ng to be ill with
fatigue and terror she begs her lover to leave her to repose. This is
done with the idea of entertaining her page, and on Frederick's approach
she conceals Olivia, who thus creeps off unseen, beneath the train of
her gown, whilst she herself retires with the amorous Prince. None the
less, Mirtilla still pursues Olivia, and eventually Frederick discovers
she is a wanton jilt, as he surprises her leading the page to her bed.
He is, however, reconciled when Mirtilla discovering to her amaze that
the lad is a woman reveals this fact to the Prince to confound him, but
afterwards avowing her frailty, throws herself on Frederick's
generosity. Olivia has been promised by her old father, Sir Rowland
Marteen, to Welborn, whom she has never seen. On meeting Welborn she
falls in love with him, without knowing who he is, and he, also, whilst
ignorant of her name, is soon enamoured of her in turn. Prince Frederick
lodges in the same house as Welborn and it is hither that after the fire
she attends Mirtilla. Welborn, supposing her to be Mirtilla's page, out
of kindness offers her half his bed, which for fear of arousing
suspicion she is bound to accept. She slips away, however, before
daybreak, leaving a letter for her companion, by which he learns that
the page is none other than the lady whom he had seen in the Mall.
Welborn and Olivia are eventually married. George Marteen's elder
brother, Sir Merlin, a boon companion of Sir Morgan Blunder, is a
rakehelly dog, who leads a wild town life to the great anger of old Sir
Rowland. George, who whilst secretly leading a gay life under the name
of Lejere, appears before his father as a demure and sober young
prentice, is designed for Lady Youthly, an ancient, toothless crone,
palsied and blind with extreme old age, whose grand-daughter, Teresia,
is to be married to Sir Rowland himself. George, however, falls in love
with Teresia, who is also pursued by Sir Merlin, and finally weds her in
despite of his father, brother and the beldame. But Sir Rowland shortly
relents and even forgives his eldest son, who has married Diana, the
cast off mistress of a gambler, whilst Lady Youthly is left to the
tender consolations of her chaplain.

SOURCE.

_The Younger Brother; or, The Amorous Jilt_ was written (in great part
at least) by Mrs. Behn a good many years before her death, after which
it was brought on the stage under the auspices of Gildon, in 1696; and
in the Epistle D