That dowdy your fenfes alarming,
Proves what a blind thing is a lover.
I'll quit the dull plains for the city,
Where beauty is follow'd by merit :
Your tafte, fimple Damon, I pity;

Your wit who would wish to inherit ?
Perhaps you may think you perplex me,
And that I my anger wou'd fmother;
The lofs of one lover can't vex me,

My charms will procure me another.
I ne'er was more pleas'd, I affure you ;
How odious they look, I can't bear 'em!
I wish you much joy of your fury,
My rage into pieces could tear 'em.

SCENE the laft. DAMON.

To thee, kind nymph, as to offended heav'n,
I own my faults, and fue to be forgiv❜n;
Then, gentle Laura, clear my paft offence,
Repentance is ally'd to innocence.

LAURA.

Think not a rigid judge your faults arraigns,
My tender bofom feels for all your pains;
In thofe fad hours, when to the fecret grove
I told my pangs of inaufpicious love,
My only pray'r was once again to fee
The lovely author of my mifery,

Again to clasp him to my beating breast ;

[Exit,

The gods have heard my vows, and Laura's bleft.

DAMON.~

AIR.

Contented all day, I will fit at your fide,

Where poplars far-ftretching o'er-arch the cool tide; And while the clear river runs purling along,

"The thrush and the linnet contend in their fong.

LAURA.

While you are but by me, no danger I fear.
Ye lambs reft in fafety, my Damon is near;
Bound on, ye blyth kids, now your gambols may please;
For my fhepherd is kind, and my heart is at eafe.

DA

DAMON.

Ye virgins of Britain, bright rivals of day,

The wish of each heart, and the theme of each lay;
Ne'er yield to the swain, 'till he make you a wife;
For he who loves truly, will take you for life.

LAURA.

Ye youths, who fear nought but the frowns of the fair, 'Tis yours to relieve, not to add to their care; Then fcorn to their ruin affiftance to lend,

Nor betray the sweet creatures you're born to defend.
Вотн.

For their honour and faith be our virgins renown'd,
Nor falfe to his vows one young fhepherd be found;
Be their moments all guided by virtue and truth,
To preferve in their age what they gain'd in their youth.

Written by a FRIEND.

100 long has Farce, neglecting Nature's laws,
Debas' the ftage, and wrong d the comic caufe;

To raise a laugh has been her fole pretence,
Tho' dearly purchas'd at the price of fenfe.
This child of folly gain'd increase with time:
Fit for the place, fucceeded Pantomime;
Reviv'd her honours, join'd her motley band,
And fong and low conceit o'er-ran the land.

More gen'rous views inform our author's breast;
From real life his characters are dreft.

He

He feeks to trace the paffions of mankind;
And while he fpares the perfon, paints the mind.
In pleasing contrast he attempts to show
The vap'ring bully, and the fribbling beau :
Cowards alike; that full of martial airs,
And this as tender as the filk he wears.
Proud to divert, not anxious for renown,
Oft has the bard effay'd to please the town.
Your full applaufe out-paid his little art;
He boasts no merit, but a grateful heart.
Pronounce your doom, he'll patiently fubmit,
Ye fovereign judges of all works of wit!
To you the ore is brought, a lifeless mafs;
You give the ftamp, and then the coin may pafs.
Now whether judgment prompt you to forgive,.
Whether you bid this trifling offspring live,
Or with a frown fhould fend the fickly thing
To fleep whole ages under dulnefs' wing;
To your known candour we will always truft,
You never were, nor can you be, unjust.

T

A C T I.

SCENE, A Street. »

Enter Captain LOVEIT and PUFF.
CAPTAIN.

HIS is the place we were directed to; and now, Puff, if I can get no intelligence of her, what will become of me?

Puff. And me too, Sir-You must confider I am a marry'd man, and can't bear fatigue as I have done.-But pray, Sir, why did you leave the army fo abruptly, and not give me time to fill my knapsack with common neceffaries? Half a dozen fhirts, and your regimentals, are my whole cargo.

Capt. I was wild to get away; and as foon as I obtained my leave of abfence, I thought every moment an age till I return'd to the place where I first faw this young, charming, innocent, bewitching creature.

Puff. With fifteen thousand pounds for her fortuneftrong motives, I muft confefs. And now, Sir, as you are pleafed to fay you muft depend upon my care and abilities in this affair, I think I have a juft right to..

Ff 3

be

be acquainted with the particulars of your paffion, that I may be the better enabled to ferve you.

Capt. You fhall have 'em.

When I left the univerfity, which is now seven months fince, my father, who loves his money better than his fon, and would ⚫ not fettle a farthing upon me

• Puff. Mine did fo by me, Sir

Capt. Purchas'd me a pair of colours at my own request; but before I join'd the regiment, which was going abroad, I took a ramble into the country with a fellow collegian, to fee a relation of his who lived in Berkshire.

• Puff.

-A party of pleasure, I fuppose.

Capt. During a short stay there, I came acquainted with this young creature: fhe was just come from the • boarding-school; and tho' fhe had all the fimplicity of of her age and the country, yet it was mx'd with fuch fenfible vivacity, that I took fire at once. But pray,

Puff. I was tinder myself at your age.

• Sir, did

་

you take fire before you knew of her fortune? Capt. Before, upon my honour.

Puff. Folly and conftitution-But on, Sir.'

Capt. I was introduced to the family by the name of Rhodophil, (for fo my companion and I had fettled it :) at the end of three weeks I was obliged to attend the call of honour in Flanders; but

• Puff. Your parting, to be fure, was heart-breaking. "Capt. I feel it at this inftant. We vow'd eternal conftancy, and I promis'd to take the first opportunity of returning to her. I did fo: but we found the • house was fhut up; and all the information, you know, that we could get from the neighbouring cottage was, that mifs and her aunt were remov'd to town, and liv'd • fomewhere near this part of it.

Puff. And now we are got to the place of action, ⚫ propose your plan of operation.

Capt. My father lives in the next ftreet, so I must decamp immediately for fear of discoveries: you are not known to be my fervant; fo make what inquiries you can in the neighbourhood, and I fall wait at the inn for your intelligence.

Puff.