Fools that are idle, May live to bite the bridle. Mifs Lin. What a happiness to have been bred under fo prudent a parent! Flint. Ay, Mifs, you will have reason to say fo; her maxims have put many a pound into my pocket. Mifs Lin. How does that concern me ? Tho' I was the maker, You may be the partaker. Mifs Lin. Sir, you are very obliging, Flint. I can tell you, fuch offers are not every day to be met with: Only think, Mifs, to have victuals and drink conftantly found you, without coft or care on your fide! especially, now meat is fo dear. Mifs Lin. Confiderations by no means to be flighted. Flint. Moreover, that you may live and appear like my wife, I fully intend to keep you a coach. Mifs Lin. Indeed! Flint. Yes; and you shall command the horses whenever you please, unless during the harvest, and when they are employed in plowing and carting; because the main chance must be minded, you know. Mifs Lin. True, true. Flint. Though I don't think you will be vastly fond of coaching about; for why, we are off of the turnpike, and the floughs are deadly deep about we. Mifs Lin. What, you intend to refide in the Country? Flint. Without doubt; for then, you know, Mifs, I fhall be fure to have you all to myself. Mifs Lin. An affectionate motive!-But even in this happy ftate, where the most perfect union prevails, fome folitary hours will intrude, and the time, now and then, hang heavy on our hands. Flint. What, in the country, my dear Mifs? not a minute: You will find all paftime and jollity there; for what with minding the dairy, dunning the tenants, preferving and pickling, nurfing the children, fcolding the fervants, mending and making, roafting, boiling, and baking, you won't have a moment to fpare; you will be merry and happy as the days they are long. Mifs Lin. I am afraid the days will be hardly long enough to execute fo extenfive a plan of enjoyment. Flint. Never you fear! I am told, Mifs, that you write an exceeding good hand. Mifs Lin. Pretty well, I believe. Flint. Then, Mifs, there is more pleasure in ftore; for you may employ any leisure time that you have in being my clerk, as a juftice of peace: You shall share fixpence out of every warrant, to buy you any little thing that you want. Mifs Lin. That's finely imagined!-As your enjoyments are chiefly domeftic, I prefume you have contrived to make home as convenient as can be: You have, Sir, good gardens, no doubt? Flint. Gardens? ay, ay: Why, before the great parlour window there grows a couple of yews, yews, as tall as a mast, and as thick as a steeple; and the boughs caft fo delightful a fhade, that you can't see your hand in any part of the room. Mifs Lin. A moft delicate gloom! Flint. And then there conftantly roofts in the trees a curious couple of owls; which I won't fuffer our folks to disturb, as they make fo rural a noife in the night Mifs Lin. A moft charming duet! Flint. And befides, Mifs, they pay for their lodgings, as they are counted very good moufers, you know. Mifs Lin. True; but within doors, your manfion is capacious, and Flint. Capacious? yes, yes; capacious enough: You may ftretch your legs without croffing the threshold: Why, we go up and down ftairs to every room of the houfe. To be fure, at prefent, it is a little out of repair; not that it rains in (where the cafements are whole) at above five or fix places, at prefent. Mifs Lin. Your profpects are pleafing! Flint. From off the top of the leads; for why, I have boarded up most of the windows, in order to fave paying the tax. But to my thinking, our bed-chamber, Mifs, is the most pleasantest place in the house. Mifs Lin. Oh, Sir, you are very polite. Flint. No, Mifs, it is not for that; but you must know, Mifs, that there is a large bow-window facing the East, that does finely for drying of herbs: It is hung round with hatchments of all the folks that have died in the family; and then the pigeon-house is over our heads. Mifs Lin. The pigeon-house ? Flint. Yes; and there, every morning, we shall be be waked by day-break with their murmuring, cooing and courting, that will make it as fine as can be. Mifs Lin. Ravishing! Well, Sir, it must be confeffed, you have given me a moft bewitching picture of pastoral life: your place is a perfect Arcadia! But I am afraid half the charms are derived from the painter's flattering pencil. Flint. Not heightened a bit, as yourself fhall be judge. And then, as to company, Mifs, you may have plenty of that when you will; for we have as pretty a neighbourhood as a body can wifh. Mifs Lin. Really! Flint. There is the widow Kilderkin, that keeps the Adam and Eve at the end of the town, quite an agreeable body! indeed, the death of her husband has drove the poor woman to tipple a bit; farmer Dobbin's daughters, and Dr. Surplice, our curate, and wife, a vaft converfible woman, if he was not altogether fo deaf. Mifs Lin. A very fociable fet! Why, Sir, placed in this paradife, there is nothing left you to with. Flint. Yes, Mifs, but there is. Mif. Lin. Ay! what can that be? Flint. The very fame that our grandfather had; to have a beautiful Eve by my fide. Could I lead the lovely Linnet nothing loath to that bower -- Mifs Lin. Oh, excefs of gallantry! Flint. Would her fweet breath but deign to kindle, and blow up my hopes! Mifs Lin. Oh, Mr. Flint! I must not fuffer this, for your fake; a perfon of your importance and rank Flint. A young lady, Mifs, of your great me rit and beauty Mifs Lin. A gentleman fo accomplished and rich Flint. Whofe perfections are not only the talk of the Bath, but of Bristol, and the whole country round Mifs Lin. Oh, Mr. Flint, this is too much! Flint. Her goodness, her grace, her duty, her decency, her wifdom and wit, her fhape, flimnefs and fize, with her lovely black eyes, fo elegant, engaging, fo modeft, fo prudent, fo pious, and, if I am rightly informed, poffeffed of a fweet pretty pipe. of Mifs Lin. This is fuch a profufion Flint. Permit me, Mifs, to folicit a speciment your delicate talents. Mifs Lin. Why, Sir, as your extravagant compliments have left me nothing to say, I think the best thing I can do is to fing. SONG. The smiling morn, the breathing spring, And as they warble from each (pray, Love melts the univerfal lay, &c. Flint. Enchanting! ravishing founds! not the Nine Mufes themfelves, nor Mrs. Baddeley, is equal to you. Mifs Lin. Oh, fy! Flint. May I flatter myself that the words of that fong were directed to me? Mifs Lin. Should I make fuch a confeffion, I fhould ill deferve the character you have been pleased to bestow. Enter |