world, than to take any one out on't. What fay you, fifter Clack?

Clack. I am pretty much of your mind, I muft confefs; but we fhall know more of the matter when Kit Codling comes back.

Min. D'ye think they'll permit'n to see her? Mrs. Min. That, I fuppofe, will depend on herself. Oh, here comes Mr. Codling.

Enter Codling.

Well, fon, what news from the runagate? have you feen her?

Codl. Not I: They firft fhew'd me up to a room with iron rails at one end, like a begginggrate; and, upon ringing the bell, there popped out of t'other fide the bars an old gentlewoman, dreft in a blanket, with a black handkerchief over her head.

Mrs. Min. Yes; I have heard the Papishes have fuch dreffes among them: who was she?

Codl. I took her to be one of the clargywomen that belong to the place. I asked, if they had veigled one Mifs Minnikin into their clutches, in hopes to make her a Papish: At the word veigled, the old woman turned up the whites of her eyes, and with her hands crofs her ftomach, like a child that is saying her catechife, made a jaculation; I fancy, in the outlandish tongue; upon which I told her to let me have none on her hypocrify canting, but to anfwer direct to my queftions.

Clack. How rude! it was lucky fhe did not understand you.

Codl. Understand me! yes, as well as you do: Pho, mun, they be all Englishwomen that

be

be locked up in that church. She owned that Mifs Jenny was there.

Mrs. Min. She did?

Codl. Then I afked if I could not change a few words with her, by way of a little difcourfe; they faid no; becaufe why, Mifs was out of order at present.

Min. A pretence; nothing else.

Codl. So I reckon. Then I defired the gentlewoman to open the hatch, and let me in doors to fee her, for I had a word or two for her private ear from her parents; upon that, the old goffop fet up fuch a grumbling, called me profligate harrytick, and wondered I could be fo empiety to think they ever fuffered a man to enter their doors; 'pon that, I told her, that if none of her complishes were more handsome than fhe, ecod they might open their doors without any great danger; ha, ha! this made the old one as mad as the deuce!

Clack. I told you what would happen, if you fent fuch a rough creature as he.

Godl. No; we grew more milder at laft; and fhe offered to fhew her, if her father and mother would come.

Mrs. Min. Then, Matthew, let us go to her this inftant! Son Codling will fhew us the way. Codl. For the matter of that, I don't believe you will speed much better than me.

Clack. And why not?

Codl. When I afk'd her, if as how the thought Jenny had ferufly a mind to turn to their way, The faid the didn't make the least doubt on't; for that Mifs had all the true outward and visible figns of an inward vacation.

Mrs. Min. Who have we here?
C

Enter

Enter Father O'Donnovan, a Capuchin.

Codl. I don't know; a mountebank, I reckon; or mayhap a man that fhews fleight of hand. O'Don. Save you, good jontlemen!

Mrs. Min. No, no; it is an Englishman, I know by his tongue.-Well, friend, who and what are you?

O'Don. Plaise you, I am a poor Capuchin, that belongs to this convent here in the town. Codl. Capuchin? and pray, honeft friend, what trade is that in the French?

O'Don. Trade! the devil a bit of trade that it is: By my fhoul, if I had a mind to be of a trade, do you think I would have quitted my haymaking in England?

Mrs. Min. What is it, then, that you follow? O'Don. It is a kind of profeffion, my dear. Mrs. Min. A profeffion!

O'Don. Ay; we make profeffions of poverty, that we may be fure to want for nothing as long as we live.

Codl. And how do

you get what you want? O'Don. By afking it from those that can give it.

Codl. Godfo! then you are a beggar, I fancy. O'Don. Who? a beggar? what the devil put that in your head?

Mrs. Min. What d'ye call yourself elfe? O'Don. I am only a mendicant, honey. Codl. I wonder you prefer fo idle a life. O'Don. And why fo? d'ye think that I would not rather that other people fhould work for me, than work for myself?, not that I should mind working neither, but only because it is fo very laborious.

Mrs.

Mrs. Min. And are folks now very charitable. in this here part of the world?

O'Don. Charitable! the devil of any charity's in it: It is, honey, a Chriftian kind of a bargain,, ftruck up among us, I think.

Clack. A bargain?

O'Don. Ay; whilft they work for us, we pray for them; they take care of our bodies, and, in return, my dear, we take care of their fhouls.

Codl. Souls! never ftir, father, if this ben't one of their friars!

Mrs. Min. Sure as can be, fon Codling has hit it. Who can tell, husband, as he is our countryman, and one of the gang, but, for a little fpill of money, he may put us in a way to get our daughter out of their clutches?

Min. It is but trying, however.

Mrs. Min. And pray, good Sir, by what name may we call you?

O'Don. Father O'Donnovan, at your humble fervice.

-

Mrs. Min. Will you do us the favour to step a little this way? Son Codling, have a lookout, that we ben't interrupted. Why, you must know, that a daughter of ours has run away from her friends, and voluns, noluns, taken fhelter here in a cloifter.

O'Don. Run away from her friends? by my fhoul, that was very foolishly done!

Mrs. Min. Now if you could put us in away, by hook or by crook, to get her out of the

convent

O'Don. Me? what, me? to get a parfon out of a convent?

Mrs. Min. If you could be fo kind to affist

C 2

O'Don,

O'Don. Fy! confider, woman, what you are afking.

Min. Nay, Sir!

O'Don. Upon my confcience, here is one of the most blackeft confpiracies broke out against Popery, fince gunpowder-treafon.

Mrs. Min. Patience, fweet Sir!

O'Don. To tempt one of my order to be guilty of facrednefs!

Mrs. Min. Indeed, good Sir, I had no fuch thing in my head.

O'Don. Pace, woman! What is it better than facredness, to break into a convent, and take any cratur out by compulfion?

Mrs. Min. But, Sir

O'Don. I tell you, even to force a young woman from thence, that is willing to lave it, is one of the biggest robberies that can be committed.

Mrs. Min. My dear

O'Don. And, to extenuate the matter, here is a dutiful poor young body, that flies from her parents, and takes refuge in the arms of the church

Mrs. Min. Hear me a word, reverend Sir !

O'Don. We fhall fee what the Commandant will fay to this bufinefs! Take my word for it, my friends, you will be all faaz'd in an instant, and locked up in a prison aboard the gallies for the rest of your lives.

Mrs. Min. Mercy on us!-Sifter Clack, try if you can't mollify his choler a little, or we fhall be clapped up in the quifition directly.

Clack. Can you, reverend Sir, be fo cruel to your country-folks here-

O'Don. Pace, woman!

Clack,