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marry you for？ Am I not to be absolute and uncontrollable？ Is it fit a
woman of my spirit and conduct should be contradicted in a matter of this
concern？
SIR PAUL。 It concerns me and only me。 Besides； I'm not to be
governed at all times。 When I am in tranquillity； my Lady Plyant shall
command Sir Paul； but when I am provoked to fury； I cannot incorporate
with patience and reason： as soon may tigers match with tigers； lambs
with lambs； and every creature couple with its foe； as the poet says。
LADY PLYANT。 He's hot…headed still！ 'Tis in vain to talk to you；
but remember I have a curtain…lecture for you； you disobedient； headstrong
brute。
SIR PAUL。 No； 'tis because I won't be headstrong； because I won't
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be a brute； and have my head fortified； that I am thus exasperated。 But I
will protect my honour； and yonder is the violator of my fame。
LADY PLYANT。 'Tis my honour that is concerned； and the violation
was intended to me。 Your honour！ You have none but what is in my
keeping； and I can dispose of it when I please： therefore don't provoke
me。
SIR PAUL。 Hum； gadsbud； she says true。 Well； my lady； march on；
I will fight under you； then： I am convinced； as far as passion will permit。
＇LADY PLYANT and SIR PAUL come up to MELLEFONT。＇
LADY PLYANT。 Inhuman and treacherous …
SIR PAUL。 Thou serpent and first tempter of womankind。
CYNT。 Bless me！ Sir； madam； what mean you？
SIR PAUL。 Thy； Thy； come away； Thy； touch him not。 Come
hither； girl； go not near him； there's nothing but deceit about him。 Snakes
are in his peruke； and the crocodile of Nilus is in his belly； he will eat thee
up alive。
LADY PLYANT。 Dishonourable； impudent creature！
MEL。 For heav'n's sake； madam； to whom do you direct this
language？
LADY PLYANT。 Have I behaved myself with all the decorum and
nicety befitting the person of Sir Paul's wife？ Have I preserved my
honour as it were in a snow…house for these three years past？ Have I
been white and unsullied even by Sir Paul himself？
SIR PAUL。 Nay； she has been an invincible wife； even to me； that's
the truth on't。
LADY PLYANT。 Have I； I say； preserved myself like a fair sheet of
paper for you to make a blot upon？
SIR PAUL。 And she shall make a simile with any woman in
England。
MEL。 I am so amazed； I know not what to say。
SIR PAUL。 Do you think my daughter； this pretty creaturegadsbud；
she's a wife for a cherubim！do you think her fit for nothing but to be a
stalking horse； to stand before you； while you take aim at my wife？
Gadsbud； I was never angry before in my life； and I'll never be appeased
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again。
MEL。 Hell and damnation！ This is my aunt； such malice can be
engendered nowhere else。 ＇Aside。＇
LADY PLYANT。 Sir Paul； take Cynthia from his sight； leave me to
strike him with the remorse of his intended crime。
CYNT。 Pray； sir； stay； hear him； I dare affirm he's innocent。
SIR PAUL。 Innocent！ Why； hark'eecome hither； Thyhark'ee； I
had it from his aunt； my sister Touchwood。 Gadsbud； he does not care a
farthing for anything of thee but thy portion。 Why； he's in love with my
wife。 He would have tantalised thee； and made a cuckold of thy poor
father； and that would certainly have broke my heart。 I'm sure； if ever I
should have horns； they would kill me； they would never come kindlyI
should die of 'em like a child that was cutting his teethI should indeed；
Thytherefore come away； but providence has prevented all； therefore
come away when I bid you。
CYNT。 I must obey。
SCENE V。
LADY PLYANT； MELLEFONT。
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； such a thing！ the impiety of it startles meto
wrong so good； so fair a creature； and one that loves you tenderly 'tis a
barbarity of barbarities； and nothing could be guilty of it …
MEL。 But the greatest villain imagination can form； I grant it； and
next to the villainy of such a fact is the villainy of aspersing me with the
guilt。 How？ which way was I to wrong her？ For yet I understand you
not。
LADY PLYANT。 Why； gads my life； cousin Mellefont； you cannot
be so peremptory as to deny it； when I tax you with it to your face？ for
now Sir Paul's gone； you are CORUM NOBUS。
MEL。 By heav'n； I love her more than life or …
LADY PLYANT。 Fiddle faddle； don't tell me of this and that； and
everything in the world； but give me mathemacular demonstration； answer
me directly。 But I have not patience。 Oh； the impiety of it； as I was
saying； and the unparalleled wickedness！ O merciful Father！ How
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could you think to reverse nature so； to make the daughter the means of
procuring the mother？
MEL。 The daughter to procure the mother！
LADY PLYANT。 Ay； for though I am not Cynthia's own mother； I
am her father's wife； and that's near enough to make it incest。
MEL。 Incest！ O my precious aunt； and the devil in conjunction。
＇Aside。＇
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； reflect upon the horror of that； and then the
guilt of deceiving everybody； marrying the daughter； only to make a
cuckold of the father； and then seducing me； debauching my purity； and
perverting me from the road of virtue in which I have trod thus long； and
never made one trip； not one FAUX PAS。 Oh； consider it！ What would
you have to answer for if you should provoke me to frailty？ Alas！
humanity is feeble； heav'n knows！ very feeble； and unable to support
itself。
MEL。 Where am I？ is it day？ and am I awake？ Madam …
LADY PLYANT。 And nobody knows how circumstances may
happen together。 To my thinking； now I could resist the strongest
temptation。 B