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For this her Name was honour’d, Disobedience

Was ne’er imputed to her, her firm Love

Conquer’d whate’er oppos’d it, and she prosper’d

Long Time your Wife. My Case is now the same;

You are the Father, which You then condemn’d;

I, what my Mother was; but not so happy.—

D. Bern. Go to, you’re a Fool. No doubt, You have old Stories enough to undo you.— What, you can’t throw yourself away but by Precedent, ha?— You will needs be married to One, that will None of You? You will be happy no Body’s way but your own, forsooth.— But, d’ye mark me, spare your Tongue for the future; (and That’s using you hardly too, to bid you spare what you have a great deal too much of:) Go, go your ways, and d’ye hear, get ready within these Two days to be married to a Husband you don’t deserve; — Do it, or, by my dead Father’s Soul, you are no Acquaintance of mine.

Henr. She weeps: Be gentler to her, good Bernardo.

Leon. Then Woe the Day. — I’m circled round with Fire;

No Way for my Escape, but thro’ the Flames.

Oh, can I e’er resolve to live without

A Father’s Blessing, or abandon Julio?

With other Maids, the Choice were not so hard;

Int’rest, that rules the World, has made at last

A Merchandize of Hearts: and Virgins now

Chuse as they’re bid, and wed without Esteem.

By nobler Springs shall my Affections move;

Nor own a Master, but the Man I love.

[Exit Leonora.

D. Bern. Go thy ways, Contradiction. — Follow her, my Lord; follow her, in the very Heat. This Obstinacy must be combated by Importunity as obstinate. [Exit Henriquez after her.

The Girl says right; her Mother was just such Another. I remember, Two of Us courted her at the same Time. She lov’d neither of Us, but She chose me purely to spight that surly Old Blockhead my Father-in-Law. Who comes here, Camillo? Now the refusing Part will lie on my Side.—

Enters Camillo.

Cam. My worthy Neighbour, I am much in Fortune’s Favour to find You thus alone. I have a Suit to You.

D. Bern. Please to name it, Sir.

Cam. Sir, I have long held You in singular Esteem: and what I shall now say, will be a Proof of it. You know, Sir, I have but one Son.

D. Bern. Ay, Sir.

Cam. And the Fortune I am blest withal, You pretty well know what it is.

D. Bern. ’Tis a fair One, Sir.

Cam. Such as it is, the whole Reversion is my Son’s. He is now engaged in his Attendance on our Master, the Duke. But e’er he went, he left with me the Secret of his Heart, his Love for your fair Daughter. For your Consent, he said, ’twas ready: I took a Night, indeed, to think upon it, and now have brought you mine; and am come to bind the Contract with half my Fortune in present, the Whole some time hence, and, in the mean while, my hearty Blessing. Ha? What say You to’t, Don Bernard?

D. Bern. Why, really, Neighbour, — I must own, I have heard Something of this Matter.—

Cam. Heard Something of it? No doubt, you have.

D. Bern. Yes, now I recollect it well.

Cam. Was it so long ago then?

D. Bern. Very long ago, Neighbour.— On Tuesday last.

Cam. What, am I mock’d in this Business, Don Bernard?

D. Bern. Not mock’d, good Camillo, not mock’d: But in Love-matters, you know, there are Abundance of Changes in half an Hour. Time, Time, Neighbour, plays Tricks with all of us.

Cam. Time, Sir! What tell you me of Time? Come, I see how this goes. Can a little Time take a Man by the Shoulder, and shake off his Honour? Let me tell you, Neighbour, it must either be a strong Wind, or a very mellow Honesty that drops so easily. Time, quoth’a?

D. Bern. Look’ee, Camillo; will you please to put your Indignation in your Pocket for half a Moment, while I tell you the whole Truth of the Matter. My Daughter, you must know, is such a tender Soul, she cannot possibly see a Duke’s younger Son without falling desperately in Love with him. Now, you know, Neighbour, when Greatness rides Post after a Man of my Years, ’tis both Prudence, and good Breeding, to let one’s self be overtaken by it. And who can help all This? I profess, it was not my seeking, Neighbour.

Cam. I profess, a Fox might earth in the