rection in fhort, I know it's my Interest to take care of them.

ARISTO. Am I lefs concern'd in those of her Sifter?

SGANAREL. Lack-a-day, every one judges and acts as he pleases. They have no Relations, and our Friend their Father, at his laft Hour, committed the Care of them to us, injoining both of us either to marry them our felves, or (fhould we refufe that,) to difpofe of them at a proper Age to others; by this Contract, he meant to give us over them, from their Childhood, the full Authority both of Father and Husband. That you took the Trouble of bringing up, and I charg'd my felf with the Care of This: you govern yours according to your own Will, and, pray, give me leave to manage mine as I like beft.

ARISTO. Methinks

SGANAREL. Methinks, and I speak it aloud, that this is talking as I ought upon fuch a Subject. You permit yours to flaunt about fine and taudry with all my Heart. Let her have both a Footman and a Waiting-woman- I agree to't. Let her gad abroad, love Idlenefs, and be at Liberty for the Beaux to Compliment; I'm well contented with it; but I'm refolv'd, mine shall live according to my Fancy, and not her own; that fhe fhall be clothed in a decent Stuff, and wear black only on Holydays; that staying at home, like a discreet Perfon, she shall apply herself intirely to Affairs of Housewifry, dearn my Linen at her leifure Hours, or else knit Stockings for her Diverfion; that fhe fhall not liften to the Difcourfe of Coxcombs, nor ever stir abroad without somebody to watch her. In a word, the Flesh is weak, I know what Stories are told to that purpose, nor will I wear Horns if I can help it; and fince 'tis her Fortune to marry me, I'm resolved to be as fecure of her Perfon as of my own.

ISABELLE. Vous n'avez pas fujet, que je croi...
SGANARELLE. Taifez-vous.

Je vous apprendrai bien, s'il faut fortir fans nous.
LEONOR. Quoi donc, Monfieur?

SCANARELLE. Mon Dieu, Madame, fans langage,
Je ne vous parle pas, car vous étes trop fage.
LEONOR. Voyez-vous Ifabelle avec nous à regret?
SGANARELLE. Oui, vous me la gatez, puisqu'il faut
parler net.

Vos vifites ici ne font que me déplaire,
Et vous m'obligerez de ne nous en plus faire.
LEONOR. Voulez-vous que mon cœur vous parle net
aufli ?

J'ignore de quel œil elle voit tout ceci ;

Mais je fçais ce qu'en moi feroit la défiance,

Et, quoiqu'un même fang nous ait donné naiffance, Nous fommes bien peu fœurs, s'il faut que chaque jour Vos maniéres d'agir lui donnent de l'amour.

LISETTE. En effet, tous ces foins font des chofes infâmes.

Sommes-nous chez les turcs pour renfermer les femmes ?
Car on dit qu'on les tient efclaves en ce lieu,

Et
que c'eft pour cela qu'ils font maudits de Dieu.
Notre honneur eft, Monfieur, bien fujet à foibleffe
S'il faut qu'il ait befoin qu'on le garde fans ceffe.
Penfez vous, après tout, que ces précautions
Servent de quelque obftacle à nos intentions?
Et, quand nous nous mettons quelque chofe à la tête,
Que l'homme le plus fin ne foit pas une bête ?
Toutes ces gardes-là font visions de foux,
Le plus fur eft, ma foi, de fe fier en nous;
Qui nous gêne, fe met en un péril extrême,
Et toujours notre honneur veut fe garder lui-même.
C'eft nous inspirer prefque un défir de pécher,
Que montrer tant de foins de nous en empêcher,
Et fi par un mari je me voyois contrainte,
J'aurois fort grande pente à confirmer fa crainte.

ISA BEELA. You have no Reason, I believe SGANAREL. Hold your Tongue; I'll make you know whether you are to go abroad without me. LEONORA. What then, Sir?

SGANAREL. Lord, Madam, no Words; I don't talk to you, for you are over-wife.

LEONORA. Are you difturb'd to find Ifabella with us? SGANAREL. Why yes, to fay the Truth, you fpoil her for me. Your Vifits here do nothing but difplease me, and you'll oblige me if you'll make no more of 'em.

LEONORA. Shall I likewife declare to you my real Thoughts? I can't tell how she takes all this; but I'm fenfible what Effect Sufpicion would have on me: And tho' one Mother bore us, we hardly can be Sifters, if your conftant Behaviour produces any Love in her.

LISETTA. Really, all these Cautions are fcandalous: Are we in Turkey that Women must be lock'd up? For we are told they are kept like Slaves there, and that 'tis for that thofe People are accurs'd of Heaven. Our Honour, Sir, is weak indeed, if there's need of watching it continually: D'ye fancy, after all, that these Precautions are any hindrance to our Intentions? and when we've taken any thing in our Head, that the cunning'st Man is not an Afs? All this Vigilance is but a Fool's Dream; o' my Faith, the surest way is to confide in us. He that confines us, brings himfelf into extreme Danger; and our Honour is always for guarding itself. It inspires us, as it were, with a Defire of finning, when fo much care is taken to hinder us from it; and, fhould I find myfelf reftrain'd by an Husband, I should have an exceeding ftrong Inclination to realize his Apprehenfions.

SGA

SCANARELLE à Arifte.] Voilà, beau précepteur, votre éducation:

Et vous fouffrez cela fans nulle émotion ?

ARISTE. Mon frére, fon difcours ne doit que faire rire,

Elle a quelque raison en ce qu'elle veut dire.
Leur fexe aime à jouir d'un peu de liberté ;
On le retient fort mal par tant d'austérité,
Et les foins défians, les verroux & les grilles
Ne font pas la vertu des femmes, ni des filles;
C'eft l'honneur qui les doit tenir dans le devoir,
Non la févérité que nous leur faifons voir.
C'est une étrange chofe, à vous parler fans feinte,
Qu'une femme qui n'eft fage que par contrainte.
Envain fur tous fes pas nous prétendons regner,
Je trouve que le cœur eft ce qu'il faut gagner;
Et je ne tiendrois moi, quelque foin qu'on fe donne,
Mon honneur guéres fur aux mains d'une perfonne
A qui, dans les défirs qui pourroient l'affaillir,
Il ne manqueroit rien qu'un moyen de faillir.
SGANARELLE. Chanfons
que tout cela.
ARISTE. Soit; mais je tiens fans ceffe
Qu'il nous faut en riant inftruire la jeuneffe,
Reprendre fes défauts avec grande douceur,
Et du nom de vertu ne lui point faire peur.
Mes foins pour Léonor ont fuivi ces maximes;
Des moindres libertés je n'ai point fait des crimes,
A fes jeunes défirs j'ai toujours confenti,

Et je ne m'en fuis point, grace au Ciel, repenti.
J'ai fouffert qu'elle ait vu les belles compagnies,
Les divertiffemens, les bals, les comédies;
Ce font chofes, pour moi, que je tiens de tout tems
Fort propres à former l'esprit des jeunes gens;
Et l'école du monde, en l'air dont il faut vivre,
Inftruit mieux à mon gré que ne fait aucun livre.
Elle aime à dépen fer en habits, linge & nœuds,

Que

SCANAREL to Arifto.] This is your way of Education, good Mr. Teacher; and you can bear it without any Emotion.

ARISTO. Her Difcourfe, Brother, fhould only make one laugh; tho' there's fome reason in what she says. Their Sex loves to enjoy a little Liberty, and they are kept from any thing very indifferently by fo much Aufterity; diftruftful Cares, Bolts and Grates, make neither Wives nor Maidens virtuous: It is Honour, not Severity, muft keep them to their Duty. To speak fincerely, a Woman who is discreet by force only, is a very ftrange thing. We pretend in vain to govern all their Actions; it's the Heart that must be gain'd, in my Opinion; and take what care one can, I should not think my Honour mighty fafe in the Hands of a Perfon, to whom, amongst the Affaults of Temptation, nothing should be wanting but an Opportunity of tranfgreffing.

SGANAREL. It's all idle Stuff.

ARISTO. So let it be then; but I always hold, that we should inftru&t Youth with good Humour, reprove its Failings with great Gentleness; and not make it afraid of the Name of Virtue. My Cares for Leonora have been guided by these Maxims; I've not made Crimes of little Liberties; I've continually comply'd with her youthful Defires; and, thank Heaven, I don't repent of it. I've given her leave to fee good Company, Diverfions, Plays and Balls; these are things, which, for my part, I always judge very proper to form the Minds of young People; and the World is a School, which, in my Opinion, teaches the way of living better than any Book. She likes to spend Mony in Clothes, Linen, and new Fashions; what would you have me

-

do?