Serj. As how?-Mind, Charlotte.

Sir Luke. Why, to drive a corking pin into the calves of our legs.

Serj. Well, well.

Sir Luke. Mine, you may imagine, was easily done-but when it came to the Baron

Serj. Ay, ay.

Sir Luke. Our modern Cato soon lost his coolness and courage, screw'd his nose up to his foretop, rapp'd out a dozen oaths in high Dutch, limp'd away to his lodgings, and was there laid up for a month-Ha, ha, ha!

Enter a Servant, and delivers a card to Sir Luke.

Sir Luke reads. "Sir Gregory Goose desires the honour of sir Luke Limp's company to dine. An answer is desired." Gadso! a little unlucky; I have been engag'd for these three weeks.

Serj. What, I find sir Gregory is return'd for the corporation of Fleecem.

Sir Luke. Is he so? Oh ho!-That alters the case.-George, give my compliments to sir Gregory, and I'll certainly come and dine there. Order Joe to run to alderman Inkle's, in Threadneedle-street; sorry can't wait upon him, but confin'd to bed two days with the new influenza..

[Exit Servant. Char. You make light, sir Luke, of these sort of engagements.

Sir Luke. What can a man do? These damn'd fellows (when one has the misfortune to meet them) take scandalous advantage; teaze. When will you do me the honour, pray, sir Luke, to take. a bit of mutton with me? Do you name the day. -They are as bad as a beggar, who attacks your coach at the mounting of a hill; there is no getting rid of them, without a penny to one, and a promise to t'other.

Serj. True; and then for such a time too

three weeks! I wonder they expect folks to remember. It is like a retainer in Michaelmas term for the summer assizes.

Sir Luke. Not but, upon these occasions, na man in England is more punctual than

Enter a Servant, who gives sir Luke a Letter.

From whom?

Serv. Earl of Brentford. The servant waits for an answer. Sir Luke.

Answer!-By your leave, Mr. Serjeant and Charlotte. [Reads.] "Taste for music -Mons. Duport-fail-Dinner upon table at five." -Gadso! I hope sir Gregory's servant an't gone.

Serv. Immediately upon receiving the answer. Sir Luke. Run after him as fast as you can— tell him, quite in despair-recollect an engagement that can't in nature be missed,-and return in an instant. [Exit Servant. Char. You see, sir, the knight must give way for my lord.

Sir Luke. No, faith; it is not that, my dear Charlotte; you saw that was quite an extempore business-No, hang it, no, it is not for the title; but to tell you the truth, Brentford has more wit than any man in the world; it is that makes me fond of his house.

Char. By the choice of his company he gives an unanswerable instance of that.

But

Sir Luke. You are right, my dear girl. now to give you a proof of his wit: You know Brentford's finances are a little out of repair, which procures him some visits that he would very gladly

excuse.

Serj. What need he fear? His person is sacred; for by the tenth of William and Mary

Sir Luke. He knows that well enough; but for all that

Serj. Indeed, by a late act of his own house,

(which does them infinite honour) his goods or chattels may be

Sir Luke. Seized upon when they can find them; but he lives in ready furnish'd lodgings, and hires his coach by the month.

Serj. Nay, if the sheriff return "non inventus"

Sir Luke. A pox o'your law, you make me lose sight of my story. One morning, a Welch coachmaker came with his bill to my lord, whose name was unluckily Lloyd. My lord had the man up. You are call'd, I think, Mr. Lloyd ?-At your lordship's service, my lord.What, Lloyd with an L?It was with an L indeed, my lord.-Because in your part of the world I have heard that Lloyd and Floyd were synonimous, the very same names. Very often indeed, my lord.But you always spell your's with an L-Always. -That, Mr. Lloyd, is a little unlucky; for you must know I am now paying by debts alphabetically, and in four or five years you might have come in with an F; but I am afraid I can give you no hopes for your L.-Ha, ha, ha!

Enter a Servant.

Serv. There was no overtaking the servant. Sir Luke. That is unlucky: tell my lord I'll attend him. I'll call on sir Gregory myself.

[Exit Servant. Serj. Why, you won't leave us, sir Luke? Sir Luke. Pardon, dear Serjeant and Charlotta; have a thousand things to do for half a million of people positively; promised to procure a husband for lady Cicely Sulky, and match a coach-horse for brigadier Whip; after that, must run into the city to borrow a thousand for young At-all at Almack's; send a Cheshire cheese by the stage to sir Timothy Tankard in Suffolk; and get at the Herald's Office a coat of arms to clap on the coach of Billy Ben

gal, a nabob newly arrived: so you see I have not a moment to lose.

Serj.

True, true.

Sir Luke. At your toilet to-morrow you may—

Enter a Servant abruptly, and runs against sir Luke. Can't you see where you are running, you rascal! Serv. Sir, his grace the duke of

Sir Luke. Grace!-Where is he?-Where-Serv. In his coach at the door.-If you an't better engaged would be glad of your company to go into the city, and take a dinner at Dolly's. Sir Luke. In his own coach did you say? Serv. Yes, sir.

Sir Luke. With the coronets-or

Serv. I believe so.

Sir Luke. There's no resisting of that.-Bid Joe run to sir Gregory Goose's.

Serv. He is already gone to alderman Inkle's. Sir Luke. Then do you step to the knighthey!-no-you must go to my lord's-hold, hold, no-I have it-Step first to sir Greg's, then pop in at lord Brentford's just as the company are going

to dinner.

Serv. What shall I say to sir Gregory?

Sir Luke. Any thing-what I told you before.
Serv. And what to my lord?

Sir Luke. What!-Why tell him that my uncle from Epsom-no-that won't do, for he knows I don't care a farthing for him-hey!-Why tell him-hold I have it-Tell him, that as I was going into my chair to obey his commands, I was arrested by a couple of bailiffs, forced into a hackney coach, and carried to the Pied Bull in the Borough; I beg ten thousand pardons for making his grace wait, but his grace knows my misfor[Exeunt sir Luke and Servant. Char. Well, sir, what dy'e think of the proofs ? I flatter myself I have pretty well established my

case,

Serj. Why, hussy, you have hit upon points; but then they are but trifling flaws, they do'nt vitiate the title, that stands unimpeached; and-But, madam, your mother,

Mrs. Circ.

Enter Mrs. Circuit.

What have you done with the knight? Why you have not let him depart? Char. It was not in my power to keep him. Mrs. Circ. I don't wonder at that; but what took him away?

Char. What will at any time take him away— a duke at the door.

Mrs. Circ. Are you certain of that?

Serj. Why truly, chuck, his retreat was rather precipitate for a man that is just going to be married.

Mrs. Circ. The prospect of marriage does not always prove the strongest attachment.

Serj. Pardon me, lovee; the law allows no higher consideration than marriage.

Mrs. Circ. Pshaw!

Serj. Insomuch, that if duke A was to intermarry with chambermaid B, difference of condition would prove no bar to the settlement.

Mrs. Circ. Indeed!

Serj. Ay; and this was held to be law by chief, baron Bind'em, on the famous case of the marquis of Cully, and Fanny Flip-flap the French dancer.

Mrs. Circ. The greater blockhead the baron: but don't pester me with your odious law cases.Did not you tell me you was going to Kingston to-day to try the crown causes?

Serj. I was begg'd to attend for fear his lordship should not be able to sit; but if it proves inconvenient to you

Mrs. Circ. To me! Oh, by no means in the world; I am too good a subject to desire the least delay in the law's execution; and when d'ye set out?