A C T I. Enter Str William Wealthy, and Mr. Richard Wealthy. NOME, come, brother, I know the world. People who have their attention eternally fixed upon one object, can't help being a little narrow in their notions. R. Weal. A fagacious remark that, and highly probable, that we merchants, who maintain a conftant correfpondence with the four quarters of the world, should know lefs of it than your fashionable fellows, whofe whole experience is bounded by Westminsterbridge. Sir. Will. Nay, brother, as a proof that I am not blind to the benefit of travelling, George, you know, has been in Germany thefe four years. R. Weal. Where he is well grounded in gaming and gluttony; France has furnished him with fawning and flattery; Italy equipp'd him with capriols and cantatas: and thus accomplish'd, my young gentleman is return'd with a cargo of whores, cooks, valets de chambre, and fiddlefticks, a moft valuable member of the British commonwealth. Sir. Will. You diflike then my system of education? R. Weal. Moft fincerely. Sir. Will. The early part, I fhould imagine, might merit your approbation. R. Weal. Leaft of all. What, I fuppofe, because he has run the gauntlet thro' a public school, where, at fixteen, he had practis'd more vices than he would otherwife have heard of at fixty. Sir, Will. Ha, ha, prejudice. R. Weal. Then, indeed, you removed him to the university! where, left his morals should be mended, and his understanding improved, you fairly fet him free from the retraint of the one, and the drudgery of the other, by the priviledged diftinction of a filk gown and a velvet cap. Sir. Will. And all these evils, you think, a city education would have prevented? R. Weal. Doubtlefs. -Proverbs, proverbs, brother William, convey wholefome inftruction, Idlenefs is the root of all evil. Regular hours, conftant employment, and good example, can't fail to form the mind. Sir. Will. Why, truly, brother, had you ftuck to your old civic vices, hypocrify, cozenage, and avarice, I don't know whether I might not have committed George to your care; but you cockneys now beat us fuburbians at our own weapons. What, old boy, times are changed fince the date of thy indentures; when the fleek, crop eared prentice used to dangle after his mistress, with the great bible under his arm, to St. Bride's, on a Sunday; bring home the text, repeat the divifions of the discourse, dine at twelve, and regale, regale, upon a gaudy day, with buns and beer at iflington, or Mile-End. R. Weal. Wonderfully facetious! Sir. Will. Our modern lads are of a different metal. They have their gaming clubs in the Garden, their little lodgings, the fnug depofitories of their rufty fwords, and occafional bag-wigs; their horfes for the turf; ay, and their commiffions of bankruptcy too, before they are well out of their time. R. Weal. Infamous afperfion! Sir. Will. But the laft meeting at Newmarket, lord Lofty received at the hazardtable the identical note from the individual taylor to whom he had paid it but the day before for a new fet of liveries. Sir. Will. These are anecdotes you will never meet with in your weekly travels from Cateaton-street to your boarded box in Clapham, brother. R. Wealth. And yet that boarded box, as your prodigal fpendthrift proceeds, will foon be the only feat of the family. Sir. Will. May be not. Who knows what a reformation our project may produce! R. Wealth. I do. None at all. Sir. Will. Why fo? R. Wealth. Because your means are illproportioned to their end. Were he my fon, I would ferve him Sir. Will. As you have done your daughter. Difcard him. But confider, I have but one. R. Wealth. R. Wealth. That would weigh nothing with me: for, was Charlotte to fet up a will of her own, and reject the man of my choice, she must expect to share the fate of her fifter. I confider families as a smaller kind of king-. doms, and would have difobedience in the one as feverely punished as rebellion in the other. Both cut off from their refpective focieties. Sir. Will. Poor Lucy! But furely you begin to relent. Mayn't I intercede? R. Wealth. Look'e, brother, you know my mind. I will be abfolute. If I meddle with the management of your fon, it is at your own requeft; but if, directly or indirectly, you interfere with my banishment of that wilful, headftrong, difobedient huffy, all ties. between us are broke; and I fhall no more remember you as a brother, than I do her as a child. Sir. Will. I have done. But to return. You think there is a probability in my plan? R. Weath. I fhall attend the iffue. Sir. Will. You will lend your aid, however? R. Wealth. We fhall fee how you go on. Enter Servant. Serv. A letter, fir. Sir. Will. Oh, from Capias, my attorney. Who brought it? Serv. The perfon is without, fir. Sir. Will. Bid him wait. (Reads.) Exit. Serv. Worthy Worthy Sir, The bearer is the perfon I promised to procure. I thought it was proper for you to examine him in viva voce. So if you adminifter a few interrogatories, you will find, by crossqueftioning him, whether he is a competent perfon to profecute the cause you wot of. I wish you a Speedy iffue: and as there can be no default in your judgment, am of opinion it fould be carried iuto immediate execution. I am, Worthy Sir, &c. TIMOTHY CAPIAS. P. S. The party's Name is Samuel Shift. He is an admirable mime or mimic, and moft delectable company; as we experience every Tuesday night at our club, the Magpye and Horfe-fhoe, Fetter-lane. Very methodical indeed, Mr. Capias !-John. Enter Servant. Bid the person who brought this Letter, walk in. (Exit Serv.) Have you any curiofity, brother? R. Wealth. Not a jot. I must to the Change. In the evening you may find me in the counting-house, or at Jonathan's. (Exit. Sir. Will. You fhall hear from me. Enter Shift and Servant. Shut the door, John, and remember, I am not at home. [Exit. Serv.] You came from Mr. Capias? |