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PHILIP, his eldest son, married to SUSAN FORREST.

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MRS. ANNE HARDING, second wife to OLD HARDING. SUSAN, daughter of old FORREST, wife of PHILIP

HARDING.

The SCENE, London, [and on the Sea.]

FORTUNE BY LAND AND SEA.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Old FORREST'S House. Enter RAINSFORD, old FORREST, FRANK FORREST, SUSAN FORREST, GOODWIN, and FOSTER.

Rains. I prithee, Frank, let's have thy company to supper. Frank. With all my heart: if I can but give my father here the slip by six o'clock, I will not fail.

Rains. I'll talk with him. I prithee, old man, lend us thy son to-night. We'll borrow him but for some two hours, and send him home again to thee presently.

Good. Faith, do, Mr. Forrest; he cannot spend his time in better company.

Old For. Oh, gentlemen, this too much liberty

Breeds many strange outrageous ills in youth,

And fashions them to vice.

Rains. Nay, school us not, old man.

Some of us are too

If not, I prithee

old to learn; and being past whipping too, there's no hope of profiting. If we shall have him, say so. keep him still, and God give thee good of him!

Frank. Nay, will you be gone? I'll be at the heels of you, as I live.

Fos. 'Tis enough. Nay, come; and if we shall go, let

us go.

Old For. Nay, gentlemen, do not mistake me, pray. I love my son, but do not doat on him ;

Nor is he such a darling in my eye,

That I am loath to have him from my sight.
Yet let me tell you, had you, gentlemen,
Call'd him to any fairer exercise,

As practise of known weapons, or to back
Some gallant gennet; had it been to dance,
Leap in the fields, to wrestle, or to try
Masteries in any noble quality,

I could have spared him to you half his age;
But call him out to drinking, of all skill,

I hold that much-us'd practise the most ill.

Frank. I told him you would still be urging him, and see what comes on't? I præ, sequar.

Rains. Sir, what we do's in love, and let you know, We do not need his purse nor his acquaintance,

Nor, if you should mistake, can we be sorry,

Nor wound to ask your pardon. Fare ye well!

Come, gentlemen.

Frank. Will

[Exeunt RAINSFORD, GOODWIN, and FOSTER.
you be gone? I'll come.

Old For. Oh, son! that thou wilt follow rioting,
Surfeit by drinking and unseason'd hours !
These gentlemen perhaps may do't; they're rich,
Well-landed, and their fathers purchase daily,

Where I, Heav'n knows, the world still frowning on me,
Am forc'd to sell and mortgage to keep you.
His brother ranks himself with the best gallants
That flourish in the kingdom: though not able
To spend with them, yet, for his virtuous parts,
He is borne out, his person woo'd and sought,
And they more bound to him for his discourse,
Than he to them for their expense and cost.
Thy course is otherwise; will drinking healths,
Cups of mull'd sack, and glasses elbow deep,
Drunk in thy youth, maintain thee in thine age?

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