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She’d stop him short— Pray, who made you so knowing?

What, doubt my Virtue!— What’s your base Intention?

Sir, that’s a Point above your Comprehension.—

Well, Heav’n be prais’d, the Virtue of our Times

Secures us from our Gothick Grandsires’ Crimes.

Rapes, Magick, new Opinions, which before

Have fill’d our Chronicles, are now no more:

And this reforming Age may justly boast,

That dreadful Sin Polygamy is lost.

So far from multiplying Wives, ’tis known

Our Husbands find, they’ve Work enough with one.—

Then, as for Rapes, those dangerous days are past;

Our Dapper Sparks are seldom in such haste.

In Shakespeare’s Age the English Youth inspir’d,

Lov’d, as they fought, by him and Beauty fir’d.

’Tis yours to crown the Bard, whose Magick Strain

Cou’d charm the Heroes of that glorious Reign,

Which humbled to the Dust the Pride of Spain.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

Men.

Duke Angelo.

Mr. Corey.

Roderick, his Elder Son.

Mr. Mills.

Henriquez, his Younger Son.

Mr. Wilks.

Don Bernard, Father to Leonora.

Mr. Harper.

Camillo, Father to Julio.

Mr. Griffin.

Julio, in Love with Leonora.

Mr. Booth.

Citizen.

Mr. Oates.

Master of the Flocks.

Mr. Bridgewater.

First Shepherd.

Mr. Norris.

Second Shepherd.

Mr. Ray.

[A Churchman.]

[Fabian, a Clown.]

[Lopez, another.]

[Gerald, servant to Henriquez.]

[Servant to Henriquez.]

[Servant to Violante.]

A Gentleman.,

Women.

Leonora.

Mrs. Porter.

Violante.

Mrs. Booth.

[Maid to Violante.]

Gentlemen, Servants, Musicians, Attendants to Leonora, etc.

Scene, the Province of Andalusia in Spain.

Act I. Scene I.

Scene, A Royal Palace.

Duke Angelo, Roderick, and Courtiers.

Roderick.

My gracious Father, this unwonted Strain

Visits my heart with Sadness.

Duke. Why, my Son?

Making my Death familiar to my Tongue

Digs not my Grave one Jot before the Date.

I’ve worn the Garland of my Honours long,

And would not leave it wither’d to thy Brow,

But flourishing and green; worthy the Man,

Who, with my Dukedoms, heirs my better Glories.

Roder. This Praise, which is my Pride, spreads me with Blushes.

Duke. Think not, that I can flatter thee, my Roderick;

Or let the Scale of Love o’er-poize my Judgment.

Like a fair Glass of Retrospection, Thou

Reflect’st the Virtues of my early Youth;

Making my old Blood mend its Pace with Transport:

While fond Henriquez, thy irregular Brother,

Sets the large Credit of his Name at Stake,

A Truant to my Wishes, and his Birth.

His Taints of Wildness hurt our nicer Honour,

And call for swift Reclaim.

Roder. I trust, my Brother

Will, by the Vantage of his cooler Wisdom,

E’er-while redeem the hot Escapes of Youth,

And court Opinion with a golden Conduct.

Duke. Be Thou a Prophet in that kind Suggestion!

But I, by Fears weighing his unweigh’d Course,

Interpret for the Future from the Past.

And strange Misgivings, why he hath of late

By Importunity, and strain’d Petition,

Wrested our Leave of Absence from the Court,

Awake Suspicion. Thou art inward with him;

And, haply, from the bosom’d Trust can’st shape

Some formal Cause to qualify my Doubts.

Roder. Why he hath press’d this Absence, Sir, I know not;

But have his Letters of a modern Date,

Wherein by Julio, good Camillo’s Son,

(Who, as he says, shall follow hard upon;

And whom I with the growing Hour expect:)

He doth sollicit the Return of Gold

To purchase certain Horse, that like him well.

This Julio he encounter’d first in France,

And lovingly commends him to my Favour;

Wishing, I would detain him some few Days,

To know the Value of his well-placed Trust.

Duke. O, do it, Roderick; and assay to mould him

An honest Spy upon thy Brother’s Riots.

Make us acquainted when the Youth arrives;

We’ll see this Julio, and he shall from Us

Receive the secret Loan his Friend requires.

Bring him to Court.

[Exeunt.

Scene II. Prospect of a Village at a Distance.

Enters Camillo with a Letter.

Cam. How comes the Duke to take such Notice of my Son, that he must needs have