you'll have of either. For your appearing in town will immediately caufe your Uncle to deliver the whole into your hands. I think it was but a poor plot of his: but it will expofe his folly and villainy at laft. TRUEMAN. I really believe, he thinks me dead; for I was in fo poor a way when I fent the laft letter, that I was forc'd to get honeft Brifk to write for me, and after my recovery, I was determined to write no more, but to bear my misfortunes with patience. My receiving no news from you was more afflicting to me than all the reft. SIR CHARLES. Venture, to whom you agreed to direct, has certainly been bribed to give all my letters to your Uncle; for I never mifs'd a week without being with them both; and they ftill affirmed that nothing but death could be the occafion of your filence. TRUEMAN. I wish I could accommodate this affair, without expofing my uncle to the cenforious world. I know his own eftate, before I went abroad, was involved in debt, I fancy moftly of his wife's contracting; it must be fome urgent neceflity could force him to fuch a deed. SIR CHARLES. What think you of my going and acquainting him with your return, and intentions? It may be as you guess; and I'm almoft perfuaded to believe that his diftreffes owed their rife to his wife's imprudence; like a great many of our fine ladies, who don't care, fo they have money, what methods have been used to procure it, to fupport their gaming and extravagance! Oh! Trueman, what would you think of women, with tender indulgent husbands, and a family of fimiling children, that shall dedicate whole nights to this damn'd fashionable peft of gaming! TRUEMAN. And is there no redress in law for this? For the woman that can quit her husband's bed and family, to pass her nights with fharpers (for they deferve no better name, though countenanced by fashion) would not fcruple to give up her honor to redeem her loffes. SIR CHARLES. I think fo too: and half the women who have fallen from virtue, have owed their ruin to the love of gaming. TRUEMAN. How much compaffion's due to the husband curs'd with fuch a wife. Yet doubly wretched he, that fees her faults, yet doating, cannot curb them. I fear this fame's my uncle's cafe: for never faw I man fo fond, or woman make fuch ungenerous returns!-Prithee go to him; all fhall be dropt in filence: tell him I would wait on on him myself, but want a proper dress to appear in. SIR CHARLES. Well, I will, Trueman!-What I fuppofe your punishment in prison has cured you of your Will o'th' Wifp chace after the lady. TRUEMAN. No, Charles: I am still the fame; nor ever fhall be eafy, till I find her. SIR CHARLES. Why thou outdo'ft all the mad heroes of romance. Not one of thofe fictitious fools, e'er undertook fo wild a fcheme as thine. They had converfed and knew their ladies at least, before they went a fighting monfters, and the devil knows what. But thou, at barely feeing thy heroine, hast been imprison'd, half starved, and kept out of thy eftate, for one, who, for ought thou know'ft to the contrary, may be an idiot. TRUEMAN. I own there's reafon in thy ridicule, because thou never faw'ft her; if thou hadst thou'dft think my passion juft. Her beauteous lovely face diffused a joy around her, like what the blooming spring excites. I look'd and found imprinted there Truth, Innocence and Virtue; and ev'ry charm to give a fanction to my love. SIR CHARLES. Prithee, give thyself leisure to reflect, that all this tranfport may be for one that's dead, mar ried, ried, or gone, where you may fearch in vain to find her. TRUEMAN. I have confider'd this a thousand times; but love ftill gets the mastery of ev'ry cooler thought. I will not, cannot reft, till I'm convinced, she's dead or married, or may be mine. But thou'rt an Atheist in love, and unaffected with all its foft affaults. SIR CHARLES. Trueman, thou art miftaken. I feel as ftrong, as you, the power of love Ay, you may look! I fay of love! A true, a cònftant, honourable love. But for a woman, I know, deferves it. I don't run hunting a phantom from Oxford to London, and the Lord knows where, as you do. Come leave your rambling thoughts and go with me to night. I'm engaged to a lady's, whofe daughter, if indeed thou art not quite infenfible to any other love, will make a conqueft of thee. TRUEMAN. I defy the fex. No! was each charm, that's given among a thousand, join'd in one, fhe'd fall far fhort of her I love. But thou haft never truly felt this paffion, or thou would'st know, a heart, that once has felt the power of love, can never change. SIR CHARLES. SIR CHARLES. Faith, you mistake. I love as much as you, tho' I'm not quite fo mad. I thought to-morrow to have call'd my fair one wife, but some unknown crime, I have committed, has made her refufe to fee me to-day. But at night. I hope a reconciliation. I beg, Trueman, you will make ufe of my lodgings till you are provided with better accommodations. TRUEMAN. I accept your offer, and am pleas'd to find a lover in my friend. For you that feel love's foft tranfporting pains, The thousand fears our anxious hours employ. Can truly know a fellow-lover's heart. [Exeunt. ACT |