and lie to hide my ingratitude-a monster in a moment—No, I may be the most unfortunate of men, but I will not be the most odious; while my heart is yet capable of dictating what is honest, I will obey its voice. 812 SCENE XIV. DIANA, CLARISSA, LIONEL, Colonel OLDBOY, HARMAN. Col. Dy, where are you? What the mischief, is this a time to be walking in the garden? The coach has been ready this half hour, and your Mamma is waiting for you. Dian. I am learning astronomy, Sir; do you know, Papa, that the moon is inhabited ? Col. Hussy, you are half a lunatic yourself; come here, things have gone just as I imagin'd they wou'd, the girl has refus'd your brother, I knew he must disgust her. 822 Dian. Women will want taste now and then, Sir. Col. But I must talk to the young Lady a little. Har. Well, I have had a long conference with your father about the elopement, and he continues firm in his opinion that I ought to attempt it: in short, all the necessary operations are settled between us, and I am to leave his house to-morrow morning, if I can but persuade the young Lady 8ვი Dian. Ay, but I hope the young Lady will have more sense-Lord, how can you teaze me with your nonsense? Come, Sir, is'nt it time for us to go in? Her Ladyship will be impatient. Col. Friend Lionel, good night to you; Miss Clarissa, my dear, though I am father to the puppy who has displeased you, give me a kiss; you serv'd him right, and I thank you for it. AIR. Col. O what a night is here for love! To the sighing breeze, Fountains tinkling ; Stars a twinkling, Dian. O what a night is here for love! Har. So may the morn propitious prove; And so it will, if right I guess ; For sometimes light, As well as night, A lover's hopes may bless. A. 2. Farewell my friend, Calm each tumult in your breast, G Lion. What have I done? A. 3. Col. A. 5. Where shall I run, With grief and shame at once opprest; Or meet my friend distrest? Hark to Philomel, how sweet, Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet. O what a night is here for love! But vainly nature strives to move. Nor nightingale among the trees, Nor twinkling stars, nor sighing breeze, Nor murm'ring streams, Nor Phabe's beams, Can charm, unless the heart's at ease. A&t III. SCENE I. A Room in Colonel OLDBOY's House. HARMAN enters with his Hat, Boots, and Whip, followed by DIANA. PR'YTHEE, hear me. Diana. Har. My dear, what would you say ? Dian. I am afraid of the step we are going to take; indeed, I am: 'tis true my father is the contriver of it; but, really, on consideration, I think I should ap. pear less culpable if he was not so; I am at once criminal myself, and rendering him ridiculous. Har. Do you love me? 8 Dian. Suppose I do, you give me a very ill proof of your Jove for me, when you would take advantage of my tenderness, to blind my reason: how can you have so little regard for my honour as to sacrifice it to a vain triumph? For it is in that light I see the rash action you are forcing me to commit; nay, methinks my consenting to it should injure me in your own esteem. When a woman forgets what she owes herself, a lover should set little value upon any thing she gives to him. 18 Har. Can you suppose then, can you imagine, that my passion will ever make me forget the veneration -And, an elopement is nothing, when it is on the road to matrimony. Dian. At best, I shall incur the censure of disobedience, and indiscretion; and is it nothing to a young woman, what the world says of her? Ah! my good friend, be assured, such a disregard of the world is the first step towards deserving its reproaches. Har. But, the necessity we are under-Mankind has too much good sense, too much good nature Dian. Every one has good sense enough to see other peoples' faults, and good nature enough to overlook their own. Besides, the most sacred things may be made an ill use of, and even marriage itself, if indecently and improperly 34 Har. Come, get yourself ready: where is your band-box, hat, and cloak? Slip into the garden: be there at the iron-gate, which you shewed me just now; and, as the post-chaise comes round, I will step and take you in. 41 Dian. Dear Harman, let me beg of you to desist. Har. Dear Diana, let me beg of you to go on. Dian. I shall never have resolution to carry me through it. Har. We shall have four horses, my dear, and they will assist us. Dian. In short-I-cannot go with you. Har. But before me-into the garden-Won't you? AIR. Dian. How can you, inhuman! persist to distress me? I fain would oppose a perverse inclination ; 52 |