there's few people alive who can remember what you did then.

Mrs Pen. How! gillflirt! none of your fleers! I am glad here's a husband coming that will take you down ÷ Your tantrums! You are grown too headstrong and robuft for me.

Suck. Gad, I believe you would be glad to be taken down the fame way!

Mrs Pen. Oh! you are a pert-But fee, your lover approaches. Now Sukey, be careful, child: None of your

Enter Jenkins as Sir Gregory, and Hartop as Tim. Jenk. Lack-a-day, lady! I rejoice to fee you! wonderful! and your niece! Tim, the ladies.

Har. Your fervant, Miftrefs! I am glad to fee you, Mifs Suck. (Salutes her.) Fath and fole, Mistress Suck's a fine young woman, more or lefs!

Suck. Yes, I am well enough, I believe.

Jenk. But, lady, where's my brother Trifle? where is Sir Penurious?

Suck. Father's at home, in expectation of you; and : aunt and I be come to town to make preparations.

Jenk. Ay! wonderful! Pray, lady, fhall I, good now! crave a word in private? Tim, will you and your fweetheart draw back a little?

Har. Yes, father: Come, Mifs, will you jog a tiny bit this way?

Suck. With all my heart...

Jenk. There is, lady, a wonderful affair has happen'd, good now! Son Tim has fallen in love with a young woman at his uncle's, and 'tis partly to prevent bad confequences, that I am, lack-a day! fo hafty to match him and one of my men, good now, tells me that he has seen the wench fince we have been in town; the has follow'd us here, fure as a gun, lady! If Tim fees the girl, he'll never marry your niece.

:

Mrs Pen. It is indeed, Sir Gregory Gazette, a moft critical conjuncture, and requires the moft mature deliberation.

Fenk. -Deliberation! lack-a-day, lady, whilft we deliberate the boy will be loft.

Mrs

Mrs Pen. Why, Sir Gregory Gazette,, what opera tions can we determine upon?

Fenk. Lack-a-day! I know but one.

Mrs Pen. Adminifter your propofition, Sir Gregory Gazette: you will have my concurrence, Sir, in any thing that does not derogate from the regulations of conduct; for it would be moft prepofterous in one of my character, to deviate from the ftricteft attention.

Fenk. Lack-a-day, lady, no fuch matter is wanted. But, good now! could not we tack the young couple together directly your brother and I have already agreed.

Mrs Pen. Are the previous preliminaries fettled, Sir Gregory Gazette ?

Fenk. Good now! as firm as a rock, lady.

Mrs Pen. Why, then, to preferve your fon, and accomplish the union between our families, I have no objections to the acceleration of their nuptials, provided the child is inclined, and a minister may be procur❜d.

Jenk. Wonderful! you are very good, good now! there has been one match already in the houfe to-day; we may have the fame parfon. Here! Tim! and young gentlewoman!-Well, Mifs! wonderful, and how? has Tim? hey, boy! Is not miss a fine young lady?

Har. Fath and fole, father, mifs is a charming young woman; all red and white, like Mally-Hum!

Jenk. Hufh, Tim! Well, and Mifs, how does my. boy? he's an honeft hearty lad! Has he, good now! had the art? How d' ye like him, young gentlewoman? Suck. Liken? well enough, I think.

Fenk. Why, then, Mifs, with your leave, your aunt and I here have agreed, if you are willing, to have the wedding over directly.

Suck. Gad! with all my heart. Afk the young man. Har. Fath and fole, juft as you pleafe; to-day, tomorrow, or when you will, more or lefs.

Fenk. Good now, good now! then get you in there, there you will find one to do your bufinefs: wonderful !* matters will foon be managed within. Well, lady, this was good now, fo kind! Lack-a-day! I verily believe if dame Winny was dead, that I should be glad to lead up fuch another dance with you, lady.

Mrs Pen. You are, Sir, fomething too precipitate: Nor would there, did circumftances concur, as you infinuate, be fo abfolute a certitude, that I, who have rejected fo many matches, fhould instantaneously fuccumb.

Jenk. Lack-a-day, lady, good now! I

Mrs Pen. No, Sir; I would have you inftructed, that had not Penelope Trifle made irrefragable refolutions, fhe need not fo long have preferved her family fur

name.

Jenk. Wonderful! why, I was only

Mrs Pen. Nor has the title of Lady Gazette fuch refplendent charms, or fuch bewitching allurements, as to throw me at once into the arms of Sir Gregory. Jenk. Good now! who fays

Mrs Pen. Could wealth, beauty, or titles fuperior to perhaps

Enter Sir Gregory, Roger, and Tim.

Tim. Yes, indeed, father; Mr Hartop knew on't as well as I, and Mr Jenkins got us a parfon.

Sir Greg. Good now, good now! a rare couple of friends! But I'll be even with them! I'll marr their market! Mafter Jenkins, you have fobb'd me finely.

Fenk. Lack-a-day, what's the matter now?

Sir Greg. Come, come, none of your lack-a-days! none of your gambols, nor your tricks to me: Good now, good now! give me my cloaths! here, take your tawdry trappings. I have found you out at laft: I'll be no longer your property.

Jenk. Wonderful! what's all this, lady? Good now, good now! what's here? a stage-play?

Sir Greg. Play me no plays; but give me my wig! and your precious friend my loving coufin, (pize on the kindred), let'n

Jenk. Good now, good now! what are these folks? as fure as a gun, they're mad.

Sir Greg. Mad! no, no; we are neither mad nor fools: no thanks to you, tho'.

Mrs Pen. What is all this? can you unravel this perplexity, untwine this mystery, Sir Gregory Gazette? Sir Greg. He Sir Gregory Gazette? Lack-a-day,

lady!

lady! you are trick'd, impofed upon, bamboozled : Good now, good now! 'tis I am Sir Gregory Gazette. Mrs Pen. How!

Tim. Fath and fole, 'tis true, mistress; and I am hie son Tim, and will fwear it.

Mrs Pen. Why, isn't Mr Timothy Gazette with my niece Susannah Trifle?

Tim. Who, me? Lord, no, 'tis none of I, it is coufin Hartop in my cloaths.

Mrs Pen. What's this? and pray, who

Jenk. Why, as I fee the affair is concluded, you may, Madam, call me Jenkins. Come, Hartop, you may now throw off your disguise; the knight had like to have embarraffed us.

Mrs Pen. How, Mr Jenkins! and would you, Sir,, participate of a plot to

Har. Madam, in the iffue, your family will, I hope, have no great reafon to repent. I always had the greateft veneration for Mifs Penelope Trifle's understanding; the highest esteem! for her virtues can intitle me to the honour of being regarded as her relation.

Mrs Pen. Sir, I fhall determine on nothing, 'till I am apprifed of my brother's refolution.

Har. For that we must wait. Sir Gregory, I must

intreat you and your fon's pardon for fome little liberties

I have taken with you both. Mr Jenkins, I have the highest obligation to your friendship; and, Mifs, when we become a little better acquainted, I flatter myself the change will not prove unpleafing.

Suck. I know nothing at all about it..

Har. Sir Gregory, we fhall. have your company at dinner?

Sir Greg. Lack a-day, no, no, that boy has fpoil'd my ftomachCome, Tim, fetch thy rib, and let us be jogging towards Wales; but how thou wilt get off with thy mother

Tim. Never fear, father

Since you have been pleas'd our nuptial-knot to bless,
We shall be happy all our lives-more or lefs-

PRO OLOGU E.

HE deuce is in him! What the deuce

THE

(I hear you cry) can that produce?
What does it mean? what can it be?
A little patience- -and you'll fee.
Behold, to keep your minds uncertain,
Between the scene and you this curtain!
So writers hide their plots, no doubt,
To please the more when all comes out!
Of old the Prologue told the story,
And laid the whole affair before ye;
Came forth in fimple phrafe to say,
"'Fore the beginning of the play
"I, hapless Polydore, was found
"By fishermen, or others, drown'd!

" Or

The lines marked with turned commas, are taken from a poem called Shakespeare, an epiftle to Mr Garrick, See Lloyd's Poems, p. 57.