Volume I Part 113 (2/2)

_L. Lam._ This Satir ill befits my present Bus'ness with you-- you-- want some Necessaries-- as Clothes, and Linen too; and 'tis great pity so proper a Man shou'd want Necessaries. _Gilliflower_-- take my Cabinet Key, and fetch the Purse of Broad-pieces that lies in the lower Drawer; 'tis a small Present, Sir, but 'tis an Earnest of my farther Service.

[_Gill._ goes out and returns with a Purse.

_Lov._ I'm angry, that I find one Grain of Generosity in this whole Race of Hypocrites.

[Aside.

_L. Lam._ Here, Sir,'tis only for your present use; for Clothes-- three hundred Pieces; let me see you sweet--

_Lov._ Stark mad, by this good Day.

_L. Lam._ Ah, _Gilliflower_! How prettily those Cavalier things charm; I wonder how the Powers above came to give them all the Wit, Softness, and Gallantry-- whilst all the great ones of our Age have the most slovenly, ungrateful, dull Behaviour; no Air, no Wit, no Love, nor any thing to please a Lady with.

_Gill._ Truly, Madam, there's a great Difference in the Men; yet Heaven at first did its part, but the Devil has since so over-done his, that what with the Vizor of Sanct.i.ty, which is the gadly Sneer, the drawing of the Face to a prodigious length, the formal Language, with a certain Tw.a.n.g through the Nose, and the pious Gogle, they are fitter to scare Children than beget love in Ladies.

_Lav._ You hit the Character of your new Saint.

_L. Lam._ And then their Dress, _Gilliflower_.

_Gil._ Oh! 'Tis an Abomination to look like a Gentleman; long Hair is wicked and cavalierish, a Periwig is flat Popery, the Disguise of the Wh.o.r.e of _Babylon_; handsom Clothes, or lac'd Linen, the very Tempter himself, that debauches all their Wives and Daughters; therefore the diminutive Band, with the Hair of the Reformation Cut, beneath which a pair of large sanctify'd Souses appear, to declare to the World they had hitherto escap'd the Pillory, tho deserv'd it as well as _Pryn_.

_L. Lam._ Have a care what you say, _Gilliflower_.

_Gil._ Why, Madam, we have no Informers here.

Enter _Page_.

_Page._ Madam, here's Old _Noll's_ Wife desires Admittance to your Hon-- your Highness.

_L. Lam._ Bid the poor Creature wait without, I'll do her what Good I can for her Husband's sake, who first infus'd Politicks into me, by which I may boast I have climb'd to Empire.

_Lov._ So, her Madness runs in that Vein I see. [Aside.

_Gil._ Alack, Madam, I think she's coming.

_Crom._ [without] Does she keep State in the Devil's Name, and must I wait?

_L. Lam._ Heavens! I shall be scandalized by the G.o.dly. Dear _Gilliflower_, conceal my Cavalier; I would not have a Cavalier seen with me for all the World-- Step into my Cabinet.

[Ex. _Gil._ and _Lov._

Enter L. _Cromwel_, held back by a Man-- to them _Gilliflower_.

_Crom._ Unhand me, Villain-- 'twas not long since a Rudeness, Sir, like this had forfeited thy Head.

_L. Lam._ What wou'd the Woman?

_Crom._ The Knave, the perjur'd Villain thy Husband, by th' Throat: thou proud, imperious Baggage, to make me wait; whose Train thou hast been proud to bear-- how durst thou, after an Affront like this, trust thy false Face within my Fingers reach? that Face, that first bewitch'd the best of Husbands from me, and tempted him to sin.

_Gil._ I beseech your Highness retire, the Woman's mad.

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