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Fid. What, pining, Colonel, in the midst of victory? Col. To receive his letters, Madam !---I fhall run mad. Bel, So!---Away prop, and down scaffold --All's over, I fee.

Ref. Oh, Fidelia !---You fhall hear it---You fhall all hear it---And there's fomething in't about the Colonel

too.

Col. About me, Madam.

[Peevishly. Rof. Nay, Colonel, I am not at all angry now. Methinks this letter has made me quite another creature.To be fure, Mr. Faddle has the moft gallant way of writing! But his own words will speak beft for him. [Reads.

"Dear creature,

"Since I faw you yesterday, time has hung upon me like a winter in the country; and unless you appear at rehearsal of the new opera this morning, my fun will be in total eclipse for two hours. Lady Fanny made us laugh last night, at What's my Thought like, by comparing your Colonel to a great box o' the ear---Because it was very rude, fhe faid, and what nobody cared for---I have a thousand things to fay, but the clamour of a coffee-house is an interruption to the fentiments of love and veneration, with which I am,

"Madam, most unspeakably yours, WM. FADDLE."

99

Is it not very polite, Colonel ? Col. Extremely, Madam !---Only a little out as to the box o'the ear: for you fhall fee hiin take it, Madain, as carelessly as a pinch of fnuff.

Rof. Fie, Colonel! You would not quarrel before a lady, I hope. Fidelia, you must oblige me with your company to rehearsal---I'll go put on my capuchin, and step into the coach, this moment.

Fid. I am no friend to public places; but I'll attend you, Madam.

Rof. You'll come, Colonel?

Col. To be fure, Madam.

Bel. Sifter!---Oh, you're a good creature!

[Exit Rofetta, laughing affectedly. Fid. Shall we have your company, Sir? [To Bel. Bel. We could find a way to employ time better, child But I am your fhadow, and must move with you

every where. [Exit Fidelia.]Ha, ha, ha!How like a beaten general doft thou look now!· -while the enemy is upon the march, to proclaim Te Deum for a complete victory.

Col I am but a man, Charles, and find myself no match for the devil and a woman.

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Bel. Courage, boy !-and the flesh and the devil may be fubdued-Ha, ha, ha!—Such a colonel!

Col. Why this it is to be in love!

[Exit.

Well! -Let me but flip my leading-strings !—and if ever I am a woman's baby again!-

To cheat our wishes nature meant the fex,

And form'd them, lefs to please us, than perplex.

END of the FIRST ACT.

[Exit?

ACT II.

SCENE continues.

Enter Sir Roger Belmont, and Sir Charles Raymond.

A

SIR ROGER.

Voracious young dog!-Muft I feed ortolans to pamper his gluttony!

Sir Char. Be under no apprehenfions, Sir Roger; Mr. Belmont's exceffes are mitigated by the levity of youth, and a too early indulgence. In his moments of thinking, I know him generous and noble-And for Fidelia ! I think I can be answerable for her conduct, both in regard to what the owes herself, and you.

Sir Ro. Why, look you, Sir Charles, the girl's a fweet girl, and a good girl-and beauty's a fine thing, and virfue's a fine thing-But as for marriage! Why-a man may buy fine things too dear.-A little money, Sir Charles, would fet off her beauty, and find her virtue employment-But the young rogue does not fay a word of that, of late.

Sir Cha. Nor of marriage, I am fure-His love of berty will prevent your fears one way; and, I hope, Fidelia's honour, another.

B. 3

Sir

Sir Ro. Muft not have her ruined though!
Sir Char. Fear it not, Sir Roger-

And when next you fee your fon, be a little particular in your enquiries about her family and circumftances-If the is what her behaviour befpeaks her, and he pretends, a lady of birth and fortune-why, fecrets are unneceffary: if he declines an explanation, look upon the whole as a contrivance to cover purposes, which we must guard against.

Sir Ro. What you don't think the rogue has had her, hah, Sir Charles?

Sir Char. No, upon my honour- -I hold her innocence to be without ftain-But to deal freely with my friend, I look upon her ftory, as ftrange and improbable. -An orphan, of beauty, family, and fortune; committed by a dying brother to the fole care of a licentious young fellow!-You must pardon me, Sir Roger.

Sir Ro. Pray go on, Sir.

Sir Char. Brought in at midnight too!-And then a young creature, fo educated, and fo irrefiftibly amiable, to be, in all appearance, without alliance, friend, or acquaintance in the wide world!- a link, torn off from the general chain!-I fay, Sir Roger, this is strange. Sir Ro. By my troth, and fo it is!

Sir Char. I know not why I am fo interested in this lady's concerns; but yesterday, I indulged my curiofity with her, perhaps, beyond the bounds of good-manners -I gave a loose to my fufpicion, and added oaths of secrecy to my enquiries. But her anfwers only ferved to multiply my doubts; and ftill as I perfifted, I faw her cheeks covered with blufhes, and her eyes fwimming in tears -But my life upon't, they were the blushes and the tears of innocence!

Sir Ro. We must and will be satisfied, Sir Charles.

Sir Char. For who knows, while we are delaying, but fome unhappy mother, perhaps of rank too, may be wringing her hands in bitterness of mifery for this loft daughter.-Girls, who have kept their virtue, Sir Roger, have done mad things for a man they love.

Sir Ro. And fo indeed they have- I remember when I was a young fellow myfelf-But is not that my Charles coming through the hall yonder?

Sir Cher. Ay, Sir Roger. Attack him now-But let

your enquiries have more the fhew of accidental chat than defign; for too much earnestness may beget fufpicionAnd fo, Sir, I leave you to your discretion.

[Exit.

A pox

Sir Ro. You shall fee me again before dinnerof these young, rakehelly rogues !—a girl's worth twenty of them-if one could but manage her.

Enter Young Belmont, repeating;

Bel. No warning of th' approaching flame,
Swiftly like fudden death, it came;
Like mariners, by lightning kill'd,

I burnt the moment

My dear Sir, I have not feen you to-day before!

Sir Ro. What, ftudying poetry, boy, to help out the year's allowance?

Bel. Faith, Sir, times are hard-and unless you come down with a fresh hundred now and then, I may go near to difgrace your family and turn poet.

Sir Ro. And fo want friends all thy life after! But now we talk of money, Charles, what art thou doing with Fidelia's money -I am thinking, that a round fum thrown into the stocks now, might turn to pretty tolerable account.

Bel. The ftocks, Sir?

Sir Ro. Ay, boy. My broker will be here after dinner, and he shall have a little chat with thee, about laying out a few of her thousands.

Bel. I hope, he'll tell us where we fhall get these thousands.

[Afide. Sir Ro. Thou dost not anfwer me, Charles-Art dumb, boy?

Bel. Why, to be fure, Sir, as to that- -FideliaI can't fay, but that fhe mayHowever, that is, you know, Sir--If as to poffibility- -Will your broker be here after dinner, Sir?

Sir Ro. Take a little time, Charles; for at prefent, thou doft not make thyfelf fo clearly understood.

Bel. Quite right, to be fure, Sir-Nothing could, beyond all doubt, be more judicious, or more advantageous -Her intereft, Sir-why as to that-a pretty fortunebut-did you know her brother, Sir?

Sir Ro. Who I, child?No.

Bel. Faith, nor I neither. [Afide.]-Not know, Jack,

Sir?The rogue would have made you laugh.

-Did

I never read you any of his epigrams?-But then he had fuch an itch for play!-Why he would fet you a whole fortune at a caft!-And fuch a mimic too!-but no oco

nomy in the world Why, it coft him a cool fix thoufand, to ftand for member once- Oh, I could tell you fuch ftories of that election, Sir

Sir Ro. Pr'ythee, what borough did he stand for? Bel. Lord, Sir !- -He was flung all to nothingMy Lord What-d'ye-call-um's fon carried it fifteen to one, at half the expence-In fhort, Sir, by his extravagance, affairs are fo perplexed, fo very intricate, that upon my word, Sir, I declare it, I don't know what to think of them -A pox of thefe questions! [Afide. Sir Ro. But he has friends and relations, Charles :-I fancy, if I knew who they were, fomething might be done.

-I

Bel. Yes, yes, Sir, fhe has friends and relationsfee, Sir, you know nothing of her affairs-Such a string of them! -The only wife thing her brother ever did, was making me her guardian, to take her out of the reach of those wretches - -I fhall never forget his last words

Whatever you do, my dear Charles, fays he, taking me by the hand, keep that girl from her relations. Why, I would not for a thousand pounds, Sir, that any of them

fhould know where she is.

Sir Ro. Why, we have been a little cautious, Charles

But where does the estate lie?

I won

Bel. Lord, Sir!—an estate and no estateder a man of your knowledge would ask the question.An earthquake may swallow it for any thing I care. Sir Ro. But where does it lie, Charles?

County, I fay?

In what

Bel. And then there's the fix thoufand pounds, that her father left her

Sir Ro. What, that gone too, Charles?

Bel. Juft as good, I believe-Every fhilling on't in a lawyer's hands.

Sir Ro. But he is not afraid to fee him too, Charles? Where does he live?

Bel. Live, Sir!Do you think fuch a fellow ought to live Why he has trumpt up a contract of marriage:

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