ship with business upon my first visit; but, since your lordship is pleased not to stand upon ceremony, why, truly, says I, I think naw is as good as another time. Manly. Right! there you pushed him home.

Sir Fran. Ay, ay! I had a mind to let him see that I were none of your mealy-mouthed ones.

Manly. Very good.

Sir Fran. So, in short, my lord, says I, I have a good estate- -but-a-it's a little awt at elbows: and, as I desire to serve my king as well as my country, I shall be very willing to accept of a place at court.

Some of

Manly. So, this was making short work on't. Sir Fran. 'Icod, I shot him flying, cousin! your half-witted ones, naw, would ha' hummed and hawed, and dangled a month or two after him, before they durst open their mouths about a place, and, mayhap, not ha got it at last neither.

-Sir Francis,

Manly. Oh, I'm glad you're so sure on'tSir Fran. You shall hear, cousinsays my lord, pray what sort of a place may you ha' turned your thoughts upon? My lord, says I, beggars must not be choosers; but ony place, says I, about a thousand a-year, will be well enough to be doing with till something better falls in-for I thowght it would not look well to stond haggling with him at first.

Manly. No, no, your business was to get footing any way. Sir Fran. Right! there's it! ay, cousin, I see you know the world.

Manly. Yes, yes, one sees more of it every day.Well, but what said my lord to all this?

Sir Fran. Sir Francis, says he, I shall be glad to serve you in any way that lies in my power; so he gave me a squeeze by the hand, as much as to say, give yourself no trouble-I'll do your business; with that he turned him abawt to somebody with a coloured ribbon across here, that looked, in my thoughts, as if he came for a place too.

Manly. Ha! so upon these hopes you are to make your fortune?

Sir Fran. Why, do you think there's any doubt of it, sir?

Manly. Oh, no, I have not the least doubt about itfor, just as you have done, I made my fortune ten years ago.

Sir Fran. Why, I never knew you had a place, cousin.

Manly. Nor I neither, upon my faith, cousin. But you perhaps may have better fortune; for I suppose my lord has heard of what importance you were in the debate to-day-You have been since down at the house, I presume?

Sir Fran. Oh, yes; I would not neglect the house for ever so much.

Manly. Well, and pray what have they done there? Sir Fran. Why, troth, I can't well tell you what they have done, but I can tell you what I did; and, I think, pretty well in the main; only I happened to make a little mistake at last, indeed.

Manly. How was that?

Sir Fran. Why, they were all got there into a sort of a puzzling debate, about the good of the nation-and I were always for that, you know-but, in short, the arguments were so long-winded o' both sides, that, waunds! I did not well understand 'um; hawsomever, I was convinced, and so resolved to vote right, according to my conscience-so, when they came to put the question, as they call it-I don't know haw 'twas-but I doubt I cried, ay! when I should ha' cried no!

Manly. How came that about?

Sir Fran. Why, by a mistake, as I tell you-for there was a good-humoured sort of a gentleman, one Mr. Totherside, I think they call him, that sat next me, as soon as I had cried, Ay! gives me a hearty shake by the hand. Sir, says he, you are a man of honour, and a true Englishman! and I should be proud to be better acquainted with you and so, with that he takes me by the sleeve, along with the crowd, into the lobby-so I knew nowght-but, odds flesh! I was got o'the wrung side the post-for I were told afterwards I should have staid where I was.

Manly. And so, if you had not quite made your fortune before, you have clinched it now !-Ah, thou head of the Wrongheads!

[Aside.

Lady W. [Without, L.] Very well, very well.
Sir Fran. Odso! here's my lady come home at last!

Enter LADY WRONGHEAD, COUNT Basset, and
MISS JENNY, L.

Lady W. (c.) Cousin, your servant: I hope you will pardon my rudeness; but we have really been in such a continual hurry here, that we have not had a leisure moment to return your last visit.

Manly. (R. c.) Oh, madam, I am a man of no ceremony; you see that has not hindered my coming again. Lady W. You are infinitely obliging; but I'll redeem my credit with you.

Manly. At your own time, madam.

Count B. (L.) I must say that for Mr. Manly, madam: if making people easy is the rule of good breeding, he is certainly the best bred man in the world.

Manly. Soh! I am not to drop my acquaintance, I find.-[Aside.]-I am afraid, sir, I shall grow vain upon your good opinion.

Count B. I don't know that, sir; but I am sure what you are pleased to say makes me so.

with!

Manly. The most impudent modesty that ever I met

Lady W. Lard, how ready his wit is!

[Aside. [Aside.

Sir Fran. (R.) Don't you think, sir, the count's a very

fine gentleman ?

[Apart.

Manly. Oh, among the ladies, certainly.

[Apart.

Sir Fran. And yet he's stout as a lion. Waunds, he'll

storm any thing!

[Apart.

Manly. Will he so? Why then, sir, take care of your

citadel.

[Apart. [Apart.

Sir Fran. Ah! you are a wag, cousin! Manly. I hope, ladies, the town air continues to agree with you.

Jenny. [Running to Manly.] Oh, perfectly well, sir! We have been abroad in our new coach all day longand we have bought an ocean of fine things: and tomorrow we go to the masquerade; and on Friday to the play; and on Saturday to the opera; and on Sunday we are to be at the what-d'ye-call-it-assembly, and see the ladies play at quadrille, and piquet, and ombre, and hazard, and basset; and on Monday we are to see the king; and so on Tuesday

Lady W. Hold, hold, miss! you must not let your tongue run so fast, child-you forget; you know I brought you hither to learn modesty.

Manly. Yes, yes, and she is improved with a vengeance ! [Aside. Jenny. Lawrd, mamma! I am sure I did not say any harm; and, if one must not speak in one's turn, one may be kept under as long as one lives, for aught I see.

Lady W. O' my conscience, this girl grows so headstrong

Sir Fran. Ay, ay, there's your fine growing spirit for you! Now tack it dawn an' you can.

Jenny. All I said, papa, was only to entertain my cousin Manly.

Manly. My pretty dear, I am mightily obliged to you. Jenny. Look you there now, madam.

Lady W. Hold your tongue, I say.

Jenny. [Turning away, goes to Count Basset, and pouting.] I declare it, I won't bear it: she is always snubbing me before you, sir !-I know why she does it, well enough[Aside to the Count.

Count B. Hush, hush, my dear! Don't be uneasy at that; she'll suspect us. [Aside. Jenny. Let her suspect, what do I care!--I don't know but I have as much reason to suspect as she― though perhaps I am not so afraid of her.

[Jenny retires a few steps. Count B. [Aside.] Egad, if I don't keep a tight hand on my tit here, she'll run away with my project before I can bring it to bear!

[All retire back except Lady W. and Count B. Lady W. [Aside, L. c.] The young harlot is certainly in love with him; but I must not let them see I think so -and yet I can't bear it. Upon my life, count, you'll spoil that forward girl-you should not encourage her

Count B. Pardon me, madam, I was only advising her to observe what your ladyship said to her. In one word, madam, she has a jealousy of your ladyship, and I am forced to encourage her to blind it ;-'twill be better to take no notice of her behaviour to me.

[Apart.

Lady W. You are right; I will be more cautious.

[Apart.

Count B. To-morrow, at the masquerade, we may lose her.

[Apart.

Lady W. We shall be observed; I'll send you a note, and settle that affair [Jenny advances.]-Go on with the girl, and don't mind me. [Apart. Count B. I have been taking your part, my little angel. Lady W. (c.) Jenny! come hither, child-you must not be so hasty, my dear-I only advise you for your good. (Manly advances, R.)

Jenny. (L.) Yes, mamma; but when I am told of a thing before company, it always makes me worse, you know.

Manly. (R.) If I have any skill in the fair sex, miss and her mamma have only quarrelled because they are both of a mind. This facetious count seems to have made a very genteel step into the family! [Aside.

Enter MYRTILLA, R.-MANLY talks apart with her. Lady W. (R. C.) Well, Sir Francis, and what news have you brought us from Westminster to-day? Sir Fran. (L. c.) News, madam ! 'Ecod, I have some-and such as does not come every day, I can tell you. A word in your ear (c.) I have got a promise of a place at court of a thousand pawnd a-year already.

Lady W. (c.) Have you so, sir? And pray who may you thank for't? Now, who is in the right? Is not this better than throwing so much away after a stinking pack of fox-hounds in the country? Now your family may be the better for it.

Sir Fran. [Retiring back, R.] Nay, that's what persuaded me to come up, my dove.

Lady W. [Retiring back, R.] Mighty well! Comelet me have another hundred pound, then.

Sir Fran. Another, child? Waunds! you have had one hundred this morning; pray, what's become of that, my dear?

Lady W. What's become of it? Why, I'll show you, my love. Jenny, have you the bills about you?

Jenny. [Retiring.] Yes, mamma.

Lady W. What's become of it! Why, laid out, my dear, with fifty more to it, that I was forced to borrow of the count here.

Jenny. Yes, indeed, papa! and that would hardly do neither. There's the account.

Sir Fran. [Turning over the bills, near R. U. E.] Let's see! let's see! what the devil have we got here?

Manly. [Nearer c.] Then you have sounded your aunt, you say, and she readily comes in to all I proposed to you? [Apart. Myr. (c.) Sir, I'll answer with my life, she is most thankfully yours in every article. She mightily desires to see you, sir. [Apart.

Munly. I am going home directly; bring her to my house in half an hour; and, if she makes good what you tell me, you shall both find your account in it. [Apart. Myr. Sir, she shall not fail you. [Apart-Exit. Sir Fran. Odds life, madam! here's nothing but toys