Enter Florinda, Hellena, and Valeria, drest like Gipsies; Callis and Stephano, Lucetta, Philippo and Sancho in Masquerade.

Hellena. Sister, there's your Englishman, and with him a handsom proper Fellow—I'll to him, and instead of telling him his Fortune, try my own.

Willmore. Gipsies, on my Life—Sure these will prattle if a Man cross their Hands. [Goes to Hellena]—Dear pretty (and I hope) young Devil, will you tell an amorous Stranger what Luck he's like to have?

Hellena. Have a care how you venture with me, Sir, lest I pick your Pocket, which will more vex your English Humour, than an Italian Fortune will please you.

Willmore. How the Devil cam'st thou to know my Country and Humour?

Hellena. The first I guess by a certain forward Impudence, which does not displease me at this time; and the Loss of your Money will vex you, because I hope you have but very little to lose.

Willmore. Egad Child, thou'rt i'th' right; it is so little, I dare not offer it thee for a Kindness—But cannot you divine what other things of more value I have about me, that I would more willingly part with?

Hellena. Indeed no, that's the Business of a Witch, and I am but a Gipsy yet—Yet, without looking in your Hand, I have a parlous Guess, 'tis some foolish Heart you mean, an inconstant English Heart, as little worth stealing as your Purse. (Act I, Scene 2)

Basic set up:

The two sisters Florinda and Hellena and their friend Valeria are disguised as gypsies on the night of a masquerade. They're flirting with a group of guys they come across, including an Englishman that Florinda is crushing on.

The Rover was one of the most popular comedies of the Restoration Age. The scene above is focused on disguise and deceit: the women—Hellena, Florinda and Valeria—are disguised as gypsies. This emphasis on deception and disguise is a popular theme in the Comedy of Manners of the Restoration Age.

There's also a heavy emphasis on romantic relationships. In Behn's play, as in many other comedies of the period, women and men don't just fall in love with one another and live happily ever after. They misrecognize one another. They fall out of love. They fight. Sounds like our love lives today, doesn't it?

The dialogue between Hellena and Willmore in the above exchange is very witty. Hellena especially is quick with her tongue, and her language is full of word play.

Witty dialogue and word play are hallmarks of Restoration comedies of manners. The characters have sharp tongues, they're good at clever comebacks and put-downs, and their language is full of puns and double-meanings.