_Omnes._ Oriana!

_Oriana._ In this disguise I resolved to follow you abroad, counterfeited that letter, that brought me into your service; and so, by this strange turn of fate, I became the instrument of your preservation; few common servants would have had such cunning; my love inspired me with the meaning of your message, because my concern for your safety made me suspect your company.

_Dur._ Mirabel, you're caught.

_Y. Mir._ Caught! I scorn the thought of imposition--Caught! No, 'tis my voluntary act; this was no human stratagem, but by my providential stars, designed to show the dangers wandering youth incurs, by the pursuit of an unlawful love; to plunge me headlong in the snares of vice, and then to free me by the hands of virtue: Here, on my knees, I humbly beg my fair preserver's pardon; my thanks are needless, for myself I owe: And now, for ever, do protest me yours.

_Old Mir._ Tall, all di dall! [_Sings._] Kiss me, daughter--no, you shall kiss me first, [_To_ LAMORCE.] for you're the cause on't. Well, Bisarre, what say you to the captain?

_Bis._ I like the beast well enough, but I don't understand his paces so well as to venture him in a strange road.

_Old Mir._ But marriage is so beaten a path, that you can't go wrong.

_Bis._ Ay, 'tis so beaten that the way is spoiled.

_Dur._ There is but one thing should make me thy husband--I could marry thee to-day, for the privilege of beating thee to-morrow.

_Old Mir._ Come, come, you may agree for all this;--Mr. Dugard, are not you pleased with this?

_Dug._ So pleased, that, if I thought it might secure your son's affection to my sister, I would double her fortune.

_Y. Mir._ Fortune! has she not given me mine? my life--estate--my all? and what is more, her virtuous self?--Behold the foil [_Pointing to_ LAMORCE.] that sets this brightness off! [_To_ ORIANA.] Here view the pride, [_To_ ORIANA.] and scandal of the sex!

What liberty can be so tempting there, [_To_ LAMORCE.

As a soft, virtuous, am'rous bondage here? [_To_ ORIANA.

THE END.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Punctuation and orthography in the text depart from modern practice, especially in the use of capitalisation following semi-colon and colon and in the failure to capitalise such terms as, e.g. christendom.

On a few occasions where no confusion is possible, Young Mirabel (Y. Mir.) appears simply as Mirabel (Mir.)

The name of a character is not italicised where it is immediately preceded or followed by text in italics.

The following substantive changes have been made to the text:

In Act 2, scene 1, the word "make" was added to the following passage:

_Old Mir._ Neither! Don't make me angry now, Bob--pray, don't MAKE me angry.

In Act 3, scene 1, a second instance of the word "been" was removed from the sentence:

_Y. Mir._ Why sir, han't I been beating (...)

Towards the end of Act 3, it is conceivable that the line:

_Old Mir._ What's that to you, sir?

should be spoken by Young Mirabel.

In Act 5, scene 1, _Dug._ (Dugard) was changed to _Dur._ (Duretete) for the line:

The fellow has quite forgot this journey;--have you bespoke post horses?