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Dr. Cat. Me teach him to fing! What does the fcoundrel mean to affront me?

Mrs. Mech. Affront you!

Dr. Cat. Why don't you know, child, that I quitted that paltry profeffion?

Mrs. Mech. Not I.

Dr. Cat. Oh, intirely renounced it.

Mrs. Mech. Then what may you follow at prefent?

Dr. Cat. Me!-nothing. I am a poet, my dear.

Mrs. Mech. A poet!,

Dr. Cat. A poet. The Mufes; you know I was always fond of the ladies: I fuppofe you have heard of Shakspeare, and Shadwell, of Tom Brown, and of Milton, and Hudibras ?

Mrs. Mech. I have.

Dr. Cat. I fhall blaft all their laurels, by gad; I have juft given the public a tafte, but there's a belly-full for them in my larder at home.

Mrs. Mech. Upon my word, you surprise me; but pray, is poetry a trade to be learned?

Dr. Cat. Doubtlefs. Capital as I am, I have not acquired it above a couple of years.

Mrs. Mech. And could you communicate your art to another?

Dr. Cat. To be fure. Why I have here in my pocket, my dear, a whole folio of rhymes, from Ź quite to great A. Let us fee, A. Ay, here it begins, A, afs, pass, grafs, mafs, lafs, and fo quite thro' the alphabet down to Z. Zounds, grounds, mounds, pounds, hounds.

Mrs. Mech. And what do you do with those rhymes?

Dr. Cat. Oh, we fupply them:
Mrs. Mech. Supply them?

Dr. Cat.

Dr. Cat. Ay, fill them up, as I will fhew you. Laft week, in a ramble to Dulwich, I made these rhimes into a duet for a new comic opera I have on the ftocks. Mind, for I look upon the words as a model for that fort of writing.

Firft fhe.-There to fee the fluggish ass,

Thro' the meadows as we pafs,
Eating up the farmer's grafs,
Blyth and merry, by the mass,
As a little country lass.

Mrs. Mech. Very pretty.

Dr. Cat. A'n't it.

Then he replies,

Hear the farmer cry out, zounds!
As he trudges thro' the grounds,
Yonder beaft has broke my mounds;
If the parish has no pounds,

Kill, and give him to the hounds.

Then Da Capo, both join in repeating the last ftanza; and this tacked to a tolerable tune, will run you for a couple of months. a couple of months. You observe ? Mrs. Mech. Clearly. As our gentleman is defirous to learn all kinds of things, I can't help thinking but he will take a fancy to this.

Dr. Cat. In that cafe, he may command me, my dear; and I promise you, in a couple of months, he fhall know as much of the matter as I do.

Mrs. Mech. At present he is a little engaged, but as foon as the honey-moon is over

Dr. Cat. Honey-moon! Why is he going to be married?

Mrs. Mech. This Evening, I fancy.

Dr. Cat. The fineft opportunity for an introduction, in nature; I have by me, ma'am Mech

lin, of my own compofition, fuch an epithalamium.

Mrs. Mech. Thalmium, what's that?

Dr. Cat. A kind of an elegy, that we poets compofe at the folemnization of weddings. Mrs. Mech. Oh, ho!

Dr. Cat. It is fet to mufick already, for I ftill compose for myself.

Mrs. Mech. You do?

Dr. Cat. Yes. What think you now of providing a band, and ferenading the 'fquire to-night? It will be a pretty extempore compliment.

Mrs. Mech. The prettieft thought in the world. But I hear Mr. Fungus's bell. You'll excufe me, dear Doctor, you may fuppofe we are bufy.

Dr. Cat. No apology then, I'll about it this inftant.

Mrs. Mech. As foon as you pleafe; any thing to get you out of the way. [Afide and exit. Dr. Cat. Your obfequious, good madam Mechlin. But notwithstanding all your fine fpeeches, I fhrewdly fufpect my bleffed bargain at home was a prefent from you; and what fhall I do with it?

-

-Thefe little embarraffes we men of intrigue are eternally fubje&t to. There will be no fending it back. She will never let it enter the house. -Hey! gad, a lucky thought is come into my head this ferenade is finely contrived.Madam Mechlin fhall have her coufin again, for I will return her bye-blow in the body of a double bafs-viol; fo the bawd fhall have a concert as well as the 'fquire. [Exit.

End of the Second Act.

ACT III.

SCENE Continues.

Enter HARPY, YOUNG LOVEIT and JENNY.

TE

Harpy.

ELL your miftrefs my name is Harpy; she knows me, and how precious my time is.

Inn?

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Jen. Mr. Harpy, the attorney of Furnival's [Exit Jenny. Har. The fame. Ay, ay, young gentleman, this is your woman; I warrant your bufinefs is done. You knew Kitty Williams, that married Mr. Abednego Potiphar, the Jew broker? Y. Lov. I did.

Har. And Robin Rainbow, the happy husband of the widow Champanfy, from the isle of St. Kitt's?

Y. Lov. I have feen him.

Har. All owing to her. Her fuccefs in that branch of business is wonderful! Why, I dare believe, fince last summer, she has not sent off lefs than forty couple to Edinburgh.

Y. Lov. Indeed! She must be very adroit. Har. Adroit! You fhall judge. I will tell you a cafe you know the large brick house at Peckham, with a turret at top?

Y. Lov. Well.

Har. There lived Mifs Cicely Mite, the only daughter of old Mite the cheesemonger, at the corner of Newgate-ftreet, juft turned of fourteen, and under the wing of an old maiden aunt, as watch

ful

ful as a dragon-but hush-I hear Mrs. Mechlin, I'll take another feafon to finish my tale.

Y. Lov. But, Mr. Harpy, as these kind of women are a good deal given to goffiping, I would rather my real name was a fecret till there is a fort

of neceffity.

Har. Goffiping!: She, lord help you, fhe is as clofe as a Catholic confeffor.

Y. Lov. That may be, but you must give me leave to infift.

Har. Well, well, as you please.

Enter Mrs. MECHLIN.

Your very humble fervant, good madam Mechlin; I have taken the liberty to introduce a young gentleman, a friend of mine, to crave your affift

ance.

Mrs. Mech. Any friend of yours, Mr. Harpy; won't you be feated, fir. \Y. Lov. Ma'am'. v

[They fit down. Mrs. Mech. And pray, fir, how can I serve you? Har. Why, ma'am, the gentleman's fituation is -but, fir, you had better ftate your cafe to Mrs. Mechlin yourself.

Y. Lov. Why, you are to know, ma'am, that I am just escaped from the univerfity, where (I need not tell you) you are greatly efteemed.

Mrs. Mech. Very obliging. I must own, fir, I have had a very great refpect for that learned body, ever fince they made a near and dear friend of mine a doctor of mufic.

Y. Lov. Yes, ma'am, I remember the gentleman. Mrs. Mech. Do you know him, fir? I expect him here every minute to inftruct a lodger of mine. Y. Lov. Not intimately. Juft arrived, but laft night: upon my coming to town I found my father

deceased,

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