BAILIFF. Madam, you are a gentlewoman, and I will make the matter out. This here question is about severity and justice, and pardon, and the like of they. Now to explain the thing HONEYWOOD. O! curfe your explanations. Enter SERVANT. SERVANT. [Afide. Mr. Leontine, Sir, below, defires to speak with you upon earnest business. HONEYWOOD. That's lucky. (Afide.) Dear madam, you'll excufe me and my good friends here, for a few minutes. There are books, madam, to amufe you. Come, gentlemen, you know I make no ceremony with fuch friends. After you, Sir. Excufe me. Well, if I muft. But I know your natural politeness. BAILIFF. Before and behind, you know. FOLLOWER. Ay, ay, before and behind, before and behind. [Exeunt Honeywood, Bailiff, and Follower. Mifs RICHLAND. What can all this mean, Garnet? GARNET. Mean, madam! why, what should it mean, but what Mr. Lofty fent you here to fee! fee! These peo ple ple he calls officers are officers fure enough: fheriff's officers; bailiffs, madam. Mifs RICHLAND. Ay, it is certainly fo. Well, though his perplexities are far from giving me pleasure, yet I own there's fomething very ridiculous in them, and a just punishment for his diffimulation. GARNET. And fo they are. But I wonder, madam, that the lawyer you just employed to pay his debts, and fet him free, has not done it by this time. He ought at least to have been here before now. But lawyers are always more ready to get a man into troubles, than out of them. Enter Sir WILLIAM. Sir WILLIAM. For Mifs Richland to undertake fetting him free, I own, was quite unexpected. It has totally unhinged my schemes to reclaim him. Yet, it gives me pleasure to find, that, among a number of worthlefs friendships, he has made one acquifition of real value; for there must be fome fofter paffion on her fide that prompts this generofity. Ha! here before me: I'll endeavour to found her affections. Madam, as I am the perfon that have had fome demands upon the gentleman of this houfe, I hope you'll excufe me, if, before I enlarged him, I wanted to see yourself. Mifs RICHLAND. The precaution was very unneceffary, Sir. I fuppofe your wants were only fuch as my agent had power to fatisfy. Sir WILLIAM. Partly, madam. But, I was alfo willing you fhould be fully apprized of the character of the gentleman you intended to serve. Mifs RICHLAND. It must come, fir, with a very ill grace from you. To cenfure it, after what you have done, would look like malice; and, to fpeak favourably of a character you have oppreffed, would be impeaching And fure, his tenderness, his humanity, your own. his universal friendship, may atone for many faults. Sir WILLIAM. That friendship, madam, which is exerted in too wide a fphere, becomes totally ufelefs. Our bounty, like a drop of water, difappears when diffused too widely. They, who pretend moft to this univerfal benevolence, are either deceivers, or dupes. Men who defire to cover their private ill-nature, by a pretended regard for all; or, men who, reasoning themselves into falfe feelings, are more earnest in purfuit of fplendid, than of ufeful virtues. Mifs RICHLAND. I am furprised, Sir, to hear one, who has probably been a gainer by the folly of others, fo fevere in his cenfure of it. Sir WILLIAM. Whatever I may have gained by folly, madam, you fee I am willing to prevent your lofing by it. Mifs RICHLAND. You cares for me, Sir, are unneceffary. I always fufpect thofe fervices which are denied where they are wanted, and offered, perhaps, in hopes of a refufal. No, Sir, my directions have been given, and I infift upon their being complied with. Sir WILLIAM. Thou amiable woman! I can no longer contain the expreffions of my gratitude: my pleasure. You fee before you one, who has been equally careful of his intereft; one, who has for fome time been a concealed fpectator of his follies, and only punished, in hopes to reclaim them-his uncle! Mifs RICHLAND. Sir William Honeywood! You amaze me. How fhall I conceal my confufion? I fear, Sir, you'll think I have been too forward in my fervices. I confefs I Sir WILLIAM. Don't make any apologies, madam. I only find myself unable to repay the obligation. And yet, I have been trying my intereft of late to ferve you. Having learnt, madam, that you had fome demands upon government, I have, though unafked, been your folicitor there. VOL. II. F Mifs Mifs RICHLAND. Sir, I'm infinitely obliged to your intentions. But my guardian has employed another gentleman who affures him of fuccefs. Sir WILLIAM. Who, the important little man that vifits here? Truft me, madam, he's quite contemptible among men in power, and utterly unable to ferve you. Mr. Lofty's promises are much better known to people of fashion, than his perfon, I affure you. Mifs RICHLAND. How have we been deceived! As fure as can be, here he comes. Does he Sir WILLIAM. Remember I'm to continue unknown. My return to England has not as yet been made public. With what impudence he enters! Enter LOFTY. Let the chariot-let my chariot drive off; I'll vifit to his grace's in a chair. Mifs Richland here before me! Punctual, as ufual, to the calls of humanity. I'm very forry, madam, things of this kind fhould happen, especially to a man I have fhewn every where, and carried amongst us as a particular acquaintance. Mifs RICHLAND. I find, Sir, you have the art of making the misfortunes of others your own. LOFTY. |