préjudices, and can see when a young fellow has fomething tolerable about him!

Hea. Sir, not to flatter you, I must declare, that it is from a knowledge of your friends and family that I have hopes of feeing you and this young lady happy. I will go directly to your uncle, and affure him that every thing goes on to our wishes.(Going.)

Mifs Har. Mr Heartly-Pray, Sir!

Hea. Poor Mifs Harriet, I fee your diftrefs, and am forry for it; but it must be got over, and the fooner the better.-Mr Clackit, my dear, will be glad of an opportunity to entertain you for the little time I fhall be abfent!-Poor Mifs Harriet! (Smiling.) [Exit Heartly.

Y. Cla. Allez, allez, Monfieur !-I'll anfwer for that. Well, Ma'am, I think every thing fucceeds to our wifhes. Be fincere, my adorable-Don't you think yourself a very happy young lady?

Mifs Har. I fhall be moft particularly obliged to you, Sir, if you would inform me what is the meaning-of all this.

:

r. Cla. Inform you, Mifs!-The matter, I believe, is pretty clear Our friends have understandingwe have affections and a marriage follows of courfe.

Mifs Har. Marriage, Sir! Pray what relation or particular connection is there between you and me, Sir?

r. Cla. I may be deceiv'd faith;-but upon my honour, I always fuppofed that there was a little fmattering of inclination between us.

Mifs Har. And have you spoke to my guardian upon this fuppofition, Sir?

r. Cla. And are you angry at it? I believe, not— (Smiling.) Come, come, I believe not.-'Tis delicate in you to be upon the reserve.

Mifs Har. Indeed, Sir, this behaviour of your's is moft extraordinary.

r. Cla. Come, come, my dear, don't carry this jeft too far, è troppo, è troppo mia Cariffima.—What the devil, when every thing is agreed upon, and uncles and guardians and fuch folks have given their confent, why continue the hypocrify?

Mifs Har. They may have confented for

you; but I am mistress of my affections, and will never difpofe of 'em by proxy.

2. Cla. Upon my foul, this is very droll: What! has not your guardian been here this moment, and expreffed all imaginable pleafure at our intended union?

Mifs Har. He is in an error, Sir:-And had I not been too much aftonished at your behaviour, I had undeceiv'd him long before now.

Y. Cla. (Humming a tune.) But, pray, Mifs, to return to business-What can be your intention in raifing all this confufion in the family, and oppofing your own inclinations?

Mifs Har. Oppofing my own inclinations, Sir?

r. Cla. Ay, oppofing your own inclinations, Madam.Do you know, child, if you carry on this farce any longer, I fhall begin to be a little angry? Mifs Har. I would wish it, Sir;– for be affur'd, that I never in my life had the leaft thought about

you.

r. Cla. Words, words, words

Mifs Har. 'Tis moft fincerely and literally true. r. Cla. Come, come, I know what I knowMifs Har. Don't make yourself ridiculous, Mr Clackit.

r. Cla. Don't make yourfelf miferable, Mifs Har

riet.

Mifs Har. I am only fo when you perfift to tor

ment me.

Y. Cla. (Smiling.) And you really believe that you don't love me?

Mifs Har. Pofitively not.

r. Cla. (Conceitedly.) And you are very fure now, that you hate me?

Mifs Har. Oh! moft cordially.

r. Cla. Poor young lady! I do pity you from my foul.

Mifs Har. Then why won't you leave me

Y. Cla.

"She never told her love,

?

"But let concealment, like a worm i' th' bud, "Feed on her damask cheek.”.

Takę warning, Mifs, when you once begin to pine in

thought,

thought, 'tis all over with you; and be affured, fince you are obftinately bent to give yourself airs, that, if you once fuffer me to leave this houfe in a pet-Do you mind me?-Not all your fighing, whining, fits, vapours, and hysterics, fhall ever move me to take the leaft compaffion on you Coute qui coute.

Enter Heartly and Sir Charles.

Sir Cha. I am overjoy'd to hear it :-There they are, the pretty doves! That is the age, neighbour Heartly, for happiness and pleasure.

Hea. I am willing, you fee, to lofe no time; which may convince you, Sir Charles, how proud I am of this alliance in our families.

Sir Cha. The thought of it rejoices me: Gad, I will fend for the fiddles, and take a dance myself, and a fig for the gout and rheumatism.- But hold, hold- The lovers, methinks, are a little out of humour with each other-What is the matter, Jack? Not pouting, fure, before your time.

r. Cla. A trifle, Sir

the lady will tell you

(Hums a tune.) Hea. You feem to be troubled, Harriet?What can this mean?

Mifs Har. You have been in an error, Sir, about me. I did not undeceive you, because I could not imagine that the confequences could have been so serious and fo fudden :-But I am now forced to tell you, that you have misunderstood me -That you have diftreffed me.

Hea. How, my dear?

Sir Cha. What do you fay, Mifs?

r. Cla. Mademoiselle is pleased to be out of humour, but I can't blame her; for, upon my honour, I think little coquetry becomes her.

Sir Cha. Ay, ay, ay—Oh, ho!—Is that all? These little fqualls feldom overfet the lover's boat, but drive it the faster to port-Ay, ay, ay

Hea. Don't be uneafy, my dear, that you have declared your paffion.-Be confiftent now, left you fhould be thought capricious.

r. Cla. Talk to her a little, Mr Heartly; fhe is a Vol. I.

B

fine

fine lady, and has many virtues, but she does not know the world.

Sir Cha. Come, come, you must be friends again, my children.

Mifs Har. I beg you will let me alone, Sir.

Hea. For heaven's fake, Mifs Harriet, explain this riddle to me.

Mifs Har. I cannot, Sir.-I have discovered the weakness of my heart-I have discovered it to you, Sir. But your unkind interpretations, and reproachful looks, convince me, that I have already faid but too much. [Exit. (Heartly muses.) Sir Cha. Well but hark'ye, nephew-This is going a little too far, -What have you done to her?

Hea. I never faw her fo much moved before!

r. Cla. Upon my foul, Gentlemen, I am as much furprised at it as you can be: The little bronillerie between us arose upon her perfifting that there was no paffion, no penchant, between us.

-There is a

Sir Che. I'll tell you what, Jackcertain kind of impudence about you, that I don't approve of; and were I a young girl, thofe coxcomical airs of your's would furfeit me.

r. Cla. But as the young ladies are not quite fo fqueamish as you, uncle, I fancy they will choose me as I am. Ha ha!-But what can the lady object to? I have offered to marry her; is not that a proof fufficient that I like her? A young fellow must have some affection that will go fuch lengths to indulge it. Ha! ha!

Sir Cha. Why really, friend Heartly, I don't fee how a young man can well do more, or a lady defire more.What fay you, neighbour?

Hea. Upon my word, I am puzzled about it. My thoughts upon the matter are fo various, and fo confufed-Every thing I fee and hear is fo contradictoryis fo- -She certainly cannot like any body

elfe?

r. Cla. No, no, I'll anfwer for that

Hea. Or fhe may be fearful then, that your paffion for her is not fincere, or, like other young men of the times, you may grow careless upon marriage and neglect her.

r. Cla.

Y. Cla. Ha! Egad you have hit it; nothing but a little natural delicate fenfibility (Hums a tune.)

Hea. If fo, perhaps the violence of her reproaches may proceed from the lukewarmness of your profeffions. r. Cla. Je vous demande pardon- I have fworn to her a hundred and a hundred times, that she should be the happiest of her fex.-But there is nothing furprifing in all this; it is the mifery of an overfond heart, to be always doubtful of its happiness.

Hea. And if fhe marries thee, I fear that she'll be kept in a state of doubt as long as fhe lives. (Half afide.) Enter Lucy.

Luc. Pray, Gentlemen, what is the matter among you? And which of you has affronted my mistress? She is in a moft prodigious taking yonder, and the vows to return into the country again- I can get nothing but fighs from her.

r. Cla. Poor thing!

Luc. Poor thing! The devil take this love, I sayThere's more rout about it than 'tis worth.

Y. Cla. I beg your pardon for that, Mrs Abigail. Hea. I muft inquire further into this; her behaviour is too particular for me not to be disturbed at it.

Luc. She defires, with the leave of these gentlemen, that, when she has recover'd herself, fhe may talk with you alone, Sir. (To Heartly).

Hea. I fhall with pleasure attend her. [Exit Lucy. Y. Ela. Divin Bacchus: La, la, la! (Sings.) Sir Cha. I would give, old as I am, a leg or an arm to be belov'd by that fweet creature as you are, Jack!

r. Cla. And throw your gout and rheumatism into the bargain, uncle ?-Ha, ha! Divin Bacchus. La, la, la, &c. (Sings.)

Sir Cha. What the plague are you quavering at? Thou haft no more feeling for thy happiness than my ftick here.

Y. Cla. I beg your pardon for that, my dear uncle. (Takes out a pocket looking-glass.) Sir Cha. I wonder what the devil is come to the young fellows of this age, neighbour Heartly?-Why, a fine woman has no effect upon 'em.. Is there no

B. 2

method