1 Con. Other woman, Sir! I have feen no other woman ever fince I left your house.

John. 'Sheart, what have I been doing here then all this while? Madam, your most humble-1 Con. Good Sir, be not fo cruel, as to leave me in this diftrefs.

Jahn. No, no, no; I'm only going a little way, and will be back again presently. 2001 IN

Con. But, pray Sir, hear me; I'm in that danger-----

John. No, no, no; I vow to gad, madam, no danger in the world: Let me alone, I warrant you.

[Exit. 1 Con. He's gone, and I a loft, wretched, miferable creature for ever.

Enter Antonio.

Ant. O, there the is.

my

I Con. Who's this, Antonio? the fiercest ene

I have.

[Runs out. Ant. Are you fo nimble-footed, gentlewoman? If I don't overtake you for all this, it shall go hardShe'll break my wind with a pox to her.

A plague confound all whores.

Q3

[Exit.

SCENE

S CEN E III.

Enter Mother to the fecond Conftantia, and Kinf

woman.

Kinf. But, madam, be not fo angry, perhaps fhe'll come again.

Mo. O kinfwoman, never speak of her more; for the's an odious creature, to leave me thus i' th' lurch. I that have given her all her breeding, and inftructed her with my own principles of education.

Kinf. I proteft, madam, I think she's a perfon that knows as much of all that as---

Mo. Knows, kinfwoman! There's ne'er a woman in Italy, of thrice her years, knows fo much the procedures of a true gallantry, and the infallible principles of an honourable friendship as fhe does.

Kinf. And therefore, madam, you ought to love

her.

Mo. No, fie upon her; nothing at all, as I am a christian: when once a perfon fails in fundamentals, fhe's at a period with me. Befides, with all her wit, Conftantia is but a fool, and calls all the meniarderies of a bonne mien affectation.

Kinf. Indeed I must confefs, she's given a little too much to the careless way.

Mo. Ay, there you have hit it, kinfwoman; the careless way has quite undone her, Will you believe me, kinfwoman? as I am a chriftian, Į never could make her do this, nor carry her body thus, but just when my eye was upon her as foon as ever my back was turned, whip, her elbows were quite out again: Would not you ftrange now at this?

Kinf. Blefs me, fweet goodness! But pray, madam, how came Conftantia to fall out with your ladyship? Did the take any thing ill of you?

Mo. As I'm a christian I can't refolve you, unless it were that I led the dance firft; but for that the muft excufe me; I know the dances well, but there are others who perhaps understand the right fwim of it as well as fhe.

Enter Don Frederick.

And though I love Conftantia---

Fred. How's this? Conftantia?

Mo. I know no reason why I should be debarr'd the privilege of fhewing my own parts too fome

Fred. If I am not mistaken that other woman is the Don John and I were directed to, when we came first to town, to bring us acquainted with Conftantia: I'll try to get fome intelligence from her. Pray, lady, have I never seen you before?

Kinf. Yes, Sir, I think you have, with another ftranger, a friend of yours, one day as I was coming out of the church.

Fred. I'm right then: And pray who were you talking of?

Mo. Why, Sir, of an inconfiderate, inconfiderable person, that has at once both forfeited the honour of my concern, and the concern of her own honour.

Fred. Very fine indeed: And is all this intended for the beautiful Conftantia ? :

Mo. O fie upon her, Sir, an odious creature, as I'm a chriftian, no beauty at all.

Fred. Why, does not your ladyship think her handfome?

Mo. Seriously, Sir, I don't think the's ugly, but as I am a chriftian, my pofition is, that no true beauty can be lodg'd in that creature, who is not in fome measure buoy'd up with a juft fenfe of what

11

what is incumbent to the devoir of a perfon of quality.com.

Fred. That pofition, madam, is a little fevere, but however she has been incumbent formerly, as your ladyship is pleas'd to fay; now that she's married, and her husband own's the child, she is fufficiently justified for all that she has done, i

Mo. Sir, I muft blushingly beg leave to fay, you are there in an error I know there has been paffages of love between 'em, but with a temperament fo innocent, and fo refin'd, as it did impose a negative upon the very possibility of her being with child.

Fred. Sure he is not well acquainted with her. Pray, madam, how long have you known Conftantia ?

Mo. Long enough, I think, Sir; for I had the good fortune, or rather the ill one, to help her first to the light of the world.

Fred. Now cannot I discover, by the fineness of this dialect, whether she be the mother or the midwife: I had beft afk t'other woman.

Mo. No, Sir, I affure you, my daughter Conftantia has never had a child: A child! ha, ha, ha! O goodness fave us, a child!

Fred.