What it will be now, I can't tell; but you know, fomebody must get the great lot, and why not I?

Val. Oh, Charlotte! wou'd you had the fame fentiments with me! For, by heavens! I apprehend no danger but that of lofing you; and, believe me, love will fufficiently reward us for all the hazards we run on his

account.

AIR III. Fanny blooming fair, &c.
Let bold ambition lie

Within the warrior's mind;
Falfe honours let him buy,
With flaughter of mankind:
To crowns a doubtful right,
Lay thousands in the grave;
While wretched armies fight
Which mafter fhall enflave.
Love took my heart with ftorm,
Let him there rule alone,
In Charlotte's charming form,
Still fitting on his throne:
How will my foul rejoice,
At his commands to fly;
If fpoken in that voice,

Or look'd from that dear eye!
To univerfal fway

Love's title is the best;
Well, fhall we him obey

Who makes his fubjects bleft?
If heaven for human good
Did empire first defign,
Love must be understood

To rule by right divine.

Let. Hit! hit! get you both about your business; Mr Oldcastle is juft turn'd the corner, and if he fhou'd fee you together you are undone. (Exeunt Valentine and Charlotte.) Now will I banter this old coxcomb feverely; for I think it is a moft impertinent thing in these old fumblers to interpofe in young people's fport. Enter Oldcastle.

Old. Hem! hem? I profefs it is a very fevere eafterly

wind- and if it was not to see a mistress, I believe I fhould fcarce have stirred abroad all day.

Let. Mr Oldcastle, your very humble fervant.

Old. Your humble fervant, Madam; I ask your par don; but I profess I have not the honour of knowing you.

Let. Men of your figure, Sir, are known by more than they are themselves able to remember; I am a poor handmaid of a young lady of your acquaintance, Mifs Charlotte Highman.

Old. Ŏh! your very humble fervant, Madam. I hope your lady is well?

Let. Hum! fo, fo-She fent me, Sir, of a small meffage to you.

Old. I am the happiest man in the world.
Let. To defire a particular favour of you.
Old. She honours me with her commands.

Let. She begs, if you have the leaft affection for her, that the may never fee you here again.

Old. What! what!

Let. She is a very well-bred, civil, good-natur'd lady, and does not care to fend a rude meffage; therefore only bids me tell you, fhe hates you, {corns you, detefts you, more than any creature upon the earth; that if you are refolv'd to marry, fhe wou'd recommend to you a certain excellent dry-nurse, who might poffibly be brought by your money to do any thing but go to bed with you; and lastly, the bide me tell you, in this cold weather, never to go to-bed without a good warm poffet, and never to lie without at least a pair of flannel-shirts.

Old. Hold your impertinent faucy tongue!

Let. Nay, Sir, don't be angry with me, I only deliver my meffage; and that too in as civil and concife a manner as poffible.

Old. Your mistress is a pert young huffy, and I shall tell her aunt of her.

Let. hat will never do; you had better truft to her own good nature. 'Tis I am your friend; and if we can get over three little obftacles, I don't despair of marry. ing you to her yet.

Old. What are thofe obftacles?

Let. Why, Sir, there is in the first place your great age; you are at least some fixty-fix.

Old. 'Tis a lie; I want feveral-months of it.

Let. If you did not, I think we may get over this: one half of your fortune makes a very fufficient amends for your age.

Old. We fhan't fall out about that.

Let. Well, Sir; then there is, in the fecond place, your terrible ungenteel air: this is a grand obftacle with her, who is fo doatingly fond of every thing that is fine and foppish; and yet I think we may get over this too, by the other half of your fortune-And now there remains but one, which, if you can find any thing to fet afide, I believe I may promise you, you shall have her: and that is, Sir, that horrible face of yours, which it is impoffible for any one to fee without being frighten'd. Old. Ye impudent baggage! I'll tell your mistress; I'll have you turn'd off.

Let. That will be well repaying me indeed, for all the fervices I have done you.

Old. Services!

Let. Services! Yes, Sir, fervices; and to let you fee I think you fit for a husband, I'll have you myself! Who can be more proper for a husband, than a man of your age and tafte? for I think you cou'd not have the confcience to live above a year, or a year and a half at moft: and I think a good plentiful jointure wou'd make amends for one's enduring you as long as that; provided we live in separate parts of the house, and one had a good handfome groom of the chambers to attend one.

AIR IV.

Hark, hark, the cock crows.

When a lover like you

Does a woman pursue,

She must have little wit in her brain, Sir;

If for better and worse,

She takes not the purse,

Alas, with her fighing poor fwain, Sir;
Tho' hugg'd to her wishes,

VOL. III,

Amidft empty dishes,

N

Much

Much hunger her ftomach may prove, Sir;
But a pocket of gold,

As full as 'twill hold,

Will ftill find her food for her love, Sir.

[Exit. Old. You are an impertinent, impudent baggage! and I have a mind to-I am out of breath with paffion; and I fhall not recover it this half hour.

Enter Lettice and Rakeit.

[Exit.

Let. A very pretty lover for a young lady indeed! Rak. Your fervant, Mrs Lettice: What have you and the great fquire Oldcastle been entertaining one another with?

• Let. With his paffion for your young mistress, or rather her paffion for him. I have been bantering him ⚫ till he is in fuch a rage, that I actually doubt whether • he will beat her or no.

• Rak. Will you never leave off your frolics, fince we • mult pay for them? You have put him out of humour; now will he go and put my lady out of humour, and then we may be all beaten for aught I know.

• Let. Well, Sirrah; and do you think I had not rather twenty fuch as you thou'd be beaten to death, than 6 my mafter fhou'd be robb'd of his mistress?

Rak. Your humble fervant, Madam; you need not take any great pains to convince me of your fondnefs ⚫ for your master. I believe he has more miftreffes than ⚫ what are in our houfe: but hang it, I am too polite to be jealous; and if he has done me the favour with you, why, perhaps, I may return it one day with fomebody ⚫elfe. I am not the firft gentleman of the party-colour'd regiment who has been even with his mafter..

6

Let. Not with fuch gentlemen as Mr Valentine. In• deed with your little pert skipping beaux, I don't know what may happen. Such mafters and their men are often both in drefs and behaviour fo very like one another, that a woman may be innocently falfe, and miftake the one for the other. Nay, I don't know whether fuch a change as you mention may not be fome• times for the better.

AIR V. As down in a meadow, &c. 'See John and his mafter as together they pass, 'Or fee 'em admiring themselves in a glass: 'Each cocks fierce his hat, each ftruts and looks big: 'Both have lace on their coat, and a bag to their wig: 'Both fwear, and both rattle, both game, and both drink; 'Who neither can write, or can read, or e'er think. 'Say then where the difference lies, if you can;

་

'Faith! widows, you'd give it on the fide of the man. Rak. But, my dear Lettice, I do not approve this ' match in our families.

'Let. Why fo?

'Rak. You know how defperate his circumstances are, and fhe has no fortune.

'Let. She hath indeed no fortune of her own; but 'her aunt Highman is very rich.

Rak. She will be little the better for't.

'Let. Then there's the chance of both her brothers 'deaths; besides an uncle in Yorkshire, who hath but five children only, one of which hath never had the fmallpox; nay, there are not above fixteen or feventeen be"tween her and an Irish barony.

Rak. Ay, this lady wou'd make a fine fortune after two or three good plagues. In fhort, I find there is but little hopes on our fide; and if there be no more on 'yours

Let. Oh, yes, there are hopes enough on ours. There are hopes of my young mafter's growing better, for I am fure there is no poffibility of his growing worfe. Hopes ' of my old master's staying abroad; hopes of his being 'drown'd if he attempts coming home; hopes of the ftars falling

Rak Dear Mrs. Lettice, do not jeft with such serious things as hunger and thirft. Do you seriously think that all your master's entertainments are at an end?

Let. So far from it, that he is this day to give a 'grand entertainment to your mistress, and about a dozen more gentlemen and ladies.

·

Rak. My chops begin to water. I find your mafter is a very honeft fellow; and it is poffible may hold out two or three weeks longer.

• Let. You are mistaken, Sir, there will be no danger