 | The Discovery |  |
SCENE II.
Enter APOECIDES, with a musick-girl.—Welcome back,
My merchant, I am glad to see you safe
Return'd. What say you?
149
That the Heavens smile
Propitious on you.—
Per.
'Tis a lucky omen.
Apoe.
All things succeed as well as we could wish.
But order some one to conduct the girl
Into the house.
Per.
Hola! who waits there? One of you
Come hither.
Enter a Servant.
—Shew this girl into the house.
And, do you hear—
Serv.
Your pleasure, Sir?
Per.
Take care
You suffer not my daughter and this girl
To meet together, nor to see each other.
Mark me—I'd have her lock'd i'the little room
Alone. The manners of a modest virgin
Are widely distant from a common harlot's.—
[Exit Servant, with the Musick-Girl.
Apoe.
Spoke like a man of sense. No man can be
Too careful of his daughter's honour. Troth,
We nick'd the time in snapping up this girl,
Before your son could purchase her.
Per.
How so?
150
Because a person told me, that e'en now
He saw your son here—
Per.
Like enough, in troth!
And ready for his bargain.
Apoe.
Plainly so,
'Troth you've a servant fit to be enroll'd;
One worth his weight in gold—Nor is he dear
At gold so weigh'd—How finely he play'd off
The musick-girl, that she suspected not
The purchase made for you! with what a smile
He brought her laughing hither!
Per.
I'm amaz'd
How he could do it!
151
Under a pretence
That you'd a sacrifice to make at home
For your son's safety, just arriv'd from Thebes.
Per.
An excellent contrivance, that!—
Apoe.
And then,
The reason why he brought her thither, was
To assist you in performing it—He said
You had a sacrifice to make—While I
Look'd silly all the time; and made myself
A very ideot.
Per.
Right—
Apoe.
A friend of mine
Has an affair of consequence, depending
Now at the Forum—And I must away
To stand his advocate.
Per.
Go—and return
Soon as that's o'er—
Apoe.
I'll not be absent long.
[Exit Apoecides.
Per.
A friend in need, is sure a friend indeed.
Whate'er you wish, is done without your trouble.
152
Less vers'd in tricks, I had been finely fob'd;
Then had my son shewn his white teeth with justice.
What folly 'tis in me, to blame in him,
The follies of my youth!—When in the army,
I split the ears of all that I could seize on,
With bragging of my feats—But who is this
Comes tossing on; waving his cloak in air?
[seeing the Captain of Rhodes at a distance.
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