day, General but nothing in my power fhall be wanting, to make him happy.

Gen. Obliging loveliness!

Miss Wal. You may imagine, that if I had not been previously impreft in favor of your propofal, it would not have met my concurrence fo readily.

Gen. Then you own I had a previous friend in the garrifon.

Miss Wal. I don't blush to acknowledge it, Sir, when I confider the accomplishments of the object.

Gen. O this is too much, Madam: the principal merit of the object is his paffion for Mifs Walfingham.

Miss Wal. Don't fay that, General, I beg of you; for I don't think there are many women in the kingdom, who could behold him with indifference.

Gen. Ah, you flattering angel! and yet by the memory of Marlborough, my lovely girl, it was the idea of a prepoffeffion on your part, which encouraged me to hope for a favorable reception.

Miss Wal. Then I must have been very indifcreet, for I labored to conceal that prepoffeffion as much as poffible. Gen. You could not conceal it from me; the female heart is a field I am thoroughly acquainted with.

Miss Wal. I doubt not your knowledge of the female heart, General; but as we now underftand one another fo perfectly, you will give me leave to retire.

Gen. One word, my dear creature, and no more; I fhall wait on you fome time to day about the neceffary settle

ment.

Miss Wal. You must do as you pleafe, General; you are invincible in every thing.

Gen. And if you pleafe we will keep every thing a profound fecret, till the articles are all fettled, and the definitive treaty ready for execution.

Miss Wal. You may be fure that delicacy will not fuffer me to be communicative on the fubject, Sir.

Gen. Then you leave every thing to my management. Miss Wal. I can't trust a more noble negociator. [goes out. Gen. The day is my own, (sings) Britons ftrike home" : firike home.

Scene between General SAVAGE, Captain' SAVAGE, Mi WALSINGHAM, and TORRINGTON, a Lawyer ; in which the General discovers bis mistake.

Captain Sav. NAY, but my dearest Mifs Walfingham,

the extenuation of my conduct to Belville made it abfolutely neceffary for me to difcover my en gagements with you; and as happiness is now fo fortunate, ly in our reach, I flatter myfelf that you will be prevailed upon to forgive an error which proceeded only from extravagance of love.

Miss Wal. To think me capable of fuch an action, Cap. tain Savage! I am terrified at the idea of an union with you; and it is better for a woman at any time to facrifice an infolent lover, than to accept of a fufpicious husband.

Capt. In the happieft union, my deareft creature, there must always be fomething to overlook on both fides. Miss Wal. Very civil, truly.

Capt. Pardon me, my life, for this franknefs: and recollect, that if the lover has through. mifconception, been unhappily guilty, he brings a husband altogether reformed to your hands.

Miss Wal. Well, I fee I muft forgive you at laft: fo I may as well make a merit of neceffity, you provoking

creature.

Capt. And may I indeed hope for the bleffing of this hand?

Miss Wal. Why you wretch, would you have me force it upon you? I think after what I have faid, a foldier might venture to take it without further ceremony.

Capt. Angelic creature! thus I feize it, as my lawful prize.

Miss Wal. Well, but now you have obtained this inef timable prize, Captain, give nie leave again to ask if you have had a certain explanation with the General ?

Capt. How can you doubt it?

Miss Wal. And is he really impatient for our marriage? Capt. 'Tis incredible how earnest he is.

Miss Wal. What! did he tell you of his interview with me this evening, when he brought Mr. Torrington ? Capt. He did.

Miss Wal. O, then I can have no doubt.

Capt. I a fhadow of doubt remains, here he comes to remove it. Joy, my dear Sir, joy a thoufand times!

Enter General SAVAGE and TORRINGTON.

Gen. What, my dear boy, have you carried the day? Miss Wal. I have been weak enough to indulge him with a victory, indeed, General.

Gen. Fortune favors the brave, Torrington.

Tor. I congratulate you heartily on this decree, Gen

eral.

Gen. This had nearly proved a day of difappointinent, but the ftars have fortunately turned it in any favor, and now I reap the rich reward of my victory.

Capt. And here I take her from you as the greatest good which heaven can fend me.

Miss Wal. O Captain!

4

Gen. You take her as the greatest good which heaven can fend you, Sirrah? I take her as the greatest good which heaven can fend me and now what have you to fay to her ?

Miss Wal. General Savage!

Tor. Here will be fresh injunction to ftop proceedings. Miss Wal. Are we never to have done with mistakes? Gen. What mistakes can have happened now, fweeteft, you delivered up your dear hand this moment!

Miss Wal. True, Sir, but I thought you were going to beltow dear hand upon this dear gentleman.

Gen. How that dear gentleman!

Capt. I am thunderstruck!

Tor. Fortune favors the brave, General, none but the brave-Laug bingly.

Gen. So the covert way is cleared at laft

; and you have all along imagined that I was negociating for this fellow, when I was gravely foliciting for myself.

Miss Wal. No other idea, Sir, ever entered my imagination.

Tor. General, noble minds should never defpair.

[Laughingly.

Gen. Well, my hopes are all blown up to the moon at once, and I shall be the laughing ftock of the whole

town.

T

WHE

Scene between Mrs. BELVILLE, Mifs WALSINGHAM, and Lady RACHEL MILDEW.- -On DUELLING. Mrs. Belv. YHERE is the generofity, where is the [alone. fenfe, where is the fhame of men, to find pleafures in purfuits which they cannot remember without the deepest horror: which they cannot follow without the meanest fraud and which they cannot effe&t without confequences the most dreadful? The greatest triumph which a libertine can experience is too defpicable to be envied: 'tis at beft nothing but a victory over humanity and if he is a husband, he must be undoubtedly tortured on the wheel of recollection.

:

Enter Mifs WALSINGHAM and Lady RACHEL MILDEW. Miss Wal. My dear Mrs. Belville, I am extremely unhappy to fee you fo diftrefied.

Lkdy Rach. Now I am extremely glad to fee her fo ; for if the were not greatly diftreffed, it would be monftrcufAy unnatural.

Mrs. Bel. O Matilda ! my husband my children!

Miss Wal. Don't weep, my dear! don't weep! pray be comforted, all may end happily. Lady Rachel, beg of her not to cry fo.

Lady Rach. Why, you are crying yourfelf, Mifs Walfingham. And though I think it cut of character to encourage her tears, I cannot help keeping you company.

Mrs. Bel. O, why is not fome effectual method contrived to prevent this horrible practice of duelling ?

Lady Rach. I'll expofe it on the ftage, fince the law now a days kindly leaves the whole cognizance of it to the theatre.

Miss Wal. And yet, if the laws against it, were as well enforced as the laws againil deftroying the game, perhaps it would be equally for the benefit of the kingdom.

Mrs. Bel. No law will ever be effeQual till the cuffom is rendered infamous. Wives muft fhriek! mothers muft agonize; orphans must be multiplied! unless fome bleffed hand trip the fafcinating glare from honorable murder, and bravely expofe the idol who is worshiped thus in blood. While it is difreputable to obey the jaws, we cannot look for reformation. But if the duelift is once banished from the prefence of his fovereign, if he is fer life excluded the confidence of his country; F

a mark of indelible difgrace is ftamped upon him, the word of public juftice will be the fole chaftifer of wrongs: trifles will not be punished with death, and offences really meriting fach a punishment will be referved for the only proper revenge, the common executioner.

Lady Rach. I could not have expreffed myfelf better on this fubject, my dear; but till fuch a hand as you talk of, is found, the best will fall into error of the times.

Miss Wal. Yes, and butcher each other like madinen, for fear their courage should be fufpected by fools.

Sir Har.

Colonel RIVERS and Sir HARRY.

COLO

WOLONEL, your moft obedient: I am come upon the old bufinefs: for unless I am atlowed to entertain hopes of Miss Rivers, I fhall be the most miferable of all human beings.

Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you perfonally, I cannot liften to your propofals. Sir Har. No, Sir?

Riv. No, Sir; I have promifed my daughter to Mr. Sidney: do you know that, Sir ?

Sir Har. I do; but what then? Engagements of this kind you know

Riv. So then, you know I have promifed her to Mr. Sid

ney ?

Sir Hir. I do, but I alfo know that matters are not finally fettled between Mr. Sidney & you; and I moreover know that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, thereforeRiv. Sir Harry, let me ask you one question before you make your confe fequence.

Sir Har. A thoufand if your pleafe, Sir.

Riv. Why then, Sir, let me ask you, what you have ever obferved in me, or my conduct, that you defire me fo familiarly to break my word? I thought, Sir, you confidered me as a man of honor.

Sir Har. And fo I do, Sir, a man of the niceft honor.

Riv. And yet, Sir, you ask me to violate the fanctity of my word; and tell me directly, that it is my interest to be a rafcal.

Sir Har. I really don't understand you, Colonel : Isthot I was talking to a man who knew the world; and as you have not figned