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Carm. Your Ladyship is here a little ungrateful to Nature, and cruel to yourfelf; even Lady Pent weazel's Enemies (if fuch there be) must allow she is a fine Woman.

Lady. Oh! your Servant, good Sir. Why I have had my Day, Mr. Carmine; I have had my Day.

Carm. And have ftill, Madam. The only Dif ference I shall make between what you were, and what you are, will be no more than what Rubens has diftinguished between Mary de Medicis, a Virgin and a Regent.

Lady. Mr. Carmine, I vow you are a very judicious Perfon. I was always faid to be like that Family. When my Piece was firft done, the Limner did me after Venus de Medicis, which I fuppofe might be one of Mary's Sifters; but Things must change; to be fitting for my Picture at this Time of Day; ha ha! but my Daughter Sukey, you must know, is just married to Mr. Deputy Dripping of Candlewick-Ward, and would not be faid nay; fo it is not fo much for the Beauty as the Similitude. Ha ha!

Carm. True, Madam; ha! ha! but if I hit the Likeness, I must preserve the Beauty,-Will your Ladyfhip be feated? (She fits. Lady. I have heard, good Sir, that every Body has a more betterer and more worferer Side of the Face than the other-now which will you chufe?

Carm. The Right Side, Madam-the Leftnow, if you pleafe, the Full-Your Ladyship's Countenance is fo exactly proportion'd, that I must have it all; no Feature can be fpared?

Lady.

Lady. When you come to the Eyes, Mr. Car mine, let me know, that I may call up a Look. Carm. Mighty well, Madam-Your Face a little nearer to the Left, nearer me-yonr Head more up-Shoulders back-and Cheft forward. Lady. Blefs me, Mr. Carmine, don't mind my Shape this Bout; for I am only in Jumps.I fend for my Tabbys?

-Shall

Carm. No, Madam, we'll fupply that for the prefent-Your Ladyfhip was juft now mentioning a Daughter-ls fhe-your Face a little more towards me-Is fhe the fole Inheritor of her Mother's Beauty; Or-have you

Lady. That? ha ha! ha-why that's my youngest of all, except Caleb. I have had, Mr. Carmine, live born, and chriften'd-stay-don't let me lye now-One-Two-Three-FourFive-Then I lay fallow-but the Year after I had Twins-they came in Mr. Pentweazel's Sheriffalty; then Roger, then Robin, then Reuben -in fhort, I have had Twenty as fine Babes as ever trod in Shoe of Leather.

Carm. Upon my Word, Madam, your Ladyfhip is an admirable Member of the Commonwealth; 'tis a thousand Pities that, like the Romans, we have not fome Honours to reward fuch diftinguithed Merit.

Lady. Ay, ay, Mr. Carmine, if Breeding amongst Chriftians was as much encouraged as amongst Dogs and Horfes, we need not be making Laws to let in a Parcel of outlandish Locufts to eat us

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all up.

Carm. I am told, Madam, that a Bill for fome fuch Purpose is about to pafs, and that we begin pow

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to have almoft as much Regard for the Propogation of the Species, as the Prefervation of the Game in thefe Kingdoms-Now, Madam, I am come to the Eyes-Oh! that Look, that, that, I muft defpair of imitating.

Lady. Oh! Oh! good Sir, have you found out that? Why all my Family by the Mother's Side were famous for their Eyes: I have a Great Aunt among the Beauties at Windfor the has a Sifter at Hampton-Court, a perdigious fine Woman-fhe had but one Eye, indeed, but that was a Piercer; that one Eye got her three Husbands-we were called the gimlet-eyed Family. Oh! Mr. Carmine, you need not mind thefe Heats in my Face; they always discharge themselves about Christmas-my true Carnation is not feen in my Countenance. Thats Carnation here's your Flesh and Blood!

(fhewing ber Arm. Carm. Delicate, indeed! finely turn'd, and of a charming Colour.

Lady. And yet it has been employed enough to fpoil the beft Hand and Arm in the World.Even before Marriage never idle; none of your galloping, goffiping, Ranelagh Romps, like the forward Minxes of the prefent Age. I was always employed either in painting your Lamskips, playing upon the Hafpicols, making Pafle, or fomething or other-All our family had a Geno; and then I fung! Every Body said I had a monstrous fine Voice for Mufic.

Carm. That may be difcern'd by your Ladyship's Tones in Conversation.

Lady. Tones-you are right, Mr. Carmines that was Mr. Purcel's Word. Mifs Molly Grifkin, faid he (my maiden Name) you have Tones.

Carm.

Carm. As your Ladyfhip has preferved every Thing else fo well, I dare fwear you have not loft your Voice. Will you favour me with an Air!

Lady. Oh! Sir, you are fo polite, that it's impoffible- But I have none of your new Playhouse Songs-I can give you one that was made on myself by Lawrence Luteftring, a Neighbour's Son.

Carm. What you please, Madam.

Lady.

As I was a walking by the Side of a River,
I met a young Damfel fo charming and clever;
Her Voice to please could not fail,

She fung like any Nightingale.

Fal de rol; bugh, hugb, &c.

Blefs me! I have fuch a Cough; but there are Tones.

Carm. Inimitable ones.

Lady. But, Mr. Carmine, you Limners are all ingenus Men-you fing.

Carm. A Ballad, or fo, Madam; Mufic is a Sifter Art; and it would be a little unnatural not to cultivate an Acquaintance there.

Lady. Why truly, we ought not to be ashamed of our Relations, unless they are poor; and then, you know

Enter Boy.

Boy Alderman Pentweazle and Mr. Puff.

Lady. Oh! he was to call upon me; we go to the Auction. Defire him to walk up-Mr. Pentweazle, you must know, went this Morning to meet Caleb, my youngest Boy, at the Bull and Gate, The Child has been two Years and three

Quarters

Quarters at School with Dr. Jerk, near Doncafter, and comes To-day by the York Waggon; for it has always been my Maxum, Mr. Carmine, to give my Children Learning enough; for, as the old Saying is,

When Houfe and Land are gone and spent,

Then Learning is most excellent.

Carm. Your Lady-ship is quite right. Too much Money cannot be employed in fo material an Article.

Lady. Nay,the Coft is but fmall;but poor fourteen Pounds a Year for Head, Back, Books, Bed, and Belly; and they fay the Children are all wonderful Latiners, and come up, lack-a-day, they come up as fat as Pigs.Oh! here they are; Odds me! he's a Thumper. You fee, Mr. Carmine, I breed no Starvelings. Come hither, Child. Mind your Haviours. Where's your beft Bow? Turn out your Toes. One would think he had learnt to dance of his Father. I'm fure my Family were none fo awkward. There was my Brother George, a perfect Picture of a Man; he danced, Lud! But come,ali in good lime--Hold up thy Head, Caleb.

Ald. Pr'ythee, fweet Honey, let the Child alone. His Mafter fays he comes on wonderful in his Learning; and as to your Bows and your Congees, never fear, he'll learn them fast enough at Home.

Lady. Lack-a-day! well faid-We now-If he does, I know who must teach him. Well, Child, and doft remember me? Hey? Who am I? Caleb. Anon!

Lady. Doft know me?

Caleb. Yes; you be Mother.

Lady.

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