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THE

BRITISH DRAMA;

COMPREHENDING

THE BEST PLAYS

IN

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

COMEDIES.

VOL II.-PART II.

LONDON,

PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM MILLER, OLD BOND-STREET.

PRINTED BY JAMES BALLANTYNE,

EDINBURGH.

1804.

PUBLIC LIBRARY

470729

ASTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.

1909

[blocks in formation]

SCENE I-The Park:

ACTI.

SIR GEORGE AIRY meeting CHARLES. Cha. Ha! Sir George Airy a birding thus early! what forbidden game roused you so soon? for no lawful occasion could invite a person of your figure abroad, at such unfashionable hours. Sir Geo. There are some men, Charles, whom fortune has left free from inquietudes, who are diligently studious to find out ways and means to make themselves uneasy.

Cha. Is it possible that any thing in nature can ruffle the temper of a man whom the four seasons of the year compliment with as many thousand pounds, nay, and a father at rest with his ancestors?

Sir Geo. Why, there it is now! a man, that wants money, thinks none can be unhappy that has it; but, my affairs are in such a whimsical posture, that it will require a calculation of my nativity to find if my gold will relieve me or not.

Cha. Ha, ha, ha! never consult the stars about that; gold has a power beyond them; gold unlocks the midnight councils; gold outdoes the wind, becalms the ship, or fills her sails; gold is omnipotent below; it makes whole armies fight or fly; it buys even souls; and bribes wretches to betray their country: then, what can thy business be that gold won't serve thee in?

Sir Geo. Why, I'm in love.

Cha. In love! Ha, ha, ha, ha! in love!

Ha, ha, ha, ha! with what, prithee? a cheru- | avoid that, I shun his house as much as possible.

bin?

Sir Geo. No; with a woman. Cha. A woman! good. Ha, ha, ha, ha! and gold not help thee?

Sir Geo. But, suppose I'm in love with twoCha. Ay, if thou'rt in love with two hundred, gold will fetch them, I warrant thee, boy. But who are they? who are they? come!

Sir Geo. One is a lady, whose face I never saw; but witty to a miracle; the other, beautiful as Venus

Cha. And a fool

Sir Geo. For aught I know; for I never spoke to her; but you can inform me. I am charmed by the wit of the one, and die for the beauty of the other.

Cha. And, pray, which are you in quest of now? Sir Geo. I prefer the sensual pleasure; I'm for her I've seen, who is thy father's ward, Miranda. Cha. Nay, then, I pity you; for the Jew, my father, will no more part with her and thirty thousand pounds, than he would with a guinea to keep me from starving.

Sir Geo. Now, you see gold can't do every thing, Charles.

Cha. Yes; for 'tis her gold that bars my father's gate against you.

Sir Geo. Why, if he be this avaricious wretch, how cam'st thou by such a liberal education?

Cha. Not a souse out of his pocket, I assure you: I had an uncle who defrayed that charge; but, for some little wildness of youth, though he made me his heir, left dad my guardian till I came to years of discretion, which, I presume, the old gentleman will never think I am; and now he has got the estate into his clutches, it does me no more good than if it lay in Prester John's dominions.

Sir Geo. What! canst thou find no stratagem to redeem it?

The report is, he intends to marry her himself. Sir Geo. Can she consent to it?

Cha. Yes, faith! so they say: but, I tell you, I am wholly ignorant of the matter. Miranda and I are like two violent members of a contrary party; I can scarce allow her beauty, though all the world does; nor she me civility for that contempt. I fancy she plays the mother-in-law already; and sets the old gentleman on to do mischief.

Sir Geo. Then, I have your free consent to get her?

Cha. Ay; and my helping hand, if occasion be.

Sir Geo. Poh! yonder's a fool coming this way; let's avoid him.

Cha. What? Marplot? No, no; he's my instrument; there's a thousand conveniences in him: he'll lend me his money, when he has any; run of my errands, and be proud of it; in short, he'll pimp for me, lie for me, drink for me, do any thing but fight for me; and that I trust to my own arm for.

Sir Geo. Nay, then, he's to be endured; I never knew his qualifications before.

Enter MARPLOT, with a patch across his face.

Mar. Dear Charles, your's-Ha! Sir George Airy! the man in the world I have an ambition to be known to! [Aside.] Give me thy hand, dear boy!

Cha. A good assurance! But hark ye, how came your beautiful countenance clouded in the wrong place?

Mar. I must confess 'tis a little mal-a-propos; but no matter for that. A word with you, Charles. Prithee, introduce me to sir Georgehe is a man of wit, and I'd give ten guineas to

Cha. When you have them, you mean? Mar. Ay, when I have them; pugh, pox, you cup the thread of my discourse-I would give tep guibeȧs, I say, to be ranked in his acquaintance. Well, is a vast addition to a man's forseen in the company of leading men; for, then, Sir Geo. What is't? can I assist thee? we are all thought to be politicians, or whigs, or Cha. Not yet; when you can, I have confi-Jacks, or highlyers, or lowflyers, or levellers-and

Cha. I have made many essays to no purpose. Though want, the mistress of invention, still tempts me on, yet still the old fox is too cuញ្ជាការ for me. I am upon my last project, which, if. it fails, then, for my last refuge, a brown mus-tune, according to the rout of the world, to be

quet.

dence enough in you to ask it.

Sir Geo. I am always ready. But what does he intend to do with Miranda? is she to be sold in private, or will he put her up by way of auction, at who bids most? if so, egad I'm for him; my gold, as you say, shall be subservient to my pleasure.

Cha. To deal ingenuously with you, sir George, I know very little of her or home; for, since my uncle's death, and my return from travel, I have never been well with my father: he thinks my expences too great, and I, his allowance too little; he never sees me, but he quarrels; and, to

so forth; for, you must know, we all herd in parties now.

Cha. Then, a fool for diversion is out of fashion, I find?

Mar. Yes, without it be a mimicking fool; and they are darlings every where. But, prithee, introduce me.

Cha. Well, on condition you'll give us a true account how you came by that mourning nose, I will.

Mar. I'll do it.

Cha. Sir George, here's a gentleman has a passionate desire to kiss your hand.

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