any flour in the drudging box-[Adjusts them, and runs into the house.]

F. Gam. Oh! the bailiff too that I engaged.

Enter TWITCH.

Twitch. Well, Master Gammon, as you desir'd, I'm come to serve this here warrant of yours, and arrest Master Banks; where is he?

F. Gam. Yes, now I be's determined on't—he'szounds! stand aside, I'll speak to you anon. [Looking out.]

Enter LADY AMARANTU, ZACHARIA following. Lady Am. Friend, Jane, whom I have taken to be my handmaid, is thy daughter?

F. Gam. Ay, so her mother said, an't please your ladyship.

Lady Am. Ephraim Smooth acquainteth me thou art a wealthy yeoman.

F. Gam. Why, my lady, I pay my rent.

Lady Am. Being yet a stranger on my estate around here, I have passed through thy hamlet to behold with mine own eye the distresses of my poor tenants. I wish to relieve their wants.

F. Gam. Right, your ladyship: for charity hides a deal of sins. How good of you to think of the poor ! that's so like me; I'm always contriving how to relieve my neighbours-you must lay Banks in gaol tonight. [Apart to TWITCH.

Enter JANE.

Jane. A'nt please you, will your ladyship enter our humble dwelling, and rest your ladyship in feyther's great cane-bottom'd elbow chair, with a high back? [Courtesies.]

F. Gam. Do, my lady. To receive so great a body from her own chariot is an honour I dreamt not of; though, for the hungry and weary foot traveller, my

doors are always open, and my morsel ready. Knock; when he comes out, touch him. [Aside to TWITCH.] Lady Am. Thou art benevolent, and I will enter thy dwelling with satisfaction.

Jane. O precious! This way, my lady.

[Exeunt all but TWITCH. Twitch. Eh, where's the warrant? [Feels his pocket, and knocks at BANKS's door.]

Enter BANKS.

Banks. Master Twitch! What's your business with me?

Twitch. Only a little affair here against you.

Banks. Me!

Twitch. Yes; Farmer Gammon has bought a thirty pound note of hand of yours.

Banks. Indeed! Well, I didn't think his malice could have stretched so far-I thought the love, he professed for my sister, might,-why, it is true, Master Twitch, to lend our indigent cottagers small sums, when they've been unable to pay their rents, I got lawyer Quirk to procure me this money, and hoped their industry would have put it in my power to take up my note before now. However, I'll go round and try what they can do, then call on you and settle it. Twitch. You must go with me.

Rover. [Without.] Old gentleman, come quick, or I'll draw another bottle of your currant wine.

Twitch. You'd best not make a noise, but come. [To BANKS.]

Enter ROVER.

Rover. Oh, you're here! Rain over-quite fine-I'll take a sniff of the open air too-Eh, what's the matter?

Twitch. What's that to you?

Rover. What's that to me? Why, you're a very unmannerly

3

Twitch. Oh, here's a rescue!

Banks. Nay, my dear sir, I'd wish you not to bring yourself into trouble about me.

Twitch. Now, since you don't know what's civil, if the debt's not paid directly, to gaol you go.

Rover. My kind, hospitable good old man to jail! What's the amount you scoundrel ?

Twitch. Better words, or I'll

Rover. Stop; utter you a word good or bad, except to tell me what's your demand upon this gentleman, and I'll give you the greatest beating you ever got since the hour you commenced rascal. [In a low tone.]

Twitch. Why, master, I dont want to quarrel with you, because

Rover. You'll get nothing by it. Do you know, you villain, that I am this moment the greatest man living?

Twitch. Who, pray?

Rover. "I am the bold Thunder!" Sirrah, know that I carry my purse of gold in my coat-pocket, Though damme if I know how a purse came there. [Aside, and takes it out.] There's twenty pictures of his Majesty! therefore, in the king's name, I free his liege subject; [Takes BANKS away.] and now who am I? Ah, ah!

Twitch. Ten pieces short, my master; but if you're a housekeeper I'll take this and your bail.

Rover. Then for bail you must have a house, keeper? What's to be done!

Enter GAMMON,

Ah, here's old hospitality! I know you've a house, though your fire side was too warm for me. Lookye, here's some rapacious, griping rascal, has had this worthy gentleman arested. Now a certain, good. for-nothing, rattling fellow has paid twenty guineas;

you pass your word for the other nine, we'll step back into the old gentleman's friendly house, and over his currant wine, our first toast shall be, liberty to the honest debtor, and confusion to the hard hearted creditor.

Gam. I shan't.

Rover. Shan't! What's your name?

F. Gam. Gammon.

Rover. Gammon! Dem'me, you're the Hampshire

hog.

[Exit F. GAMMON. Sdeath! How shall I do to extricate-? I wish I had another purse in my waistcoat pocket.

Enter LADY AMARANTHI, from GAMMON'S,
ZACHARIAH following.

Lady Am. What tumult's this?

Rover. A lady! Ma'am, your most obedient humble servant. [Bows.] A quaker too! They are generally kind and humane, and that face is the prologue to a play of a thousand good acts-may he she'd help us here. [Aside.] Ma'am, you must know that-that I-no-this gentleman-I mean this gentleman and I-He got a little behind hand, as every honest, well principled man often may, from-bad harvests and rains-lodging corn-and his cattlefrom murrain, and-rot the murrain! you know this is the way all this affair happened, [To BANKS.] and then up steps this gentleman, [To TWITCH.] with aa tip in his way-madam, you understand? And then in steps I--with my a-In short, madam, I am the worst story teller in the world, where myself is the hero of the tale.

Twitch. Mr. Banks has been arrested for thirty pounds, and this gentleman has paid twenty guineas of the debt.

Banks. My litigious neighbour to expose me thus!

Lady Am. The young man and maiden within, have spoken well of thy sister, and pictured thee as a man of irreproachable morals, though unfor

tunate.

Rover. Madam, he's the honestest fellow-I've known him above forty years; he has the best hand at stirring a fire-If you was only to taste his currant wine

Banks. Madam, I never aspired to an enviable rank in life: but hitherto pride and prudence kept me above the reach of pity: but obligations from a stranger-.

Lady Am. He really a stranger, and attempt to free thee? But, friend, [To ROVER.] thou hast assumed a right which here belongeth alone to me.

As

I enjoy the blessings which these lands produce, I own also the heart delighting-privilege of dispensing those blessings to the wretched. Thou mad'st thyself my worldly banker, and no cash of mine in thine hands, [Takes a note from a pocket book.] but thus I balance our account. [Offers it.]

Rover. "Madam, my master pays me, nor can I take money from any other hand, without injuring his honour, and disobeying his commands."

"Run, run, Orlando, carve on every tree,

The fair, the chaste, the unexpressive she."

[Runs off. Banks. But, sir, I insist you'll return him his money. [To TWITCH] Stop! [Going.]

Twitch. Ay, stop! [Holds the skirt of his coat.]
Lady Am. Where dwelleth he?

Banks. I fancy, where he can, madam. I understand, from his discourse, that he was on his way to join a company of actors in the next town.

Lady Am. A profane stage-player with such a gentle, generous heart! Yet so whimsically wild, like the unconscious rose, modestly shrinking from the recollection of its own grace and sweetness.