Thet. Keep your temper, Achilles, 'Tis both impious and undutiful to call my prefcience in question. Ach. Pardon me, goddess; for had you, like other 'mothers, been a mere woman only, I fhould have taken the liberty of other fons, and fhould (as 'tis my duty) have heard your advice, and followed my own. Thet. I pofitively fhall not be eafy, child, unless you give me your word and honour- You know my

⚫ commands.

Ach. My word, Madam, I can give you; but my ⚫ honour is already facrificed to my duty. That I gave · you, when I fubmitted to put on this woman's habit. Thet. Believe me, Achilles, I have a tender regard for your honour, as well as life. By preventing your running headlong to your destiny, I preferve you for future glory. Therefore, child, I once more infist upon your folemn promife.

Ach. Was I a woman, (as I appear to be) I could, ⚫ without difficulty, give you a promife, to have the pleafure of breaking it; but when I promise, my life is pledged for the performance. Your commands, Madam, are facred. Yet I intreat you, goddess, to con⚫ fider the ignominious part you make me act. In obeying you, I prove myself unworthy of you.

Thet. My will, Achilles, is not to be controverted. Your life depends upon your duty; and, pofitively, " child, you shall not go to this fiege.

AIR II. Gudgeon's Song.

'Why am I thus held at defiance ?
A mother, a goddess obey.

• Will men never practise compliance,

'Till marriage hath taught them the way?

Ach. But why must I lead the life of a woman? 'Why was I ftolen away from my preceptor? Was I not

as fafe under the care of Chiron? I know the love he ⚫ had for me; I feel his concern; and I dare fwear that good creature is now fo diftreffed for the lofs of me, that he will quite founder himself with galloping from place to place to look after me. 3

• Thet.

• Thet. I'll hear no more. Obey, and feek to know no further. Can you imagine that I would have taken all this trouble to have lodged you under the protection ⚫ of Lycomedes, if I had not seen the abfolute neceffity • of it?

Ach. Were I allowed to follow my inclinations, what would you have to fear? I fhould do my duty, and die with honour. Was I to live an age, I could do.

no more.

• Thet. You are so very obftinate, that, really, child, there's no enduring you. Your impatience feems to forget that I am a goddefs. Have I not degraded myfelf into the character of a diftreffed Grecian princefs?, 'Tis owing to my artifice and infinuation that we have the protection of the king of Scyros. Have I not won Lycomedes's friendship and hofpitality to that degree, · as to place you, without the leaft fufpicion, among his daughters? And for what, dear Achilles? Your fafety • and future fame required it.

Ach. 'Tis impoffible, Madam, to bear it much longer! my words, my actions, my aukward behaviour, must one day inevitably difcover me- I had been fafer under the tuition of Chiron.

Thet. Hath not the prophet Calchas perfuaded the • confederates, that the fuccefs of their expedition against Troy, depends upon your being among them? "Have, they not emiffaries and fpies almost every where in fearch of you? 'Tis here, only, and in this difguife, ⚫ that I can believe you out of the reach of fufpicion You have fo much youth, and fuch a bloom, that there is no man alive but must take you for a woman. What 'I am most afraid of, is, that when you are among the la-, dies, you fhould be fo little master of your paffions, 6 as to find yourself a man.

AIR III. Did you ever hear of a gallant failor?
Ach. The woman always in temptation,

• Muft do what Nature bids her do:
Our hearts feel equal palpitation;
For we've unguarded minutes too.

• By

creet.

By nature greedy,

When lank and needy,

Within your

fold the wolf confine;

Then bid the glutton

Not think of mutton;

Can you perfuade him not to dine?

Thet. Now, dear child, let me beg you to be difI have fome fea affairs that require my attendance, which (much against my will) oblige me, for a time, to leave you to your own conduct.

Enter Artemona.

Art. The princeffes, Lady Pyrrha, have been fitting at their embroidery above a quarter of an hour, and · are perfectly miferable for want of

you.

Thet. Pyrrha is fo very unhandy, and fo monftroufly "aukward at her needle, that I know the must be diverting. Her paffion for romances (as you must have obferved in other girls) took her off from every part of useful • education.

Ach. For the many obligations I have to the princeffes, I fhould, no doubt, upon all occafions, fhew myself ready to be the butt of their ridicule; 'tis a duty that all great people expect from what they call their dependants.

Art. How can you, Lady Pyrrha, misinterpret a civility? I know they have a friendship, an esteem for you; and have a pleasure in inftructing you.

Thet. For Heaven's fake, Pyrrha, let not your cap• tious temper run away with your good-manners. You cannot but be fenfible of the king's and their civilities, both to you and me. How can you be fo horridly out "of humour?

• Ach. All I mean, Madam, is, that when people are fenfible of their own defects, they are not the proper objects of ridicule.

Thet. You are fo very touchy, Pyrrha, that there is no enduring you? How can you be fo unfociable a creature, as to deny a friend the liberty of laughing at your little follies and indifcretions? For what, do you think, women keep company with one another?

Ach. Because they hate one another, despise one

another,

* another, and seek to have the pleasure of feeing and 'expofing one another's faults and follies.

Thet. Now, dear Pyrrha, tell me, is work a thing you pique yourself upon? Suppofe too, they fhould fmile at an abfurdity in your drefs, it could not be fuch a mortification, as if, like moft women, you had made it the chief bufinefs of your life.

Art. Don't they treat one another with equal fami•liarity?

provo.

Ach. But 'a reply from me (whatever was the 'cation) might be looked upon as impertinent. I hate to be under the restraint of civility when I am ill used.

Art. Will you allow me, Madam, to make your ex'cufes to the princeffes ?-The occafion of your high'nefs's leaving her, I fee, troubles her-Perhaps I may 'interrupt converfation.

Thet. 'Tis aftonishing, child, how you can have fo little complaifance. This fullen behaviour of yours must be difagreeable. I hope, Madam, fhe is not alin this way?

ways

Art. Never was any creature more entertaining! Such fpirits, and fo much vivacity! The princeffes are really fond of her to distraction. The most chearful tempers are liable to the spleen; and 'tis an indulgence that one woman owes to another.

• Ach. The spleen, Madam, is a female frailty that I have no pretenfions to, nor any of its affections.

'AIR IV. Si vous vous moquez de nous.

• When a woman fullen fits,
And wants breath to conquer reason,
Always these affected fits

• Are in season.

Since 'tis in her difpofition,

• Make her be her own phyfician.

Nay, dear Madam, you fhall not go without me'Though I have my particular reafons to be out of humour, I cannot be deficient in good-manners.

Art. I know they would take it mortally ill, if they thought your complaisance had put yourself under the " least restraint.

Ach. I can't forgive myself for my behaviour. You muft excuse me, Madam; for absence in conversation is an incivility that I am but too liable to.

• Art. You know we all rally you upon your being in love, as that is one of its most infallible fymptoms.

Thet, I charge you, upon my bleffing; as you ex-. pect fame, glory, immortality, obey me. [To Achilles..

[Thetis kiffes him. Exeunt Achilles and Artemona. As for his face, his air, his figure, I am not under the least apprehenfion; all my concern is from the impetuofity of his temper, Yet, after all, why fhould I fear a discovery? For women have the fame paffions, though they employ them upon different objects.

AIR V. A minuet.

• Man's fo touchy, a word that's injurious
• Wakes his honour; he's fudden as fire.
• Woman kindles, and is no less furious
For her trifles, or any defire.
• Man is tefty,

Or four, or resty,

If balk'd of honours, or pow'r, or pelf.
• Woman's paffions can no lefs moleft ye,
And all for reafons fhe keeps to herself.

He is fudden, he is impatient. What then? Are wò̟-、 • men lefs fo? Afk almost all fervants what they know of their mistreffes. He is wilful, testy, and untractable : • can't thousands of hufbands fay as much of their wives ? • Then, as for his obftinacy, that can never fhew him less · a woman. But he hath not that command of his · tongue I could with him: he is too vehemeat, too fe· vere in his expreffions. In this particular, indeed, few women take equal liberties to one another's faces; but they make ample amends for it behind each other's backs: fo that, with all these infirmities of man, he may, with the least conduct, very well pass for a finefpirited woman. This reflection hath cured my anxiety, and will make me believe him fecure.

Enter Lycomedes.

• That. 'Tis with the utmost gratitude, that I return · your