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nies to the black queen of Morocco, when I took him to follow me. (Re-enter Flanigan.) Heh, ecod, I think he looks fo well, that I don't care if I have a fuit from the fame place for myself.

HONEYWOOD.

Well, well, I hear the lady coming. Dear Mr. Twitch, I beg you'll give your friend directions not to fpeak. As for yourself, I know you will fay nothing without being directed.

BAILIFF.

Never you fear me; I'll fhew the lady that I have fomething to fay for myfelf as well as another. One man has one way of talking, and another man has another, that's all the difference between them.

Enter Mifs RICHLAND and her MAID.

Mifs RICHLAND.

You'll be furpriz'd, Sir, with this vifit. But you know I'm yet to thank you for chufing my little library.

HONEYWOOD,

Thanks, madam, are unneceffary; as it was I that was obliged by your commands. Chairs here. Two of my very good friends, Mr. Twitch and Mr. Flanigan. Pray, gentlemen, fit without cere

mony.

Mifs RICHLAND,

Who can these odd-looking men be! I fear it is as I was informed. It must be fo. (Afide.)

BAILIFF,

BAILIFF, after a Pause.

Pretty weather, very pretty weather for the time of the year, madam.

FOLLOWER.

Very good circuit weather in the country.
HONEYWOOD.

You officers are generally favourites among the ladies. My friends, madam, have been upon very disagreeable duty, I affure you. The fair fhould, in some measure, recompence the toils of the brave! Mifs RICHLAND.

Our officers do indeed deferve every favour. The gentlemen are in the marine fervice, I prefume, Sir?

HONEYWOOD.

Why, madam, they do occafionally serve in the fleet, madam. A dangerous fervice!

Mifs RICHLAND.

I'm told fo. And I own, it has often furprized me, that while we have had fo many inftances of bravery there, we have had fo few of wit at home to praise it.

HONEYWOOD.

I grant, madam, that our poets have not written as our foldiers have fought; but they have done all they could, and Hawke or Amherft could do do

more.

Mifs RICHLAND.

I'm quite difpleased when I fee a fine fubject fpoiled by a dull writer.

HONEY

HONEYWOOD.

We should not be fo fevere against dull writers, madam. It is ten to one, but the dulleft writer exceeds the most rigid French critic who prefumes to defpife him.

FOLLOWER.

Damn the French, the parle vous, and all that belongs to them.

Sir!

Mifs RICHLAND.

HONEYWOOD.

Ha, ha, ha! honeft Mr. Flanigan. A true Englifh officer, madam; he's not contented with beating the French, but he will fcold them too.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Yet, Mr. Honeywood, this does not convince me but that severity in criticifm is neceffary. It was our first adopting the feverity of French tafte, that has brought them in turn to tafte us.

BAILIFF.

Tafte us! By the Lord, madam, they devour us. Give monfeers but a tafte, and I'll be damn'd but they come in for a bellyful.

Mifs RICHLAND,

Very extraordinary this!

FOLLOWER.

But very true. What makes the bread rifing? the parle vous that devour us. What makes the mutton fivepence a pound? the parle vous that eat

it up. What makes the beer threepence-halfpenny a pot?

HONEYWOOD.

Ah! the vulgar rogues; all will be out. (Afide.) Right, gentlemen, very right, upon my word, and quite to the purpose. They draw a parallel, madam, between the mental taste and that of our fenfes. We are injured as much by French severity in the one, as by French rapacity in the other. That's their meaning.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Though I don't fee the force of the parallel, yet, I'll own, that we should fometimes pardon books, as we do our friends, that have now and then agreeable abfurdities to recommend them.

That's all my eye.

as the laws fays: for,

BAILIFF.

The king only can pardon, fet in cafe

HONEYWOOD.

I'm quite of your opinion, Sir. I fee the whole drift of your argument. Yes, certainly, our prefuming to pardon any work, is arrogating a power that belongs to a another. If all have power to condemn, what writer can be free?

BRILIFF.

By his habus corpus. His habus corpus can fet him free at any time: for, fet in cafe

HONEYWOOD.

I'm obliged to you, Sir, for the hint. If, madam, as my friend obferves, our laws are fo careful

of

of a gentleman's perfon, fure we ought to be equally careful of his dearer part, his fame.

FOLLOWER.

Ay, but if fo be a man's nabb'd, you know-
HONEYWOOD.

Mr. Flanigan, if you spoke for ever, you could not improve the laft obfervation. For my own part, I think it conclufive.

BAILIFF.

As for the matter of that, mayhap

HONEYWOOD.

Nay, Sir, give me leave in this inftance to be fitive. For, where is the neceffity of cenfuring works without genius, which must fhortly fink of themselves? what is it, but aiming our unnecessary blow against a victim already under the hands of juftice?

BAILIFF.

Juftice! O, by the elevens, if you talk about juftice, I think I am at home there: for, in a course of law

HONEYWOOD.

My dear Mr. Twitch, I discern what you'd be at perfectly; and I believe the lady must be fenfible of the art with which it is introduced. I fuppofe you perceive the meaning, madam of his course of law, Mifs RICHLAND.

I proteft, Sir, I do not. I perceive only that you anfwer one gentleman before he has finished, and the other before he has well begun.

BAILIFF.

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