there's few people alive who can remember what you did then.

Mrs Pen. How! gillflirt!-none of your fleers! I am glad here's a husband coming that will take you down: Your tantrums!- -You are grown too headstrong and

robuft for me.

Suck. Gad, I believe you would be glad to be taken down the fame way!

Mrs Pen. Oh! you are a pert

-But fee your lover approaches. Now Sukey, be careful, child: None of your

Enter Jenkins as Sir Gregory, and Hartop as Tim. Jenk. Lack-a-day, lady! I rejoice to fee you! wonderful! and your niece!-Tim, the ladies.

Har. Your fervant, Mistress!-I am glad to fee you, Mifs Suck. (Salutes her.) Fath and sole, Mistress Suck's a fine young woman, more or lefs!

Suck, Yes, I am well enough, I believe.

Jenk. But, Lady, where's my brother Trifle! where is Sir Penurious?

Suck. Father's at home, in expectation of you; and aunt and I be come to town to make preparations.

Jenk. Ay, wonderful!Pray, Lady, fhall I, good now! crave a word in private? Tim, will you and your fweetheart draw back a little?

Har. Yes, father: Come, Mifs, will you jog a tiny bit this way?

Suck. With all my heart.

Jenk. There is, Lady, a wonderful affair has happen'd, good now! Son Tim has fallen in love with a young woman at his uncle's, and 'tis partly to prevent bad confequences, that I am, lack-a-day! fo hally to match him: and one of my men, good now! tells me that he has feen the wench fince we have been in town; fhe has follow'd us here, fure as a gun, lady! If Tim fees the girl, he'll never marry your niece.

Mrs Pen. It is indeed, Sir Gregory Gazette, a most critical conjuncture, and requires the moft mature deliberation.

Jenk. Deliberation! lack-a-day, Lady, whilft we deliberate the boy will be loft.

Mrs

Mrs Pen. Why, Sir Gregory Gazette, what operations can we determine upon?

Fenk. Lack-a-day! I know but one.

Mrs Pen. Adminifter your propofition, Sir Gregory Gazette: you will have my concurrence, Sir, in any thing that does not derogate from the regulations of conduct; for it would be moft prepofterous in one of my character, to deviate from the ftricteft attention.

Jenk. Lack-a-day, lady, no fuch matter is wanted. But, good now! could not we tack the young couple together directly? your brother and I have already agreed.

Mrs Pen. Are the previous preliminaries fettled, Sir Gregory Gazette?

Fenk. Good now! as firm as a rock, lady.

Mrs Pen. Why, then, to preferve your fon, and accomplish the union between our families, I have no objections to the acceleration of their nuptials, provided: the child is inclined, and a minifter may be procur'd.

Jenk. Wonderful! you are very good, good now! there has been one match already in the houfe to-day; we may have the fame parfon. Here! Tim! and young gentle-woman! Well, Mifs! wonderful, and how? has Tim? hey, boy! Is not Mifs a fine young lady?

Har. Fath and fole, father, Mifs is a charming young woman; all red and white, like Mally-Hum!

Jenk. Huth, Tim! Well, and Mifs, how does my boy? he's an honest hearty lad! Has he, good now! had the art? How d' ye like him, young gentlewoman?.

Suck. Liken? well enough, I think.

Jenk. Why, then, Mifs, with your leave, your aunt and I here have agreed, if you are willing, to have the wedding over directly.

Suck. Gad! with all my heart. Afk the young man. Har. Fath and fole, juft as you pleafe; to-day, tomorrow, or when you will, more or lefs.

Fenk. Good now, good now! then get you in there, there you will find one to do your bufinefs: wonderful! matters will foon be managed within. Well, lady, this was good now, fo kind! Lack-a-day! I verily believe if dame Winny was dead, that I fhould be glad to lead up fuch another dance with you, lady.

A a 2

Mrs

Mrs Pen. You are, Sir, fomething too precipitate: Nor would there, did circumftances concur, as you infi nuate, be fo absolute a certitude, that I, who have rejected fo many matches, fhould inftantaneously fuccumb. Jenk. Lack-a-day, lady, good now! I—

Mrs Pen. No, Sir; I would have you inftructed, that had not Penelope Trifle made irrefragable resolutions, fhe need not fo long have preferved her family furname. Jenk. Wonderful! why, I was only

Mrs Pen. Nor has the title of Lady Gazette fuch refplendent charms, or fuch bewitching allurements, as to throw me at once into the arms of Sir Gregory. Jenk. Good now! who fays

Mrs Pen. Could wealth, beauty, or titles fuperior to perhaps

Enter Sir Gregory, Roger, and Tim.

Tim. Yes, indeed, father; Mr Hartop knew on't as well as I, and Mr Jenkins got us a parson.

Sir Greg. Good now, good now! a rare couple of friends! But I'll be even with them! I'll marr their market! Mafter Jenkins, you have fobb'd me finely.

Jenk. Lack-a-day, what's the matter now?

Sir Greg. Come, come, none of your lack-a-days! none of your gambols, nor your tricks to me: Good now, good now! give me my cloaths! here, take your tawdry trappings I have found you out at laft: I'll be no longer your property.

Jenk. Wonderful! what's all this, lady? Good now, good now! what's here! a ftage play?

Sir Greg. Play me no plays; but give me my wig! and your precious friend my loving coufin, (pize on the kindred) let'n

Jenk. Good now, good now! what are these folks? as fure as a gun, they're mad.

Sir Greg. Mad! no, no; we are neither mad nor fools: no thanks to you, tho'.

Mrs Pen. What is all this; can you unravel this per plexity, untwine this myftery, Sir Gregory Gazette?

Sir Greg. He Sir Gregory Gazette? Lack-a-day, lady! you are trick'd, impofed upon, bamboozled: Good now, good now! 'tis I am Sir Gregory Gazette.

Mrs Pen. How!

Tim. Fath and fole, 'tis true, mistress; and I am his fon Tim, and will fwear it.

Mrs Pen. Why, isn't Mr Timothy Gazette with my niece Sufannah Trifle?

Tim. Who, me! Lord, no, 'tis none of I, it is cousin Hartop in my cloaths..

Mrs Pen. What's this? and

pray, who

Fenk. Why, as I fee the affair is concluded, you may,, Madam, call me Jenkins. Come, Hartop, you may now throw off your disguise; the knight had like to have embarraffed us.

Mrs Pen. How, Mr Jenkins! and would you, Sir, par-ticipate of a plot to.

Har. Madam, in the iffue, your family will, I hope,, have no great reafon to repent. I always had the great-eft veneration for Mifs Penelope Trifle's understanding;: the highest esteem! for her virtues can intitle me to the honour of being regarded as her relation.

Mrs Pen. Sir, I thall determine on nothing, 'till C am apprifed of my brother's refolution.

Har. For that we mult wait. Sir Gregory, I muß. intreat you and your fon's pardon for fome little liber ties I have taken with you both. Mr Jenkins, I have the highest obligation to your friendship; and, Mifs, when we become a little better acquainted, I flatter myself the change will not prove unpleafing..

Suck. I know nothing at all about it.

Har. Sir Gregory, we fhall have your company at dinner?

Sir Greg. Lack-a-day, no, no, that boy has spoil'di my ftomach -Come, Tim, fetch thy rib, and let us be jogging towards Wales; but how thou wilt get off with thy mother

Tim. Never fear, father

Since you have been pleas'd our nuptial knot to blefsy,
We shall be happy all our lives-more or lefs-

THE deuce is in him! What the deuce.
(I hear you cry) can that produce?.
What does it mean? what can it be?
A little patience and you'll fee.
Behold, to keep your minds uncertain,
Between the fcene and you this curtain!'
So writers hide their plots, no doubt,
To please the more when all comes out! :
Of old the Prologue told the ftory,
And laid the whole affair before ye;,
Came forth in fimple phrafe to fay,
"Fore the beginning of the play.
"I, baplefs Polydore, was found
"By fishermen, or others, drown'd!

40-40

The lines marked with inverted commas, are taken from a poem called Shakespeare, an epistle to Mr Garrick. See Lloyd'a Poems, P. 57.