not leave it in her power to do mischief-a woman's not having it in her power to deceive you is the beft fecurity for her fidelity, and the only one a wife man will confide in; Faft bind, fafe find, is an excellent proverb. I'll e'en lock her up with the reft; there is a hafp to the door, and I have a padlock within which shall be my guarantee: I will wait till the negro returns with provifions he is gone to purchase; and clapping them all up together, make my mind easy by having the key they are under in my pocket. Enter Mungo with a hamper. Mun. Go, get you down, you damn hamper, you carry me now. Curfe my old Maffa, fending me always here and dere for one fomething to make me tire like a mule-curse him imperance—and him damn insurance. Dieg. How now? Mun. Ah, Maffa, bless your heart. Dieg. What's that you are muttering, firrah? Mun. Noting, Maffa; only me fay, you very good Maffa. Dieg. What do you leave your load down there for? Mun. Maffa, me lily tire. Dieg. Take it up, rafcal. Mun. Yes, blefs your heart, Maffa. Dieg. No lay it down :-now I think on't, come hi ther. Mun. What you say, Maffa? Dieg. Can you be honest? Mun. Me no favee, Maffa, you never ax me before. Dieg. Can you tell truth? Mun. What you give me, Maffa? Dieg. There's a pitern for you; now tell me, do you know of any ill going on in my house? Mun. Ah, Massa, a damn deal. Dieg. How, that I'm a ftranger to? Mun. No, Maffa, you lick me every day with your rattan; I'm fure, Massa, that's mischief enough for poor Neger man. Dieg. So, fo. Mun. La, Maffa, how could you have a heart to lick. poor Neger man, as you lick me laft Thursday? Dieg. Dieg. If you have not a mind I fhould chastise you now, hold your tongue. Mun. Yes, Maffa, if you no lick me again. Mun. You know, Maffa, me very good servant- Mun. And ought to be use kine Dieg. If you utter another fyllable Mun. And I'm fure, Maffa, you can't deny but I worky worky-I drefs a victuals, and run a errands, and wath a house, and make a beds, and scrub a fhoes, and wait a table. Dieg. Take that. -Now, will you liften to me? Mun. La, Maffa, if ever I faw Dieg. I am going abroad, and shall not return till tomorrow morning. During this night I charge you not to fleep a wink, but be watchful as a lynx, and keep walking up and down the entry, that if you hear the leaft noife you may alarm the family. Mun. So I must be stay in a cold all night, and have no fleep, and get no tanks neither; then him call me tief, and rogue, and rafcal to tempt me. Dieg. Stay here, perverfe animal, and take care that nobody approaches the door; I am going in, and fhall be out again in a moment. Mun. Dear heart, what a terrible life am I led! A dog has a better, that's fhelter'd and fed; My pain is dere game: Me wish to de Lord me was dead. Poor black must run: Mungo here, Mungo dere, Mungo every where; Above and below, Sirrah, come, firrah, go; Do fo, and do so. Oh, oh! Me wish to de Lord me was dead. [Exit into the house. Don Diego having entered the house during the fong, returns with Urfula, who, after the Negro goes in, ap. pears pears to bolt the door on the infide: Then Don Diego, unfeen by them, puts on a large padlock, and goes off. After which, Leander enters disguised, and Mungo comes to the grate. Lean. So my old Argus is departed, and the evening is as favourable for my defign as I could with. Now to attract my friend Mungo; if he is within hearing of my guitar, I am fure he will quickly make his appear ance. Mun. Who goes dere?-Hip, hollo! Lean. Heaven blefs you, my worthy mafter, will your worship's honour have a little mufic this evening? and I have got a bottle of delicious cordial here, given me by a chartitable monk of a convent hard by, if your grace will please to tafte it, Mun. Give me a fup tro a grate; come clofee man, don't be fear, old Maffa gone out,. as I fay last night, and he no come back before to-morrow; come, trike moufic, and give us a fong. Lean. I'll give your worship a fong I learn'd in Barbary, when I was a flave among the Moors. Mun. Ay, do. Lean. There was a cruel and malicious Turk, whe was called Heli Abdalah Mahomet Scah; now this wicked Turk had a fair Christian slave named Jezabel, who not confenting to his beaftly defires, he draws out his fabre, and is going to cut off her head; here's what he fays to her fings and plays.) Now you fhall hear the flave's anfwer fings and plays again.) Now you fhall hear how the wicked Turk, being greatly enraged, is again going to cut off the fair flave's head (fings and plays again.) Now you Mun. What fignify me hear? fhall hear. -Me no understand, Lean. Oh, you want fomething you understand! If your honour had faid that Urfula above at the window. Urf. Mungo! Mungo! Mun. Some one call dere Urf. Mungo, I say. Mun. What devil you want? Mun. Mun. Lewd yourfelf; no lewd here: play away, never mind her. Urf. I fhall come down if you go on. Mun. Ay, come along, more merrier; nothing here but poor man, he fing for bit of bread. Urf. I'll have no poor man near our door: Hark'e, fellow, can you play the Forfaken Maid's Delight, or Black Befs of Caftile? Ah, Mungo, if you had heard me fing when I was young! Mun. Gad, I'm fure I hear your voice often enough now you old. Urf. 1 could quaver like any blackbird. Mun. Come, throw a poor foul a penny, he play a tune for you. Urf. How did you lose the use of your leg? Lean. In the wars, my good dame: I was taken by a Barbary corfair, and carried into Sallee, where I liv'd eleven-years and three quarters upon cold water and the roots of the earth, without having a coat on my back, or laying my head on a pillow: an infidel bought me for a flave; he gave me the frappado on my fhoulders, and the baftinado on the foles of my feet: now this infidel Turk had fifty-three wives, and one hundred and twelve concubines. Urf. Then he was an unreasonable villain. Leonora above at the window. Leon. Urfula! Urf. Od's my life, what's here to do? Go back, go back; fine work we fhall have indeed; good man, good b'ye. Leon. I could not ftay any longer by myself; pray let me take a little air at the grate. Lean. Do, worthy Madam, let the young gentlewo man ftay, I'll play her a love-fong for nothing. Urf. No, no, none of your love-fongs here; if you could play a faraband indeed, and there was room for one's motion Lean. I am but a poor man, but if your ladyship will let me in as far as the hall or the kitchen, you may all dance, and I shan't ask any thing. Urf. Why, if it was not on my master's account, I fhould think no harm in a little innocent recreation. Mun. Do, and let us dance. Leon. Has Madam the keys then? Urf. Yes, yes, I have the keys. Lean. Have you the key of this padlock too, Ma. dam! Here's a padlock upon the door, Heaven help us, large enough for a ftate-prifon. Urf. Eh-how-what! a padlock? Mun. Here it is, I feel it; adod, 'tis a tumper. Muu. And if the houfe was a-fire, we none of us get out to fave ourselves. Lean. Well, Madam, not to difappoint you and the young lady, I know the back of your garden-wall, and I'll undertake to get up at the outside of it, if you can let me down on the other. Urf. Do you think you could with your lame leg? Lean. O yes, Madam, I am very sure. den. Urf. Then, by my faith, you shall; for now I am fet on't-A padlock! Mungo, come with me into the gar[Exit from the window. Mungo and Urfula going off, Leander and Leonora are left together. The first part of the quintetto is fung by them in duet; then Mungo and Urfula return one after another to the fations they had quitted. Leon. Pray, let me go with you. Lean. Stay, charming creature: why will you fly the youth that adores you? Leon. Oh, Lord! I'm frighted out of my wits! Leon. Have you not taken notice, beauteous Leonora, of the pilgrim who has fo often met you at church? I am that pilgrim, one who would change shapes as often as Proteus to be bless'd with a fight of you. O thou whose charms enflave my heart, Leon. I must not hear-dear youth, depart- A gentleman like you to gain. Lean. Then do I feek your love in vain? Lean. And he, Distracting thought! muft happy be, VOL. III. A a |