er'd worse than any but your Friends.
More years may teach you better; the mean while,
If you can't mend your Morals, mend your Style_.

THE FORC'D MARRIAGE; OR, THE JEALOUS BRIDEGROOM.

ARGUMENT.

The King of France to reward his favourite Alcippus, at the motion of
prince Philander, gladly assents to his being created general in place
of old Orgulius, who seeks to resign his office, and further on his
royal word pledges the new-made commander, Erminia, Orgulius' daughter,
in marriage. The lady, however, loves the dauphin, whilst the princess
Galatea is enamoured of Alcippus. All three are plunged into despair,
and the brother and sister knowing each other's passion bemoan their
hapless fate. The prince, indeed, threatens to kill Alcippus, upon which
Galatea declares she will poniard Erminia. On the wedding night the
bride confesses her love for Philander and refuses to admit Alcippus to
her love. The dauphin at the same time serenades Erminia at her chamber
door, but Pisaro, a friend to Alcippus, meeting him, there is a scuffle
during which Alcander, the prince's companion, wounds the intruder. The
noise rouses Erminia who issues from her room and encounters Philander.
Alcippus, seeing them together, mad with jealousy, attacks the prince.
He is, however, beaten back and even wounded, and later his fury is
inflamed by Pisaro's tale, who also informs the favourite that Galatea,
for whom the narrator cherishes a hopeless love, dotes fondly upon him.
Erminia, now that she has been joined in wedlock with Alcippus, guards
herself carefully from the dauphin's passion, but when the general is
obliged by his duties to leave for the camp Philander hopes to persuade
her to yield to him. Alcippus, however, whose departure is a feint,
returns secretly, leaving Pisaro to continue the journey alone. Isillia,
Erminia's woman, has already admitted Philander to her mistress'
chamber, when the lovers are surprised by the arrival of Alcippus on the
scene. The prince is concealed, although the meeting had been purely
innocent, but he is betrayed owing to the fact of his inadvertently
leaving his hat and sword upon a table. He departs unmolested, but once
he is gone Alcippus, beside himself with blind fury, strangles Erminia
with an embroidered garter--Pisaro, coming in a few moments after,
reproaches him with the murder but hurries him away to concealment. The
deed, however, is discovered and noised abroad by Falatius, a b