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АСТ III.

SCENE

Continues.

Enter HARPY, YOUNG LOVEIT and JENNY.

TEL

Harpy.

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

Jen. Mr. Harpy, the attorney of Furnival's Inn ? [Exit Jenny. Har. The fame. Ay, ay, young gentleman, this is your woman; I warrant your business 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 ifle of St.

Kitt's?

Y. Lov. I have feen him.

Har. All owing to her. Her fuccefs in that branch of bufinefs is wonderful! Why, I dare believe, fince laft fummer, fhe has not fent off lefs than forty couple to Edinburgh.

you

Y. Lov. Indeed! She must be very adroit. Har. Adroit! You fhall judge. I will tell 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 cheefemonger, at the corner of Newgate-freet, juft turned of fourteen, and under the wing of an old maiden aunt, as watch

ful

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

Y. Lov. But, Mr. Harpy, as thefe 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.

r. 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. r. Lov. Ma'am.

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

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

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? 1 expe& 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,

deceased, and all his fortune devised to his relic, my mother.

Mrs. Mech. What, the whole!

Y. Lov. Every fhilling. That is, for her life. Mrs Mech. And to what fum may it amount? r. Lov. Why, my mother is eternally telling me, that after her, I fhall inherit fifty or fixty thousand at least,

Mrs. Mech. Upon my word, a capital fum.

Y. Lov. But of what ufe, my dear Mrs. Mechlin, fince the refuses to advance me a guinea upon the credit of it, and while the grafs grows You know the proverb.

Mr. Mech. What, I fuppofe you want fomething for prefent fubfiftence?

Y. Lov. Juft my fituation."

Mrs. Mech. Have you thought of nothing for yourself?

Y. Lov. I am refolved to be guided by you. Mrs. Mech. What do you think of a wife? 7. Lov. A wife!

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Mrs. Mech. Come, come, don't defpife my advice; when a young man's finances are low, a wife is a much better resource than a usurer; and there are in this town a number of kind-hearted widows that take a pleafure in repairing the injuries done by fortune to handfome young fellows.

Har. Mrs. Mechlin has reason.

Y. Lov. But, dear ma'am, what can I do with a wife. :

Mrs. Mech. Do! why like other young fellows who marry ladies a little ftricken in years; make her your banker and fteward. If you fay but the word, before night I'll give you a widow with two thousand a year in her pocket.

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Y. Lov.

Y. Lov. Two thoufand a year! a pretty employment, if the refidence could but be difpenfed with.

Mrs. Mech. What do you mean by refidence? Do you think a gentleman, like a pitiful trader, is to be eternally tacked to his wife's petticoat? when fhe is in town, be you in the country; as the shifts do you shift. Why, you need not be with her above thirty days in the year; and let me tell you, you won't find a more eafy condition; twelve months fubfiftence for one month's labour !

r. Lov. Two thousand a year, you are fure?` Mrs: Mech. The least penny.

Y. Lov. Well madam, you fhall difpofe of me just as you please.

Mrs. Mech. Very well, if you will call in half an hour at fartheft, I believe we fhall finifh the bufinefs.

Y. Lov. In half an hour?

Mrs. Mech. Precifely. Oh, difpatch is the very life and foul of my trade. Mr. Harpy will tell you my terms, you will find them reafonable enough.

Har. Oh, I am fure we fhall have no dispute about those.

Y. Lov. No, no.[Going. Mrs. Mech. Oh, but Mr. Harpy, it may be proper to mention that the gentlewoman, the party, is upwards of fixty.

Y. Lov. With all my heart; it is the purfe, not the perfon I want! Sixty! fhe is quite a girl; I wifh with all my foul fhe was ninety.

Mrs. Mech. Get you gone, you are a devil, I fee that.

Y. Lov. Well, for half an hour, fweet Mrs. Mechlin, adieu.

[Exeunt Young Loveit and Harpy.

Mrs.

Mrs. Mech. Soh! I have provided for my dowager from Devonshire-square, and now to cater for my commiffary. Here he comes.

Enter FUNGUS and BRIDOUN.

Fun. So in fix weeks-Oh, Mrs. Mechlin, any news from the lady?

Mrs. Mech. I expect her here every moment. She is confcious that in this ftep, fhe defcends from her dignity; but being defirous to screen you from the fury of her noble relations, she is determined to let them fee that the act and deed is intirely her own.

Fun. Very kind, very obliging indeed. But, Mrs. Mechlin, as the family is fo furious, I reckon we fhall never be reconciled.

When you

Mrs. Mech. I don't know that. have bought commiffions for her three younger brothers, discharged the mortgage on the paternal eftate, and portioned off eight or nine of her fifters, it is not impoffible but my lord may be prevailed on to fuffer your name

Fun. Do you think fo?

Mrs. Mech. But then a work of time, Mr. Fungus.

Fun. Ay, ay, I know very well things of that kind are not brought about in a hurry.

Mrs. Mech. But I must prepare matters for the lady's reception.

Fun. By all means. The jewels are fent to her ladyfhip?

Mrs. Mech. To be fure.

Fun. And the ring for her ladyfhip, and her ladyfhip's licence?

Mrs. Mech. Ay, ay, and her ladyfhip's parfon too; all are prepared.

D

Fune

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