Spoken by Mrs CLIVE.

AS when fome ancient, hofpitable feat,

Where plenty oft has giv'n the jovial treat,

Where in full bowls each welcome guest has drown'd
Il forrowing thought, while mirth and joy went round;

E

Is by fome worthless wanton beir deftroy'd,
Its once full rooms grown a deferted void:

With fighs, each neighbour views the mournful place ;
With fighs, each recollects what once it was.

So does our wretched theatre appear;

away.

For mirth and joy once kept their revels here.
Here the beau-monde in crowds repair'd each day,
And went well pleas'd and entertain'd
While Oldfield bere bath charm'd the lift'ning age,
And Wilks adorn'd, and Booth bath fill'd the fiage;
Soft eunuchs warbled in fuccessful firain,
And tumblers fhow'd their little tricks in vain:
Thofe boxes fill the brighter circles were,
Triumphant toafts receiv'd their homage there.
But now, alas! how alter'd is our cafe!
I view with tears this poor deferted place;
None to our boxes now in pity fray,

But poets free o' th' house and beaux who never pay.
No longer now we fee our crowded door

Send the late comer back again at four.

At feven now into our empty pit

Drops from bis counter fome old prudent cit,
Contented with twelve pennyworth of wit.

Our author, of a gen'rous foul poffefs'd,
Hath kindly aim'd to fuccour the diftrefs'd:
To-night what he fall offer in our cause
Already bath been bleft with your applause;
Tet this bis mufe, maturer, bath revis'd,

And added more to that which once fo much you priz'd.
We fue, not mean to make a partial friend;
But without prejudice at least attend.
If we are dull, e'en cenfure; but we truft
Satire can ne'er difpleafe you when 'tis juft:
Nor can we fear a brave, a gen'rous town
Will join to crub us, when we're almost down.

ACT I.

SCENE, Covent-Garden.

Mrs HIGHMAN, LETTICE.

Mrs HIGHMAN.

H! Mrs Lettice; is it you? I am extremely glad to fee you; you are the very perfon I would meet. Let. I am much at your fervice, Madam.

Mrs High. Oh, Madam, I know very well that; and at every one's fervice, I dare fwear, that will pay for it:

but

but all the fervice, Madam, that I have for you, is to carry a meffage to your mafter-I defire, Madam, that you would tell him from me, that he is a very great villain; and that I intreat him never to come near my doors -for if I find him within 'em, I will turn my niece out of them.

Let. Truly, Madam, you must fend this by another meffenger-But, pray, what has my master done, to deferve it fhould be fent at all?

Mrs High. He has done nothing yet, I believe ;—I thank heaven, and my own prudence; but I know what he wou'd do.

Let. He wou'd do nothing but what becomes a gen tleman, I am confident.

Mrs High. Oh! I dare fwear, Madam; debauching a young lady is acting like a very fine gentleman: but I hall keep my niece out of the hands of fuch fine gentle

men.

Let. You wrong my mafter, Madam, cruelly: I know his defigns on your neice are honourable.

Mrs High. You know!

Let. Yes, Madam; no one knows my master's heart better than I do: I am fure, were his defigns otherwise, I would not be acceffary to 'em; I love your niece too much, Madam, to carry on an amour in which she shou'd be a lofer: but as I know that my mafter is heartily in love with her, and that he is heartily in love with my master, and as I am certain they will be a very happy couple, I will not leave one ftone unturn'd to bring 'em together.

Mrs High. Rare impudence! Huffy, I have another match for her, the thall marry Mr Oldcastle.

Let. Oh!-then I find it is you that have a dishonourable defign on your niece.

Mrs High. How? faucinefs!

Let. Yes, Madam, marrying a young lady, who is in love with a young fellow, to an old one whom the hates, is the fureft way to bring about I know what, that can poffibly be taken.

AIR I. Soldier Laddie.

When a virgin in love with a brisk jolly lad,
You match to a spark more fit for her dad,

Tis

'Tis as pure, and as fure, and fecure as a gun,
The
young lover's business is happily done:
Tho' it feems to her arms he takes the

Yet my life for a farthing,

The young

Pursuing
His wooing,

wrong rout,

fellow finds, tho' he go round about, 'Tis only to come

The nearest way home.

Mrs High. I can bear this no longer. I wou'd advise you, Madam, and your mafter both, to keep from my houfe, or I fhall take meafures you won't like.

[Exit. Let. I defy you: we have the strongest party: and I warrant we'll get the better of you. But here comes the young lady herself.

Enter Charlotte. Char. So, Mrs Lettice!

Let. 'Tis pity you had not come a little fooner, Ma dam; your aunt is but just gone, and has left pofitive orders that you should make more frequent vifits at our houfe.

Char. Indeed!

Let. Yes, Madam; for fhe has forbid my mafter ever vifiting at yours, and I know it will be impoffible for you to live without feeing him.

Char. I affure you! Do you think me fo fond then? Let. Do I know you are; you love nothing elfe, think of nothing else all day; and, if you will confess the truth, I dare lay a wager that you dream of nothing else all night.

Char. Then, to fhow you, Madam, how well you know me--the devil take me-if you are not in the right.

Let. Ah! Madam, to a woman practis'd in love, like me, there's no occafion for confeffion;-for my part, I don't want words to affure me of what the eyes tell me. Oh! if the lovers would but confult the eyes of their mis ftreffes, we fhou'd not have fuch fighing, languishing, and defpairing as we have.

AIR II. Bush of Boon.

What need he trust your words precife,
Your foft defires denying;

When

When, oh! he reads within your eyes
Your tender heart complying.

Your tongue may cheat,

And with deceit
Your fofter wishes cover;
But oh! your eyes
Know no difguife,

Nor ever cheat your lover.
Enter Valentine.

Val. My deareft Charlotte! this is meeting my wishes indeed; for I was coming to wait on you.

Let. 'Tis very lucky that you do meet her here, for her houfe is forbidden ground; you have seen the last of that, Mrs Highman fwears.

Val. Ha! not go where my dear Charlotte is? what danger cou'd deter me? what difficulty prevent me? Not cannon nor plagues, nor all the most frightful forms of death, fhould keep me from her arms.

Char. Nay, by what I can find, you are not to put your valour to any proof;-the danger is to be mine; I am to be turn'd out of doors if ever you are seen in them again.

Val. The apprehenfions of your danger wou'd, indeed, put it to the fevereft proof: But why will my dearest Charlotte continue in the house of one who threatens to turn her out of it? why will the not know another home, one where she would find a protector from every kind of danger?

Char. How can you pretend to love me, Valentine, and ask me that in our present defperate circumstances?

Let. Nay, nay, don't accuse him wrongfully: I won't indeed infift that he gives you any great inftance of his prudence by it; but I'll fwear it is a very strong one of his love, and fuch an inftance, as whe man has once fhown, no woman of any honesty, oonour, or gratitude, can refuse him any longer. For my part, if I had ever found a lover who had not wicked mercenary views upon my fortune, I fhould have married him, whatever he had been.

Char. Thy fortune!

Let. My fortune! Yes, Madam, my fortune; I was, worth fifty-fix pounds before I put it into the lottery:

What