the charge in Zelida's letter, of your having driven her away; it is plain by your own confeffion of advising her to marry me, that he has been tamper'd with: perhaps you have not in direct, in pofitive words, folicited her affection; but there is an infidious fmoothness of beha viour, a cunning male coquetry, which is more perfuafive with an innocent mind than all the ftudied modes of verbal folicitation. Brown. Yet hear me. Ormf, I'll hear no more, Sir; come along with me. Brown. When you confider my obligations to youOrmf. They aggravate the injury. Brown. But they prevent me from drawing my fword against you, and I will not attend you. Orm. I'll brand you as a coward to the whole world. Brown. What will the good opinion of the whole world fignify, if I lofe my own? Ormf. Draw here, Sir, Brown. Nay, to defend my life (Draws. Enter Sir Hector, Zelida, Lady Di, and Orfon. Sir Heat. Hey! what the devil latitude are we in here? Ormf. My dearest Zelida! Zel. O, there's my hand, Colonel Ormsby-You must not kill your best, your truest friend. Brown. To what are we indebted for this happy revolution? Lady Di. Sir Hector will tell you, brother, when you are reconcil'd to the Colonel. Brown. That, Madam, is eafily done.-I fincerely give you joy, my dear Ormsby. Ormf. Brownlow, I feel moft fenfibly the unworthinefs of my conduct. I feel alfo how wretched I must have been to lose your friendship; can you, indeed, forgive me, and impute all my madness to the excess of love?. my Sir Hec. Poh man, of what use is friendship, if it does not teach us to forgive one another's tumbling on the sea of abfurdity? Zel. Mr. Brownlow, befides, knows what it is to be himself in love. Brown. I do, indeed, madam-know it defpairingly. Lady. Lady Di. Lord, brother, and never confult me? Sir Hec. You, you puppy.-Well, Madam, (To Zekida) I hope you will now give me leave to falute you as Mrs. Ormfby. Enter Buffora abruptly. Buf. O, heaven he forbid ! Brown. Why fo, my honest fellow ? Buf. Matter him enough. Lady no like Zel. Buffora, retire this moment. Ormf. Permit him, Madam, to ftay; for his inteMigence leads to a subject, upon which I was going to requeft your explanation. Brown. Why, Buffora, you are out of your fenfes. Sir Hec. Zounds, no interruption-We feem doubling the cape of a discovery here. Ormf. Buffora, your lady, I much fear, has, from motives of generofity, honour'd me with her hand against the inclination of her heart. Buf. O, fool fo great as I fee that or why the run away from you ? Zel. This madman will betray all! Brown. But you fee your lady is come back, you blockhead. Buf. Yes, the come for fear of you fight with Colo nel. Sir Hec. The wind is fhifted here with a witness. Orf. And blows fresh against the Colonel, father. Ormf. My happiness, no less than my honour, is concerned in this information. Buf. O, if one of two, he must be unhappy-me rather you unhappy great deal than lady. Ormf. Zelida, you are fincerity itself, and you don't contradict Buffora. Zel. One cannot force one's inclinations. Ormf. I know it too fenfibly. Lady Di. But if a lady is ready to marry, can a gentleman require ? what more Zel. O! I am ready to marry Colonel Ormby. Ormf. Ah, Zelida! paffionately as I admire you, nei ther "ther my pride nor my reafon can allow me to accept of your hand, if I am not in poffeffion of your heart. Zel. How happy do you make me-O, Mr. Brownlow, did I not fay, when you advis'd me this morning to marry the Colonel, that he wou'd nobly despise a reluctant heart? Ormf. My dear Brownlow, this is an unexpected ftroke. Orf. Never mind it, Colonel; I'll marry her myself, with father's confent, if fhe'll lie up in harbour till I come of age. Sir Hec. Damme, so you shall boy, if she'll only turn Proteftant. Buf. Dear lady, make uneafinefs him all end here. Buf. I mean that you should no blush to be happy Christian, if him can make lady happy; here him is you .know. [Pointing to Brownlow. Zel. Buffora never fee me more- -O Lady Di! Lady Di. My own feelings to a title, at the first difcovery of my affections for that dear deluder there. Sir Hec. Me a deluder? Ormf. Then we have fuftain'd a fresh misfortune, Brownlow-It would have been fome comfort to have feen Zelida yours, fince I must refign her for ever: but you are pre-engag'd, and my poor girl, like myfelf, is difappointed in the firft fearch of her heart. Brown. No, Ormfby, we have fuftained no new miffortune, if Buffora is right in his conjectures; for after fuch uncommon generofity on your part, I need not hefitate to own that this angelic creature is the only object of my affections. Zel. Heavens! is it poffible! Sir Hec. Zounds, will the wind never have done shifting? Ormf. I wou'd offer no violence to Zelida's inclination Speak, my fweeteft girl. Zel. I cannot speak. Buf. Oh lady, do not fear to tell true. Brown. My lovely Zelida, look up. Zel. Your affections are plac'd upon another. Brown. It was neceffary to make you think fo, before I knew the peculiar noblenefs of Ormíby's fentiments. VOL. V. P Sir Sir Hec. Come, come, don't let us wafte powder in idle falutes. Zel. I am overwhelm'd with diftrefs. Brown. and you ftill perfift in faying no to my folicitation ? Zel. What would you have me say? Brown. I'd have you fay yes. Zel. Why, no often means yes among the ladies of England, does it not? Brown. Bewitching creature? thus let me thank you. (Kiffing her hand.) Ormf. 'Tis my turn to wish you joy, Brownlow; and I do it most heartily. Sir Hec. So do we all-This is a glorious voyage, indeed. Orf. And the fhip, may be paid off, father, for there feems to be end on the fervice. Lady Di. My dearest fifter! (Salutes Zelida.) this is a fuperlative bleffing-and I believe there are not two fuch women as ourselves in any one house of this kingdom. Zel. O, madam, I am too happy-But, Buffora, my faithful Buffora. Buf. will you never fee me more now, lady? Zel. Mr. Brownlow, Colonel Ormsby, we are all in- ! debted to my good Buffora, and must all think of methods to reward him. Buf. I am too reward in fee you happy, lady. And Gentoo, you know, he fcorn any other reward than him own feelings, for behave like honeft man. Zel. What must I feel on this occafion, then? My joy is fo exceffive, I think the whole a dream; yet if this company is but pleased, my dream will last for ever. [Exeunt Omnes. |