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Class. To avoid their exactions, we are, Mr. Subtle, recommended to your protection.

Mr. Sub. Aye! and wisely they did who recommended you: buy nothing but on mine or my lady's recommendation, and you are safe. But where was your charge? Where was Mr. Buck lastnight? My lady made a party at cards on purpose for him, and my ward Lucinda is mightily taken with him; she longs to see him again.

Class. I am afraid with the same set his father sent him hither to avoid; but we must endeavour to inspire him with a taste for the gallantries of this court, and his passion for the lower amusements of ours will diminish of course.

Mr. Sub. All the fraternity of men-makers are for that purpose without; taylors, peruquiers, hatters, hosiers-Is not that Mr. Buck's English servant?

Enter Roger.

Class. Oh! aye, honest Roger. So, the old doings, Roger; what time did your master come home?

Rog. Between five and six, pummell'd to a jelly: Here been two of his old comrades follow'd un already; I count we shall ha' the whole gang in a se'nnight.

Class. Comrades, who?

Rog. Dick Daylight and Bob Breadbasket the bruisers: They all went to the shew together, where they had the devil to pay; belike they had been sent to Bridewell, hadn't a great gentleman in a blue string come by and releas'd them.-I hear master's bell; do, master Classic, step up and talk to'un; he's now sober, and may hearken to

reason.

Class. I attend him. Mr. Subtle, you won't be out of the way.

Mr. Sub. I shall talk a little with the trades

men.

A smoaky fellow this Classic; but if Lucinda plays her cards well, we have not much to fear from that quarter: contradiction seems to be the life and soul of young Buck.-A tolerable expedition this, if it succeeds Fleece the Younker! Pshaw, that's a thing of course!but by his means to get rid of Lucinda, and securely pocket her patrimony;—aye! that indeed

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Enter Mrs. Subtle.

Oh! wife! Have you open'd the plot? Does the girl come into it greedily, hey?

Mrs. Sub. A little squeamish at first; but I have opened her eyes. Never fear, my dear, sooner or later women will attend to their interest.

Mr. Sub. Their interest! aye, that's true; but consider, my dear, how deeply our own interest is concern'd, and let that quicken your zeal.

Mrs. Sub. D'ye think I am blind? But the girl has got such whimsical notions of honour, and is withal so decent and modest: I wonder where the duce she got it; I am sure it was not in my house. Mr. Sub. How does she like Buck's person.

Mrs. Sub. Well enough! But prythee, husband, leave her to my management, and consider we have more irons in the fire than one. Here is the Marquis de Soleil to meet Madam de Farde tonight,- -and where to put 'em, unless we can have Buck's apartment-Oh! by the bye, has Count Cog sent you your share out of Mr. Puntwell's losings a Thursday?

Mr. Sub. I intend calling on him this morning. Mrs. Sub. Don't rail! He's a slippery chap you know.

There's no fear.

Mr. Sub. Well, but our pretty countrywoman lays about her handsomely! Ha!Hearts by hundreds! Hum!

Mrs. Sub. Aye! that's a noble prize, if we could but manage her; but fhe's so indiscreet, that he'll

be blown before we have made half our market. I am this morning to give audience on her score, to two counts and a foreign minister.

Mr. Sub. Then strike whilft the iron's hot: but they'll be here before I can talk to my people; fend 'em in prythee.

Enter Tradesmen.

Mr. Sub. So, gentlemen; Oh! hufh! we are interrupted: if they ask for your bills, you have left them at home.

Enter Buck, Classic, and Roger.

Buck. Ecod, I don't know how it ended, but I remember how it begun. Oh! master Subtle, how do'st, old buck, hey? Give's thy paw! And little Lucy, how fares it with she? Hum!

Mr. Sub. What has been the matter, squire ? Your face seems a little in deshabille.

Buck. A touch of the times, old boy! a small skirmish; after I was down tho', a set of cowardly sons of; there's George and I will box any five for their sum.

Mr. Sub. But how happen'd it? The French are generally civil to strangers.

Buck. Oh! damn'd civil! to fall seven or eight upon three seven or eight! Ecod we had the whole house upon us at last.

Mr. Sub. But what had

you done?

Buck. Done! Why nothing at all! But wounds! how the powder flew about, and the monsieurs scour'd.

Mr. Sub. But what offence had either they or you committed?

Buck. Why I was telling domine last night; Dick Daylight, Bob Breadbasket, and I, were walking through one of their rues I think they call them here, they are streets in London; but they have such devilish out-of-the-way names for things,

that there is no remembering them: so we see
crowds of people going into a house, and Comedy
pasted over the door; in we troop'd with the rest,
pay'd our cash, and sat down on the stage: present-
ly they had a dance; and one of the young women
with long hair trailing behind her, stood with her
back to a rail just by me: ecod what does me! for
nothing in the world but a joke, as I hope for
mercy, but ties her locks to the rail; so when 'twas
herturn to figure out, souse she flapp'd on her back;
'twas devilish comical, but they set up such an up-
roar, one whey-fac'd son of a bitch, that came to
loose the woman, turn'd up his nose, and call'd me
bête; ecod, I lent him a lick in his lanthorn jaws,
that will make him remember the spawn of old
Marlborough, I warrant him. Another came up to
second him, but I let drive at the mark, made the
soup-maigre rumble in his bread-basket, and laid
him sprawling. Then in pour'd a million of them
I was knock'd down in a trice; and what happen'd
after I know no more than you. But where's Lucy?
I'll go see her.

;

Class. Oh fie! Ladies are treated here with a little more ceremony: Mr. Subtle too has collected these people, who are to equip you for the conversation of the ladies.

Buck. Wounds! all these! What, Mr. Subtle, these are Mounseeres too I suppose?

Mr. Sub. No! squire, they are English-men. Fashion has ordain'd, that as you employ none but foreigners at home, you must take up with your own countrymen here.

Class. It is not in this instance alone we are particular, Mr. Subtle; I have observ'd many of our pretty gentlemen, who condescend to use entirely their native language here, sputter nothing but bad French in the side-boxes at home.

Buck. Look you, sir, as to you, and your wife, and miss Lucy, I like you all well enough; but the

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devil a good thing else have I seen since I lost sight of Dover; the men are all puppies, mincing and dancing, and chattering, and grinning; the women a parcel of painted dolls: their food's fit for hogs; and as for their language, let them learn it that like it, I'll none on't; no, nor their frippery neither: so here you may all march to the place from whence you-Harkee! What are you an Englishman? Barber. Yes, sir..

Buck. Domine! look here, what a monster the monkey has made of himself! Sirrah, if your string was long enough, I'd do your business myself, you dog, to sink a bold Briton into such a sneaking, snivelling the rascal looks as if he had not had a piece of beef and pudding in his paunch these twenty years; I'll be hang'd if the rogue ha'nt been fed upon frogs ever since he came over. Away with your trumpery!

Class. Mr. Buck, a compliance with the customs of the country in which we live, where neither our religion or morals are concern'd, is a duty we owe ourselves.

Mr. Sub. Besides, squire, Lucinda expects that you should usher her to public places, which it would be impossible to do in that dress.

Buck. Why not?

Mr. Sub. You'd be mobb'd.

Buck. Mobb'd! I should be glad to see thatNo! no! they ha'nt spirit enough to mob here; but come, since these fellows here are English, and it is the fashion, try on your fooleries.

Mr. Sub. Mr. Dauphine, come produce -Upon my word, in an elegant taste, sir: this gentleman has had the honour

Dauph. To work for all the beaux esprits of the court. My good fortune commenc'd by a small alteration in a cut of the corner of the sleeve for count Crib; but the addition of a ninth plait in the skirt of marshal Tonerre, was applauded by madam la

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