Mr. Jes. Hark you, old gentleman! who are you? Jen. Sir, my name is Jenkins.

Mr. Jes. Oh! you are Sir John Flowerdale's ste ward; a servant he puts confidence in. 561

Jen. Sir, I have served Sir John Flowerdale many years: he is the best of masters; and, I believe, he has some dependance on my attachment and fidelity.

Mr. Jes. Then, Mr. Jenkins, I shall condescend to speak to you. Does your master know who I am? Does he know, Sir, that I am likely to be a Peer of Great Britain? That I have ten thousand pounds a year; that I have passed through all Europe with distinguished eclat; that I refused the daughter of Mynheer Van Slokenfolk, the great Dutch burgomaster; and, that, if I had not had the misfortune of being bred a protestant, I might have married the niece of his present holiness the Pope, with a fortune of two hundred thousand piasters ?

Jen. I am sure, Sir, my master has all the respect imaginable

Mr. Jes. Then, Sir, how comes he, after my shewing an inclination to be allied to his family; how comes he, I say, to bring me to his house to be affronted? I have let his daughter go; but, I think, I was in the wrong; for a woman that insults me, is no more safe than a man.. I have brought a Lady to reason before now, for giving me saucy language; and left her male friends to revenge it.

Jen. Pray, good Sir, what's the matter?

Mr. Jes. Why, Sir, this is the matter, Sir-your master's daughter, Sir, has behaved to me with damn'd insolence, and impertinence and you may tell Sir John Flowerdale, first, with regard to her, that I think she is a silly, ignorant, awkward, ill-bred country puss.

Jen. Oh! Sir, for Heaven's sake

Mr. Jes. And, that with regard to himself, he is, in my opinion, an old, doating, ridiculous, country 'squire; without the knowledge of either men or things; and, that he is below my notice, if it were not to despise him.

Jen. Good Lord! Good Lord!

Mr. Jes. And, advise him and his daughter to keep out of my way; for, by gad I will affront them, in the first place I meet them- -And, if your master

is for carrying things further; tell him, I fence better than any man in Europe.

AIR.

In Italy, Germany, France have I been ;

Where princes I've liv'd with, where monarchs I've

seen;

The great have caress'd me,

The fair have address'd me,

Nay, smiles I have had from a queen.

And, now, shall a pert,
Insignificant flirt,

With insolence use me,
Presume to refuse me!

She fancies my pride will be hurt.

But tout au contraire,

I'm pleas'd I declare,

Quite happy, to think, I escape from the snare : Serviteur Mam'selle; my claim I withdraw. Hey, where are my people? Fal, lal, lal, lal la.

619

SCENE X.

JENKINS.

I must go and inform Sir John of what has happened; but, I will not tell him of the outrageous behaviour of this young spark; for he is a man of spirit, and would resent it. Egad, my own fingers itched to be at him, once or twice; and, as stout as he is, I fancy these old fists would give him a bellyful. He complains of Miss Clarissa: but she is incapable of treating him in the manner he says. Perhaps, she may have behaved with some coldness towards him; and yet, that is a mystery to me too.

AIR.

We all say the man was exceedingly knowing,
And knowing most surely was he,

630

Who found out the cause of the ebbing and flowing,
The flux and reflux of the sea.

Nor was he in knowledge far from it,
Who first mark'd the course of a comet ;
To what it was owing,

Its coming and going,

Its wanderings hither and thither;

But the man that divines

A Lady's designs,

Their cause or effect,

In any respect,

Is wiser than both put together.

640

SCENE XI.

Changes to Sir JOHN FLOWERDALE's Garden; with a View of a Canal, by Moon-light: the Side Scenes represent Box-hedges, intermixed with Statues and Flowering Shrubs, LIONEL enters, leading CLARISSA.

Lion. Hist-methought I heard a noise-should we be surprised together, at a juncture so critical ; what might be the consequence-I know not how it is; but, at this the happiest moment of my life, I feel a damp, a tremor, at my heart

Clar. Then, what should I do? If you tremble, I ought to be terrified indeed, who have discovered

sentiments, which, perhaps, I should have hid, with a frankness, that, by a man less generous, less noble minded than yourself, might be construed to my disadvantage. 654

Lion. Oh! wound me not with so cruel an expression-You love me, and have condescended to confess it-You have seen my torments, and been kind enough to pity them-The world, indeed, may blame you

Clar. And, yet, was it proclaimed to the world, what could the most malicious suggest? They could but say, that, truth and sincerity got the better of forms; that the tongue dar'd to speak the honest sensations of the mind; that, while you aimed at improving my understanding, you engaged, and conquered my heart.

Lion. And, is it! is it possible!

Clar. Be calm, and listen to me: what I have done has not been lightly imagined, nor rashly undertaken : it is the work of reflection, of conviction; my love is not a sacrifice to my own fancy, but a tribute to your worth; did I think there was a more deserving man in the world

Lion. If, to doat on you more than life, be to deserve you, so far I have merit; if, to have no wish, no hope, no thought, but you, can entitle me to the envied distinction of a moment's regard, so far I dare pretend.

678

Clar. That, I have this day refused a man, with whom I could not be happy, I make no merit: born