Ant. O Lord! I don't mean you, but in her—but, harkye, Ferdinand, did you leave your key with them?

Ferd. Yes; the maid, who saw me out, took it from the door.

Ant. Then, my life for it, her mistress elopes after you.

Ferd. Ay, to bless my rival, perhaps I am in a humour to suspect every body-you loved her once, and thought her an angel, as I do now.

Ant. Yes, I loved her, till I found she wouldn't love me, and then, I discovered that she hadn't a good feature in her face.

AIR.

I ne'er could any lustre see

In

eyes

that would not look on me;

I ne'er saw nectar on a lip,

But where my own did hope to sip.
Has the maid, who seeks my heart
Cheeks of rose, untouch'd by art?
I will own the colour true,
When yielding blushes aid their hue.

Is her hand so soft and pure?
I must press it, to be sure;
Nor can I be certain then,
Till it, grateful, press again;
Must I, with attentive eye,
Watch her heaving bosom sigh?
I will do so, when I see

That heaving bosom sigh for me.

Besides, Ferdinand, you have full security in my love for your sister; help me there, and I can never disturb you with Clara.

Ferd. As far as I can, consistently with the honour

of our family, you know I will; but there must be no eloping.

Ant. And yet, now, you would carry off Clara?

Ferd. Ay, that's a different case-we never mean that others should act to our sisters and wives, as we do to others'-But, to-morrow, Clara is to be forced into a convent.

Ant. Well, and am not I so unfortunately circumstanced? To-morrow, your father forces Louisa to marry Isaac, the Portuguese-but come with me, and we'll devise something, I warrant.

Ferd. I must go home.

Ant. Well, adieu !

Ferd. But, Antonio, if you did not love my sister, you have too much honour and friendship, to supplant me with Clara ?

AIR. ANTONIO.

Friendship is the bond of reason;
But if beauty disapprove,
Heaven dissolves all other treason,
In the heart that's true to love.

The faith which to my friend I swore,
As a civil oath I view ;

But, to the charms which I adore,
'Tis religion to be true.

[Exit.

Ferd. There is always a levity in Antonio's manner of replying to me on this subject, that is very alarming 'Sdeath! if Clara should love him after all!

[Exit.

C

SCENE III.

A Room in DON JEROME'S House.

Enter LOUISA and DUENNA.

Louisa. But, my dear Margaret, my charming Duenna, do you think we shall succeed?

Duenna. I tell you again, I have no doubt on't; but it must be instantly put to the trial-Every thing is prepared in your room, and for the rest, we must trust to fortune.

Louisa. My father's oath was, never to see me till I had consented to

Duenna. 'Twas thus I overheard him say to his friend, Don Guzman, "I will demand of her to-morrow, once for all, whether she will consent to marry Isaac Mendoza; If she hesitates, I will make a solemn oath never to see or speak to her, till she returns to her duty."-These were his words.

Louisa. And on his known obstinate adherence to what he has once said, you have formed this plan for -But have my escape-] secured you maid in our my

interest?

Duenna. She is a party in the whole; but remember, if we succeed, you resign all right and title in little Isaac, the jew, over to me.

Louisa. That I do, with all my soul; get him, if you can, and I shall wish you joy, most heartily. He is twenty times as rich as my poor Antonio.

AIR.

Thou canst not boast of fortune's store,
My love, while me they wealthy call,
But I was glad to find thee poor,
For, with my heart, I'd give thee all.
And then the grateful youth shall own,
I lov'd him for himself alone.

But when his worth my hand shall gain,
No word or look of mine shall show
That I the smallest thought retain
Of what my bounty did bestow.

Yet still his grateful heart shall own,
I lov'd him for himself alone.

Duenna. I hear Don Jerome coming-Quick, give me the last letter I brought you from Antonio-you know that is to be the ground of my dismission-I must slip out to seal it up, as undelivered.

Enter DON JEROME and FERDINAND.

[Exit.

Jerome. What, I suppose, you have been serenading too! Eh, disturbing some peaceable neighbourhood with villanous catgut, and lascivious piping! Out on't! you set your sister, here, a vile example; but I come to tell you, madam, that I'll suffer no more of these midnight incantations-these amorous orgies, that steal the senses in the hearing; as they say, Egyptian embalmers serve mummies, extracting the brain through the ears; however, there's an end of your frolics-Isaac Mendoza will be here presently, and to-morrow, you shall marry him.

Louisa. Never, while I have life.

Ferd. Indeed, sir, I wonder how you can think of such a man for a son-in-law.

Jerome. Sir, you are very kind, to favour me with

your sentiments-and pray, what is your objection to him?

Ferd. He is a Portuguese in the first place.

Jerome. No such thing, boy, he has forsworn his country.

Louisa. He is a jew.

Jerome. Another mistake; he has been a christian these six weeks.

Ferd. Ay, he left his old religion for an estate, and has not had time to get a new one,

Louisa. But stands like a dead wall between church and synagogue, or like the blank leaves between the Old and New Testament.

Jerome. Any thing more?

Ferd. But the most remarkable part of his character, is his passion for deceit, and tricks of cunning.

Louisa. Though at the same time, the fool predominates so much over the knave, that I am told he is generally the dupe of his own art.

Ferd. True, like an unskilful gunner, he usually misses his aim, and is hurt by the recoil of his own piece.

Jerome. Any thing more?

Louisa. To sum up all, he has the worst fault a husband can have-he's not my choice.

Jerome. But you are his; and choice on one side is sufficient-two lovers should never meet in marriage -be you sour as you please, he is sweet tempered, and for your good fruit, there's nothing like ingrafting on a crab.

Louisa. I detest him as a lover, and shall ten times more as a husband.

Jerome. I don't know that-marriage generally makes a great change-but to cut the matter short, will you have him or not?

Louisa. There is nothing else I could disobey you in. Jerome. Do you value your father's peace ?