own peculiar modesty declare your state of mind.-Pour conviction into their ears, and raptures into mine. [smiling. Fan. I am at this moment the most unhappy- nost di→ strest-the tumult is too much for my heart and I want the power to reveal a secret, which to conceal has been the misfortune and misery of my my → [fuints away. TL Ogle. She faints; help, help; for the fairest, and}{ best of women! Bet. [running to her.] O my dear mistress! help, heip, there! Sir John. Ha! let me fly to her assistance. LOVEWELL rushes out from the chamber. peaking all at once. Love. My Fanny in danger! I can contain no longer. -Prudence were now a crime; all other cares are lost in this !—speak, speak to me, my dearest Fanny ! let me but hear thy voice, open your eyes, and bless me with the smallest sign of life! [during this speech they are all in a todoado Jedi itt dead sul zaMiss Ster. Lovewell; I am easy.Mrs Heidel. I am thunderstruck!re mazement. Twa Les Sir John. And I undone ! Fan. [recovering.] O Lovewell;even supported by thee, I dare not look my father nor his lordship in the face. 10 Ster. What now! did not I send you to London, Sir? L Ogle. Ah!-What!-How's this?by what right and title have you been half the night in that lady's belchamber? Love. By that right that makes me the happiest of men; and by a title which I would not forego t for any the best of kings could give me. Bet. I could cry my eyes out to hear his magnimity. L Ogle. I am aunihilated! Ster. I have been choak'd with rage and wonder; but now I can speak.-Zounds! what have you to say to me? -Lovewell, you are a villain-You have broke your word with me. Fun. Indeed, Sir, he has not- You forbade him to thrin's think of me, when it was out of his power to obey you we have been married these four months. Ster. And he shan't stay in the house four hours. What baseness and treachery! As for you, you shall repent this step as long as you live, Madam. Fa: Indeed, Sir, it is impossible to conceive the tortures I have already endured in consequence of my disobedience, My heart has continually upbraided me for it; and tho I was too weak to struggle with affection, I feel that I must, be miserable for ever without your forgiveness. Ster. Lovewell, you shall leave my house directly! and you shall follow him, Madam. [to Fanny. L' Ogle. And if they do, I will receive them into mine. Look ye, Mr Sterling, there have been some mistakes which we had all better forget for our own sakes; and the best way to forget them is to forgive the cause of them; which I do from my soul.-Poor girl! I swore to support her affection with my life and fortune;'tis a debt of henour, and must be paid you swore as much too, Mr Sterling; but your laws in the city will excuse you, suppose; for you ou never strike a balance, without errors excepted.. Ster. I am a father, my lord; but for the sake of all 0. ther fathers, I think I ought not to forgive her, for fear of encouraging other silly girls like herself to throw themselves away without the consent of their parents. I Love. I hope there will be no danger of that, Sir. Young ladies, with minds like my Fanny's, would startle at the very shadow of vice; and when they know to what uneasines only an indiscretion has exposed her, her example, instead of encouraging, will rather serve to deter them. Mrs Heidel. Indesietien, quoth a! a mighty pretty de licate word to express disobedience ! L Ogle. For my part, I indulge my own passions.too much to tyrannize over those of other people. Poor souls, Come, I pity them. And you must forgive them too. come, melt a little of your flint, Mr Sterling. Ster.Why, why-as to that, my lord-to be sure he is a relation of yours, my lord-what say you berg? sister Heidel Mrs Heidel. The girl's ruin'd, and I forgive her. well well and Fanny, who seem preparing to speak.] there's an L' Ogle. But, Lovewell, what makes you dumb all this while? །་ Love. Your kindness, my lord-I can scarce believe my own senses they are all in a tumult of fear, joy, love, expectation, and gratitude; I ever was, and am now more bound in duty to your lordship: for you, Mr Sterling, if every moment of my life, spent gratefully in your service, will in some measure compensate the want of fortune, you perhaps will not repent your goodness to me. And you, ladies, I flatter myself, will not for the future suspect me of artifice and juttigue-I shall be happy to oblige and serve To As for you, Sir John Sir John. No apologies to me, Lovewell, I do not deserve any. All I have to offer in excuse for what has happened, is my total ignorance of your situation. Had you dealt a little more openly with me, you would have saved me, and yourself, and that lady, (who I hope will pardon my behaviour) a great deal of uneasiness. Give me leave, however, to assure you, that light and capricious as I may have appeared, now my infatuation is bility enougin to be ashamed of the part I have acted, and honour enough to rejoice at your happiness. 1 I have sensi Love. And now, my dearest Fanny, though we are seemingly the happiest of beings, yet our joys will be dampt, if his lordship's generosity and Mr Sterling's forgiveness should not be succeeded by the indulgence, appro bation, and consent of these our best benefactors. Several Persons at Cards, at different Tables; among the rest, Col. Trill, Lord Minum, Mrs Quaver, Sir Patrick Mahony. At the Quadrille Fable. Col. Tril. LADIES, with leave 2d Lady. What luck! 3d Lady. Pass! Mrs. Qu. You must do more. Mrs Qu. I play in Hearts. Col. T. Encore ! Col. T. To-night at Drury-Lany is play'd A Comedy, and toute nouvelle Spade! Is not Miss Crotchet at the Play? Mrs Qu. My Neiče Has made a party, Sir to damn the Piece. Ld. Min. hate a Play-house-Trumph! It makes me sick. 1st Lady. We're two by Honours, Ma'am. Ld. Min. And we the odd trick. Pray do you know the Author, Colonel Trill? Col. T. I know no Poets, Heav'n be prais'd!-Spadille ! 1st Lady, I'll tell you who, my lord! (whispers my Lord.) Ld. Min. What, he again? And dwell such daring Souls in little Men ?' Be whose it will, they down our throats will cram Col: T: O, no I have a Club-the best.-Well damn it. Min. And mine, by Jupiter! We've won the game. And nasty Plays Mrs Qu. No, not Handel's Ld. Min. Are fit for Goths and Vandals. From the Picquette Table. Sir Pat. Well, faith and troth!--that Shakespeare was no I'm glad you like him, Sir !-so ends the Pool! Col. T. A (Pay and rise from Table) SONG by the COLONEL. I hate all their nonsense, Their Shakespears and Johnsons, Their Plays, and their Play-house, and Bards! A fig for all playing, But playing, as we do, at cards! Am pleas'd too with Comus; Each well the Spectator rewards., 1. I Their tricks, and their cheating! Like them we would fain deal our cards. Sir Pat. King Lare is touching!-And how, fine to see. Ould Hamlet's Ghost!. To be, or not to be: What are your Op'ras to Othello's roar? Ld. Min. What, when he choaks his Wife? Col. T. And calls her a whore? Sir Pat. King Richard calls his horse-and then Macbeth, Whene'er he murders-takes away the Breath. My blood runs cold at ev'ry syllable, ́i Sir Pat. To see the Dagger-that's invisible [All lang b. Sir Pat. And then there's wit in't Col. T. To be sure 'tis witty. Sir Pat. I love the Play-house-now so light and gay, With all those candles, they have talen away! [All laugh. For all your game what makes it so much brighter? Col. T. Put out the light, and then, Ld Min. 'Tis so much lighter. 'Sir Pat. Pray do you mane, Sirs, more than you express ? Col. T. Just as it happens Ld. Min. Either more, or less. Mrs Qu. An't you asham'd, Sir? [to Sir Put.] |