Sit is a laudable cuftom amongst our each new year, to recommend newness of life, and to diffuade their congregations from repeating the fins and tranf greffions of the last; and as state matters have been pronounced improper fubjects for the pulpit, I hope our reverend and pious divines will not think me guilty of any encroachment on their province, by applying fome wholefome exhortation to my countrymen at this particular season, by reminding them of political regeneration. Nor can this be judiciously pronounced an act of fupererogation, as the political duties are equally obligatory with the moral or Chriftian, and likewife equally conducive to the good of mankind: moreover, we are now entering on a new year, and alfo a new fs of p-t, that promises the difcuffion of the moft important fubjects that can come before fo auguft an affembly.

Wherefore, my countrymen, in whatever ftations we are placed, and however exalted, dignified, or diftreffed, let us begin this year as becomes good fubjects, and true Englishmen; in such a manner as the beft King, and the best conftitution, require at our hands. Let us contribute and exert our utmost endeavours to fecure our liberties from the leaft violation; and, for that end, let us carefully avoid every thing in our future behaviour, that may in any measure eclipfe the luftre of the British crown on the head of our most excellent fovereign; or that may tend to defeat or endanger the fucceffion of it in his illuftrious house to all pofterity. As offences of a political nature are unavoidable with thofe of a moral one; and as it may be truly faid in one fenfe, as well as the other, that we fin daily; let us heartily repent of all the mifcarriages, infirmities, and tranfgreffions of the laft, or of any preceding year, and make a firm refolution to amend our lives and conduct in the prefent we have now entered upon.

Hath ambition, pride, felf-intereft, or any inordinate defire of gain induced

any of us to project mischievous schemes,

fures feparate from the interest of our country? Have any of us for fecret ends industriously revived our expiring animofities, by any ftretch of power, perfonal antipathy, m- -1 influence, or unconstitutional refolution? Hath any one amongst us endeavoured to exalt himself, his relations, whes, and their dependents, on the ruins of the fortune, favour, or reputation of others? Or attempted to make himself great and confpicuous by pursuing an unremitting enmity against merit, fortitude, and abilities, after having publickly and privately acknowledged and revered them, by the moft fervent promises of friendship and attachment; whilft he has been lavishing all his favours, and thofe of his f -n, on the most venal tools of power, corrupt blockheads, and fawning parafites? Hath any man, who calls himfelf a Briton, fhut his eyes and his ears to the diftreffes, calamities and complaints of his fellow fubjects? Hath any man made great and infamous gains by detaining the public money in his hands, in order to lend it out at interest, or sport with it in the Alley, and thereby increase our debts and taxes, fo burthenfome as fcarce to be borne by the poor and industrious? Hath any man openly fet a price on THOSE THINGS, which ought to be freely beftowed as the encouragement of virtue, the reward of merit, and the excitement of industry? Hath any man been the cause that Irish penfions have enormously increafed, to frame fettlements for miftreffes and panders? Or, laftly, hath any man been fo far an enemy to his country, and all mankind, as by his perfonal and public vices and practices to encourage and promote debauchery, luxury, gaming, extravagance, and corruption?

Let us, my countrymen, examine our hearts and confciences, at this time, feriously and severely on these fubjects; and if we find ourselves culpable in any degree, let us make all the reftitution in our power, by a public confeflion of

Our

our guilt, and by a ftedfaft refolution of beginning and continuing to act vigorously against all fuch practices in the current and every future year. If therefore any thing was done last year, which we could now with undone, or any thing omitted, which ought to have been done; we doubt not but these mistakes will be rectified, and that other measures will be pursued for the future.

I cannot dismiss this paper without recommending to my countrymen to perfevere, however, in what they know to be right, legal and conftitutional; to view with a jealous eye every the fmalleft infringement upon their rights and liberties; to remember that pofterity demands at their hands the laws

An ENGLISHMAN.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Mr. Griskin, an old Mr. Parsons.

Citizen,

Cupid, in the charac-Mafter Cape. ter of a poft-boy,

Mifs Grifkin,
Mifs Dolly Flack,
Mrs. Fillagree,
Landlady,

The Maid,

Mifs Pope.
Mifs Burton.
Mrs. Bradshaw.
Mrs. Love.
Mifs Platt.

Travellers, Waiters, &c. SCENE, During the first act, lies in London; during the fecond act in Yorkfhire.

HE Prologue of this little piece is

THE fpoken by Cupid, representing a

a Poft-chaife boy, in which a fimilitude is drawn between his whip, his fpurs, his shoulder-knot, and the bow, arrows, and wings of the God of Love. After fome lively ftrokes upon the prefent fashionable mode of eloping to Scotland, he retires, and the comedy commences with a scene betwixt Grifkin and his housekeeper, Mrs. Fillagree, whom he calls to a very fevere account for having fuffered Jemmy Twinkle, a young City-Buck, to make love to his niece, and run away with her, as there is

great reafon to fuppofe he has, down to Edinburgh. Mrs. Fillagree endeavours to vindicate herself with great fpirit, but the old man is by no means fatisfied, and having determined to purfue the fugitive lovers, goes out to befpeak a poft-chaife for that purpose. His housekeeper then introduces Mifs Grifkin and Jemmy, who were concealed in an adjacent apartment, and tells them they have no time to lofe; that her old mafter will never be able to overtake them; but if there should be the least likelihood of his doing fo, fhe will hire the poft-boy to overturn him. Mifs, who feems very melancholy, with great reluctance at length confents to the repeated requests of her lover, who appears to doat on her with the most ardent paffion, and they go off together in order to undertake their matrimonial expedition. Old Griskin directly returns, and fays he has found out the rout his niece has taken, for that four or five couple went off poft that morning for Scotland; and that by the defcription, Jemmy Twinkle and Mifs Grifkin must be among them; he therefore defires his housekeeper to get herfelf ready and go with him in order to recover the young lady. Mrs. Fillagree, who appears to have a design

upon

upon her master, feems startled at this requeft, and gives feveral hints that the fhall lofe her character by accom panying him on the journey; and that the family of the Flacks, their near neighbours, of whom they feem to ftand in great awe, will certainly propagate a terrible story upon the occafion. Grifkin, however, at last gets the better of her fcruples, and after mutual com pliments they retire to prepare for their expedition.

Cupid then appears as the chorus, and acquaints the audience, that they are to imagine the lovers had fucceeded according to their warmest wishes, at Edinburgh; that he hopes they will not expect a critical adherence to the rules of the drama, but fuffer him to annihilate time and place, and then fuppofe the fcene to be at an inn in York

Thire.

The infide of a public houfe is immediately difcovered, with a view of the bar, ftair-cafe, and different apartments. A great noife is heard among the feryants, and the landlady enters, rings the bell with great fury, and expreffes the fatigue the is continually obliged to undergo in confequence of the numerous matrimonial trips to Scotland. Several travellers are introduced by the waiters, and accommodated according to their defires. Mifs Grifkin (now Mrs. Twinkle) at length appears in great fpirits, and tells the Landlady The is quite another thing fince her wedding, and that if fhe was to be married fifty times, the would, from the many agreeable circumftances the met with upon the journey, make all her lovers run away with her to Scotland. After fome time her husband arrives, counting his money, and calculating his expences, in a very fullen humour, and feems to be very infenble of the affiduities of his new wife, who accufes him of coldness, and declares her difappointment at his not acting confiftent with his profeffions to her during his courtlhip, when he wrote the verfes on her first appearance at Haberdafhers' Hall, and the lines on her biting a finger off her glove at the White Conduit Houfe. Matters, however, are prefently reconciled, and the young couple retire in good humour to their apartment.

279

A violent disturbance next enfues, which greatly alarms the guests. This is occafioned by old Grifkin's putting up at the inn, which he infifts upon fearching from top to bottom, in order to find his niece. After fome oppofition from the Landlady and Mrs. Filagree, who declares the is unable to travel any farther, he begins to be in tolerable good humour, and agrees to lie there that night. Upon the Landlady, who fuppofes them man and wife, enquiring whether they chufe to lie in one bed, Mrs. Fillagree is thrown into great diftrefs with refpect to the injury her character will fuftain from her attending Grifkin upon his journey, and is not at all fatisfied until the is affured the fhall have a bed, at least fix chambers diftant from that in which her master is to fleep. On their going off, the waiter enters, and acquaints his miftrefs that the young couple have been detected by the old gentleman, and that very difagreeable confequences are likely to enfue.

The fcene foon after draws, and dif covers Grifkin, Fillagree, Mifs Grifkin, and Jemmy Twinkle; the lovers fall on their knees, and the old man feems inclined to forgive them, but is reftrained by the idea of what the world, particularly the family of the Flacks, will fay of his conduct. At this inftant a number of people, preceded by Dolly Flack, who feems in great diftrefs, enter the room: Doily intreats Grifkin to compaffionate her misfortunes, which, the fays, have been occafioned by her eloping from her father and mother, in order to marry a young fellow at Edinburgh, who even now, before half their journey was accomplished, treats her with the molt cruel indifference. Upon Grifkin's enquiring into the caufe of this uncommon behaviour, Tom Southerton, the young man, tells him, that, being a ftrolling player by profeffion, he came up to London in order to be engaged at one of the Theatres, but having been difappointed in his profpects, he flattered himself a marriage with Mifs Flack would repay him for all his trouble, especially as one of his friends affured him, the had ten thousand pounds in her own poffeffion; that upon this

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