Act II. Sc. ii.

Gov Hold, daughter! peace! this love hath turned thy brain:

The Spanish fleet thou canst not see-because 330
-It is not yet in sight!"

Dang. Egad, though, the governor seems to make

no allowance for this poetical figure you talk of. Puff. No, a plain matter-of-fact man ;-that's his character.

"Tilb. But will you then refuse his offer?
Gov. I must-I will-I can-I ought-I do.
Tilb. Think what a noble price.
Gov. No more-you urge in vain.
Tilb. His liberty is all he asks."

Sneer. All who asks, Mr Puff?

Puff. Egad, sir, I can't tell!

Who is

Here has been

such cutting and slashing, I don't know where
they have got to myself.

Tilb. Indeed, sir, you will find it will connect very
well.

661 -And reward secure."

your

340

Puff. Oh, if they hadn't been so devilish free with their cutting here, you would have found that Don Whiskerandos has been tampering for his 350

liberty, and has persuaded Tilburina to make
this proposal to her father. And now, pray
observe the conciseness with which the argu-
ment is conducted. Egad, the pro and con
goes as smart as hits in a fencing-match. It is
indeed a sort of small-sword logic, which we
have borrowed from the French.

"Tilb. A retreat in Spain !
Gov. Outlawry here!

Tilb. Your daughter's prayer?
Gov. Your father's oath.
Tilb. My lover!
Gov. My country!
Tilb. Tilburina!

Gov. England!
Tilb. A title!
Gov. Honour!

360

Tilb. A pension!

Gov. Conscience!

Tilb. A thousand pounds!

Gov. Ha! thou hast touched me nearly!"

Puff. There you see-she threw in Tilburina, Quick, parry quarte with England!—Ha! thrust in tierce a title !-parried by honour.

370

Ha! a pension over the arm!-put by by
conscience. Then flankonade with a thousand
pounds and a palpable hit, egad!

"Tilb. Canst thou

Reject the suppliant, and the daughter too?

Gov. No more; I would not hear thee plead in vain :

The father softens-but the governor

Is fixed!

381

[Exit."

Dang. Ay, that antithesis of persons is a most

established figure.

"Tilb. "Tis well, hence then, fond hopes,-fond passion, hence;

Duty, behold I am all over thine

Whisk. [Without.] Where is my love-my

Tilb. Ha!

Enter Don Ferolo Whiskerandos.

Whisk. My beauteous enemy!.

Puff. O dear, ma'am, you must start a great deal 390 more than that! Consider, you had just determined in favour of duty-when, in a moment, the sound of his voice revives your passion-overthrows your resolution-destroys your obedience. If you don't express all that in your start, you do nothing at all.

Tilb. Well, we'll try again!

Dang. Speaking from within has always a fine

effect.

Sneer. Very.

400

"Whisk. My conquering Tilburina! How! is't thus
We meet? why are thy looks averse? what means
That falling tear-that frown of boding woe?
Ha! now indeed I am a prisoner!

Yes, now I feel the galling weight of these
Disgraceful chains-which, cruel Tilburina!
Thy doating captive gloried in before.-

But thou art false, and Whiskerandos is undone ! Tilb. O no! how little dost thou know thy Tilburina ! Whisk. Art thou then true?-Begone cares, doubts, and fears,

I make you all a present to the winds ;

And if the winds reject you try the waves."

Puff. The wind, you know, is the established receiver of all stolen sighs and cast-off griefs and apprehensions.

410

"Tilb. Yet must we part!-stern duty seals our doom: Though here I call yon conscious clouds to witness, Could I pursue the bias of my soul,

All friends, all right of parents, I'd disclaim,

And thou, my Whiskerandos, shouldst be father 420
And mother, brother, cousin, uncle, aunt,

And friend to me!

Whisk. O, matchless excellence! and must we part?
Well, if we must-we must-and in that case
The less is said the better."

Puff. Heyday! here's a cut!-What, are all the
mutual protestations out?

Tilb. Now, pray, sir, don't interrupt us just here: you ruin our feelings.

Puff. Your feelings!-but zounds, my feelings, 430

ma'am !

Sneer. No; pray don't interrupt them.

"Whisk. One last embrace.

Tilb. Now,-farewell, for ever.

Whisk. For ever!

Tilb. Ay, for ever!

[Going."

Puff. 'Sdeath and fury!-Gad's life!-sir! madam!
if you go out without the parting look, you
might as well dance out. Here, here!

Con. But pray, sir, how am I to get off here?
Puff. You! pshaw! what the devil signifies how
you get off! edge away at the top, or where

440