Enter Epicone, Haughty, Centaure, Mavis, Mrs.
Otter, Daw, La-Foole.

Epi. I will not endure it any longer. Ladies,'
I beseech you help me.
This is fuch a wrong as
never was offer'd to poor bride before: Upon her
marriage-day, to have her husband conspire againft
her, and a couple of mercenary companions to be
brought in for form's fake, to persuade a separa-
tion! If you had blood or virtue in you, gentle-
men, you would not fuffer fuch earwigs about a
hufband, or fcorpions to creep between man and
wife.

Mor. Oh, the variety and the changes of my torment!

Hau. Let 'em be cudgell'd out of doors by our grooms.

Cen. I'll lend you my footman.

Mavis. We'll have our men blanket them i'the hall.

Daw. Content, i'faith.

Tru. Stay, ladies and gentlemen! you'll hear before you proceed?

Mavis. I'll have the bridegroom blanketed too.
Cen. Begin with him first.,

Hau. Yes, by my troth.

Mor. Oh, mankind generation!

Dau..

Dau. Ladies, for my fake forbear.

Hau. Yes, for Sir Dauphine's fake.
Gen. He fhall command us.

Dau. Come, I fee now plain confederacy to abuse a gentleman. You study his affliction. Sir, will it please you hear me?

Mor. Oh, do not talk to me; take not from me the pleasure of dying in filence, nephew.

Dau. Sir, I muft fpeak to you. If I free you of this unhappy match absolutely, and instantly, after all this trouble, and almost in your despair,

now

Mor. (It cannot be.)

Dau. Sir, that you be never troubled with a murmur of it more, fhall I have your favour perfect to me, and love hereafter?

Mor. That, and any thing befide. Make thine own conditions.

Epi. Will Sir Dauphine be mine enemy too?

Dau. You know I have been long a fuitor to you, uncle, that out of your eftate, which is fifteen hundred a-year, you would allow me but five hundred during life, and affure the rest upon me after; to which I have often, by myself and my friends, tender'd you a writing to fign, which you would never confent or incline to. If you please but to effect it now

VOL. III.

Y

Mor.

4

Mor. Thou fhalt have it, nephew: I will do it, and more.

Dau. If I quit you not prefently, and for ever of this trouble, you fhall have power inftantly, afore all these, to revoke your act, and I will be come whose slave you will give me to, for ever.

Mor. Where is the writing? I will feal to it, that, or to a blank, and write thine own conditions. Epi. Oh, me! moft unfortunate wretched gentlewoman!

Hau. Will Sir Dauphine do this?

Epi. Good Sir, have fome compassion on me. Mor. Oh, my nephew knows you belike; away, crocodile!

Gen. He does it not fure without good ground. Dau. Here, Sir.

Mor. Come, nephew, give me the pen; I will fubfcribe to any thing, and feal to what thou wilt for my deliverance. Thou art my restorer. Here; I deliver it thee as my deed. If there be a word in it lacking, or writ with false orthography, I proteft before-I will not take the advantage.

Dau. Then here is your release, Sir; [Epicone throws off female apparel, and appears in boy's cloaths.] you have married a boy.

Mor. A boy!

Dau. Yes; mistress Epicone, a gentleman's fon,

that

J

that I have brought up this half-year, at my great charges, and for this compofition, which I haves now made with you. What say you, mafter doctor? This is juftum impedimentum, I hope; error perfona.

Otter. Yes, Sir, in primo gradu.
Cut. In primo gradu.

Dau. I thank you, good doctor Cutberd, and parfon Otter. [They throw off their disguises.] You are beholden to 'em, Sir, that have taken this pains for you; and my friend, mafter Truewit, who enabled 'em for the bufinefs. Now you may reft, be as private as you will, Sir. Cutberd, I'll make your leafe good. Thank me not, but with your leg, Cutberd. And, Tom Otter, your princess fhal be reconcil'd to you. How now, gentlemen! do you look at me?

Tru. Well, Dauphine, you have lurch'd your friends of the better half of the garland, by concealing this part of the plot: But much good do it thee! thou deferv'ft it, lad: And, Clerimont, for thy unexpected bringing these two to confeffion, wear my part of it freely.

Epi. Now, Sir Daw, and Sir La-Foole, you fee the gentlewoman that has done you the favours!

Tru. We are all thankful to you, and fo fhould

the

the woman-kind here; but that we have ftuck it upon you to-day, in your own imagin❜d persons, and fo lately, this Amazon, the champion of the fex, fhould beat you now thriftily, for the common flanders which ladies receive from fuch cuckows as you are. You are they, that when no merit or fortune can make you hope to poffefs their perfons, make their fame fuffer. Away, you common moths of these, and all ladies' honours! Go, travel to make legs and faces, and come home with fome new matter to be laugh'd at. Madams, you are mute, upon this new metamorphofis! But here ftands fhe that has vindicated your fames. Take heed of fuch infects hereafter. And let it not trouble you, if you have difcover'd any myfteries to this young gentleman: We'll all undertake for his fecrefy, that can speak fo well of his filence.

Mor. Spectators, if you like this Comedy, rife chearfully, and clap your hands. Thofe founds will pleafe me; nay, cure me of my averfion to noife.

END of the THIRD VOLUME.

IL