University of Virginia Library

SCENE IV.

Vendosme and Louisa.
Vend.
Now by the Glory of my Father's Reign,
By thy own Beauty, and by Vendosme's Love,
Thy Doubts are causeless, as thy Fears unkind.
Bouillon fled disgusted from the Court,
False to his Friend, his Country, and his King,
Is punish'd in his own disloyal Breast:
Friendship's dissolv'd, those Adamantine Ties,
That might have dash'd my Joys in Love and Thee,
He has broke first, and left me free to act
As Love shall dictate, and my Hopes inspire.

Lou.
Vendosme thou think'st 'tis vain for me to strive
To hide a Weakness thou hast prov'd too far;
Yet let me tell thee, I am still resolv'd
To be so much the Mistress of my self,
So far by Reason sway'd, and Virtue rul'd,
E'en in this Height and Guilt of foolish Love,
As to prefer my Honour, Fame, and Peace,
Before the Lure of idle Joys, to which
Thou thus invit'st me with a flatt'ring Tongue.
First let Bouillon to the Court return,
And be your antient Amity renew'd,
Before Louisa shall resign her Hand.

Vend.
Should any but Louisa thus reply,
Thus with ungenerous Scruples still disturb.
The whiter Prospect of a Life of Love,
How could I censure what I dare not now?
But thus far I must speak, for now indeed,
Now when Bouillon, when my Rival Friend
Has put it from his Pow'r to wrong me more,
These Scruples wear an inauspicious Face:
It looks, as if you mourn'd Bouillon's Loss;
At least, forgive me if I judge amiss,
These cool Delays, these weak Evasions bode
The fainting Symptoms of declining Love,
To the deluded, the unhappy Vendosme.

Lou.
Now you pull off the Vizor you have worn,
And shew me what you are, a perfect Man,
Bred up in Guile, and practis'd in Deceit.
False Sex! and falsest Vendosme! this the great
Return from him, I singled from a Crowd
Of thronging Suitors, of the foremost Rank
That France could boast, or Virgin Beauty draw!
This the Reward Louisa might expect
For all her kind Attention to thy Vows,
Her easy, generous, too believing Goodness?
E'en now, too tender of a worthless Wretch,
My ill paid Generosity was prov'd,
When I declin'd thy proffer'd Vows of Marriage,
Oppos'd a Heart that lov'd thee but too well;
Unwilling to involve thy House or Thee
In the attending Consequence of Ruin.

Vend.
What shall I say to justify my Soul,
And shew my Fair how much she has mistook me?

Lou.
Say nought, or say, at least, that thou art false,
And then I may believe the cruel Truth.
But be thou what thou wilt, yet falser still,
Henceforth I'll study to repay thy Wrongs,
Recover back my Heart by strong Resentment,
And learn to throw thee off, or love thee less.

[Exit.
Vendosme, solus.
Vend.
Distraction! how abandon'd is that Wretch
Condemn'd, like me, to be a Slave to each
Capricious Humour of this giddy Sex?
And yet Louisa is—Alas! my Soul
That feels her Chains, can best explain her Pow'r.
Yes, I must love the Charmer; and, by Heav'n,
Spite of these jealous Humours, she deserves it.
[A Flourish behind the Scenes.
The King and Court approach: They must not find
This unbecoming Lethargy about me.