Miss P. No, indeed ; I'm angry at you!

[Runs and kisses him. Tatt. Hold, hold, that's pretty well-but you should not have given it me, but have suffered me to have taken it.

Miss P. Well, we'll do it again.

Tatt. With all my heart.-Now, then, my little an. gel!

(Kisses her. Miss P. Pish! Tatt. That's right. Again, my charmer! [Kisses again. Miss P. O fiel nay, now I can't abide you:

Tatt. Admirable! That was as well as if you had been born and bred in Covent-garden. And won't you shew me, pretty miss, where your bed-chamber is?

Miss P. No, indeed won't I; but I'll run there, and hide myself from you behind the curtains.

Tatt. I'll follow you.

Miss P. Ah, but I will hold the door with both hands, and be angry; and you shall push me down before you come in.

Tatt. No, I'll come in first, and push you down afterwards.

Miss P. Will you ? then I'll be more angry, and more complying

Tatt. Then I'll make you cry out.
Miss P. O but you shan't, for I'll hold my tongue.
Tatt, Oh, my dear apt scholar!
Miss P. Well, now I'll run, and make more haste

than you.

Tatt. You shall not fly so fast as I'll pursue. (Exeunt.

F

ACT III. SCENE 1.

Nukse alone. Miss, miss, miss Prue !-Mercy on me, marry, and amen |--Why, what's become of the child ?- Why, miss, miss Foresight!--sure she has lockt herself up in her chamber, and gone to sleep, or to prayers !Miss, miss' - I hear lier.-Come to your father, child. Oj en the door. Open the door, miss.-1 hear you cry husht - Lord, who's there? [Peeps.]

-What's here to do? - the Father! a man with her!Why, miss, I say; God's my life, here's fine doings towards! O Lord, we're all undone - you young harlotry !--[ Knocks )-Ods my life! won't you open the door? I'll come in the back way. [Exit.

Enter Tattle and Miss PRUE. Miss P. O Lord, she's coming and she'll tell my father. What shall I do now?

Tutt. Pox take her! if she had staid two minutes lon er, I should have wished for her coming.

Miss P. O dear, what shall I say? tell me, Mr. Tattle, tell me a lie.

Tait. There's no occasion for a lie; I could never tell a lie to no purpose-But, we have done nothing, we must say nothing, I think. I hear her --I'll leave you together, and come off as you can.

[Thrusts her in, and shuts the door.

you

Enter VALENTINE, SCANDAL, and ANGELICA. Ang. You can't accuse me of inconstancy ; I never told that I loved you.

Val. But I can accuse you of uncertainty, for not telling me whether you did or not.

Ang. You mistake indifference for uncertainty ; I never had concern enovgh to ask myself the question.

Scand. Nor good-nature enough to answer him that did ask you : I'll say that for you, madam.

Ang. What, are you setting up for good-nature?

Scand. Only for the affectation of it, as the women do for ill-nature.

Ang. Persuade your friend that it is all affectation.

Scand. I shall receive no benefit from the opinion : for I know no effectual difference between continued affectation and reality.

“ Tatt. [Coming up.] Scandal, are you in private "discourse: Any thing of secrecy? [ Aside to Scandal.

“ Scand. Yes, but I dare trust you. We were talk“ing of Angelica's love to Valentine ; you won't

speak of it. “ Tatt. No, no, not a syllable I know that's a secret, for it is whispered every where. " Scand. Ha, ha, ha!

Ang. What is, Mr. Tattle? I heard you say something was whispered every where. “ Scand. Your love for Valentine,

Ang. How ! " Tatt. No madam ; his love for your ladyship “ _Gad take me, I beg your pardon-for I never “ heard a word of your ladyship's passion till this « instant.

“ Ang. My passion !—And who told you of my passion, pray,

sir ? “ Scaid. Why, is the devil in you ? did not I tell “ it you for a secret?

“ Tatt. Gadso, but I thought she might have “ been trusted with her own affairs.

“ Scand. Is that your discretion? trust a woman " with herself?

“ Tatt. You say true; I beg your pardon—I'll

bring all off. It was impossible, madam, for me to “ imagine that a person of your ladyship’s wit and “ gallantry could have so long received the passi. “onate addresses of the accomplished Valentine, and

yet remain insensible : therefore, you will pardon “me, if from a just weight of his merit, with your “ ladyship’s good judgment, I formed the balance of

a reciprocal affection. “ Val. O the devil! what damn'd costive poet has given thee this lesson of fustian to get by rote ?

“ Ang. I dare swear you wrong him; it is his own " --and Mr. Tattle only judges of the success of “ others, from the effects of his own merit ; for,

certainly, Mr. Tattle was never denied any thing 66 in his life.

“ Tatt. O Lord ! yes indeed, madam, several times. “ Ang. I swear I don't think it is possible. 66 Tatt. Yes, I vow and swear, I have. Lord, << madam, I'm the most unfortunate man in the “ world, and the most cruelly used by the ladies.

si Ang. Nay, now you're ungrateful.

“ Tatt. No, I hope not. It is as much ingratitude " to own some favours, as to conceal others. “ Val. There, now it is out.

Ang. I don't understand you now. I thought you had never asked any thing but what a lady might modestly grant, and you confess.

“ Scand. So, faith, your business is done here; " now you may go brag somewhere else.

“ Tatt. Brag! O Heavens! Why, did I name any

“ body?

“ Ang. No; I suppose that is not in your power ; “ but you would, if you could, no doubt on't.

“ Tatt. Not in my power, madam ?-What! does

your ladyship mean, that I have no woman's repu“ tation in my power? " Scand. Oons, why you won't own it, will you?

[Aside. “ Tatt. Faith, madam, you are in the right; no

more I have, as I hope to be saved ; I never had “it in my power to say any thing to a lady's preju“ dice in my life.--For, as I was telling you, madam, “ I have been the most unsuccessful creature living “ in things of that nature; and never had the good “ fortune to be trusted once with a lady's secret ; not

6

" once.

Ang. No?