Geo. Thou own’st the Conquest then?
Mir. With as much Vanity as thou wouldst do, if thou hadst won his Sword: Hast thou took care wisely to teach me all the Arts of Life, and dost thou now upbraid my Industry? Look round the World, and thou shalt see, Lejere, Ambition still supplies the place of Love. The worn-out Lady, that can serve your Interest, you swear has Beauties that out-charms Fifteen; and for the Vanity of Quality, you feign and languish, lye, protest, and flatter—All Things in Nature cheat, or else are cheated.
Geo. Well said; take off thy Veil, and shew the Jilt.
Mir. You never knew a Woman thrive so well by real Love, as by Dissimulation: This has a thousand Arts and Tricks to conquer; appears in any Shape, in any Humour; can laugh or weep, be coy or play, by turns, as suits the Lover best, while simple Love has only one Road of Sighs and Softness; these to Lejere are due: But all my Charms, and Arts of gay dissembling, are for the credulous Prince.—Ha—he’s here!—and with him the dear Youth that has enslav’d me, who triumphs o’er the rest. Aside.
Enter Prince Frederick, Olivia following, sees Mirtilla, and withdraws.
Oliv. Ha! Mirtilla, and my Brother here? Oh, how I long to see that Stranger’s Face. Aside.
Prince. Mirtilla, thou Charmer of Life’s dull and tedious Hours, how fares thy Heart? Dwells any Pantings there, but those that Love, and his dear Joys create?
Mir. Or if there do, you shou’d excuse it now.
Geo. How many Devils reign in beauteous Woman!
Prince. My dear Lejere, congratulate my Joys; take all my Friendship thou—but thou my Soul. Come, come, my Friend, let us retire together; I’ll give thee leave to gaze upon my Heaven, and feed on all the Sweets that Friendship may: But all the rest of the vast Store is mine.