Jenny. This pious and reverend lady will tell

you.

Min. Come, mistress, let us have it then.

Abbefs. Your daughter, fon, by a miraculous operation, has had her eyes opened to the perilous paths in which fhe was ftraying.

Min. Yes, yes, fhe has wandered long enough, to be fure.

Abbefs. And has begged our advice to direct her in the right road.

Min. And if the takes it, it will be the first time in her life.

Abbefs. Say not fo, fon; you are too rash in your judgment.

Min. To come to the proof, will she marry the young man we have provided?

Abbefs. She has provided a better match for herself.

Min. The devil fhe has! what, a 'prentice-boy that wants two years to be out of his time? Abbefs. Son, I don't comprehend you.

Min. Dick Drugget, I mean; as arrant a fcape-grace

Abbefs. Son, I know no such person as Drugget.

Min. What, he has changed his name, I fuppofe, fince he came over! Like enough.

Abbefs. Son, we err, I believe, as to the perfon; the spouse your daughter wishes to wed, is Saint Francis.

Min. Saint Francis! who the devil is he? what, has the picked up a Frenchman already? like enough: But if that be the cafe, mistress, you may give my fervice to Mr. Saint Francis, and tell him he fhall never touch a fingle penny of mine as long as he lives.

Abbess.

Abbels. Saint Francis ftands in need of no fortune.

Min. He is fo rich? fo much the better for he. And you may over and above tell him, notwithstanding the looks fo demure, that he could not have met with fuch a headstrong, obftinate, peremptory vixen, if he had fearched all the country round.

Abbefs. Saint Francis will, notwithstanding, cherish the dear child in his bosom.

Min. Will he then, if the dear child don't kick his guts out in less than a month, she is confoundedly altered! But come, mistress; mayhap, we may find friends here, although we be ftrangers: We'll fee if there be no laws against kidnapping other folks' children away! Abbefs. You grow indecent, fon; we muft leave you.

Min. In England now I would have horpurs'dcorpus'd her out of your hands in an hour! Abbefs. Daughter, pay your reverence to your relations! [Fenny curtfies, and retires from the grate with the Abbess. Min. An hypocritical flut! And hark'ee, miftrefs! before I goes, I will tell you a bit of my mind: Notwithstanding your whining and canting, and fanctified looks, I don't think you are a bit better than you should be, d'ye fee me; and, if the truth was known, you are little better, I believe, than an old matchmaking bawd! Mrs. Min. Matthew, confider where you are! have a care what you say!

Min. Pr'ythee, woman, be quiet! Losers have leave to speak in all countries, I hope.

Mrs. Min. And of what ufe is your fpeaking? Clack. True, fifter. But come; let us go to Lady

1

Lady Kitty, as the friar advised us; perhaps she may put us in a way.

Mrs. Min. Right, fifter. Come, Matthew, there is no time to be loft.

Min. Loft! we had better leave her to her own wicked ways: She will find that punishment enough, in the end.

Mrs. Min. But she is our daughter, Matthew, you know; let us do our duty, however. Min. Well, well! Come, fon Codling!

Codl. I'll follow you, father, when I have made an observation or two, to put into neighbour Index's Tower." The clargywomen in these

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parts don't use any linen; and instead of doing "like our'n, they wear their woollen fmocks "over the reft of their cloaths. Nota bene, if "they can catch any young women into their

clutches, they locks them up in dens like wild "beaftefes, that are kept in the Tower." [Exe. Scene, a Hotel.

Enter Mifs Lydell and Hetty.

Mifs L. Sure never was fo capricious a being!

Hetty. Not of the fame mind two minutes together! I am aftonished, Mifs, how you are able to bear it.

Mifs L. I only wait for a fair occafion to quit her ladyship; fuch a one, I mean, as would juftify me to my friends.

Hetty. For that, Miss, you can't be long at a lofs.

Mifs L. Ah, Hetty, it is impoffible for you to guefs at the half of her art: My relations, feduced

D

duced by her frequent profeffions, trufted me to her care, expecting, what I am fatisfied never will happen, a permanent establishment for me by means of her favour.

Hetty. Why, fure, Mifs, fhe can't for fhame but do fomething handfome for you, after having dragged you in her train, as I may fay, almost over the world.

Mifs L. There, Hetty, is the fource of her prefent behaviour: She knows what fhe has promifed, and wants to force me to fome indifcreet act of impatience, as an apology for the breach of her faith.

Hetty. Ay? is the fo cunning as that?

Mifs L. For at the fame time that fhe is teazing, torturing, and loading me with every mortification in private, you fee with what particular regard and attention fhe affects to treat me in public.

Hetty. True enough, I muft own, Mifs; exactly like her pretended grief for Sir John: She howls and cries over the poor boot, for all the world like the ftrange creature I have read of. Mifs L. Hufh, Hetty! fhe is here.

Enter Lady Kitty Crocodile.

L. Kitty. In clofe committee, I fee! What mifchief are you two brewing together?-I am aftonished, Mifs Lydell, at your feducing my fervants; is this a proper return, Mifs, for all the obligations you owe me?

Mifs L. I am forry your ladyship should think me capable-

L. Kitty. Capable!-Leave the room, with your inquifitive impertinent face! You want

fome

fome tale to run tattling with to the rest of the crew.

[To Hetty. Hetty. Grew? I don't understand what your ladyship means by the crew; tho' we are fervants, we may be as good Chriftians as other people, I hope; and tho', to be fure

L. Kitty. Hold your infolent tongue, and quit the room, when I bid you!

Hetty. Grew?With all my heart; I have no objection to quitting the room, nor the house neither, for the matter of that. Crew, indeed; marry come up! [Exit. L. Kitty. So, Mifs! these are the fruits of your little hypocritical plots; thefe leffons have been taught them by you.

Mifs L. Me, Madam? Can your ladyship fuppofe that I would defcend fo low as to

L. Kitty. Defcend, Mifs? I dont understand you: Pray, in what refpect are you so much better than they? Is it because I have permitted you to fit at my table, that you give yourself thefe airs of importance? Though your father was parfon of the parish, yet I hope I was not obliged at his death to provide for all his beggarly tribe.

Mifs L. Madam, I never prefumed

L. Kitty. And yet, has not my genorofity been extended to every branch? There was your mother; did not I, by my own fingle interest, get her into the Alms-Houfe at Bromley; where, except meat, drink, and cloaths, fhe is amply provided with every thing a woman of her condition can want?

Mifs L. I never denied

L. Kitty. Was not your brother Tom, Mifs, made a guinea-pig upon my recommendation ?

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Misse