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Enter CROAKER.

CROAKER.

Death and deftruction! Are all the horrors of air, fire and water to be levelled only at me! Am I only to be fingled out for gunpowder-plots, combuftibles and conflagration! Here it is-An incendiary letter dropped at my door. "To mufter Croaker, these, "with speed." Aye, aye, plain enough the direction all in the genuine incendiary fpelling, and as cramp as the devil. "With speed." O, confound your speed. But let me read it once more. (Reads.) "Mufler Croaker as fone as yoew fee this "leve twenty guineas at the bar of the Talboot tell "called for or yowe and yower experetion will be "al blown up." Ah, but too plain. Blood and gunpowder in every line of it. Blown up! mur-" derous dog! All blown up! Heavens! what have I and my poor family done, to be all blown up! (Reads.)" Our pockets are low, and money we must "have." Aye, there's the reafon; they'll blow us up, because they have got low pockets. (Reads.) "It is but a fhort time you have to confider; for if "this takes wind, the houfe will quickly be all of a flame." Inhuman monfters! blow us up, and then burn us. The earthquake at Lisbon was but a bonfire to it. (Reads.) "Make quick dispatch, "and so no more at prefent. But may Cupid, the "little god of love, go with you wherever you go" The little god of love! Cupid, the little god of

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love go with me! Go you to the devil, you and your little Cupid together; I'm fo frightened, I scarce know whether I fit, ftand, or go. Perhaps this moment I'm treading on lighted matches, blazing brimftone and barrels of gunpowder. They are preparing to blow me up into the clouds. Murder! We fhall be all burnt in our beds; we fhall be all burnt in our beds.

Enter Mifs RICHLAND.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Lord, Sir, what's the matter?

CROAKER.

Murder's the matter. We shall be all blown up in our beds before morning.

Mifs RICHLAND.

I hope not, Sir.

CROAKER.

What fignifies what you hope, madam, when I have a certificate of it here in my hand? Will nothing alarm my family? Sleeping and eating, fleeping and eating is the only work from morning till night in my houfe. My infenfible crew could fleep, though rock'd by an earthquake; and fry beef fteaks at a volcano.

Mifs RICHLAND.

But, Sir, you have alarmed them fo often already, we have nothing but earthquakes, famines, plagues, and mad dogs from year's end to year's end. You

remem

remember, Sir, it is not above a month ago, you affured us of a confpiracy among the bakers, to poifon us in our bread; and fo kept the whole family a week upon potatoes.

CROAKER.

And potatoes were too good for them. But why do I stand talking here with a girl, when I should be facing the enemy without? Here, John, Nicodemus, fearch the houfe. Look into the cellars, to fee if there be any combuftibles below; and above, in the apartments, that no matches be thrown in at the windows. Let all the fires be put out, and let the engine be drawn out in the yard, to play upon the houfe in cafe of neceflity. [Exit.

Mifs RICHLAND, alone.

What can he mean by all this? Yet, why fhould I inquire, when he alarms us in this manner almost every day! But Honeywood has defired an interview with me in private. What can he mean? or, rather, what means this palpitation at his approach? It is the first time he ever fhewed any thing in his conduct that feemed particular. Sure he cannot mean to but he's here.

Enter HONEYWOOD.

HONEYWOOD.

I prefumed to folicit this interview, madam, be

fore I left town, to be permitted

Mifs RICHLAND.

Indeed! Leaving town, Sir?

HONEYWOOD.

Yes, madam; perhaps the kingdom. I have prefumed, I fay, to defire the favour of this interview, -in order to difclofe fomething which our long friendship prompts. And yet my fears

Mifs RICHLAND.

His fears! What are his fears to mine? (Afide.) We have indeed been long acquainted, Sir; very long. If I remember, our first meeting was at the French ambaffador's.-Do you recollect how you were pleased to rally me upon my complexion there?

HONEYWOOD.

Perfectly, madam: I prefumed to reprove you for painting but your warmer blushes foon convinced the company, that the colouring was all from

nature.

Mifs RICHLAND.

And yet you only meant it, in your good-natured way, to make me pay a compliment to myself. In the fame manner you danced that night with the moft aukward woman in company, because you faw nobody else would take her out.

HONEYWOOD.

Yes; and was rewarded the next night, by dancing with the finest woman in company, whom every body wished to take out.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Well, Sir, if you thought fo then, I fear your judgment has fince corrected the errors of a first impreffion. We generally fhew to most advantage at first. Our fex are like poor tradesmen, that put all their best goods to be feen at the windows.

HONEYWOOD.

The first impreffion, madam, did indeed deceive me. I expected to find a woman with all the faults of conscious flattered beauty. I expected to find her vain and infolent. But every day has fince taught me that it is poffible to poffefs fenfe without pride, and beauty without affectation.

Mifs RICHLAND.

This, Sir, is a ftyle very unufual with Mr. Honeywood; and I fhould be glad to know why he thus attempts to encrease that vanity, which his own leffons have taught me to defpife.

HONEYWOOD.

I ask pardon, madam. Yet, from our long friendship, I prefumed I might have some right to offer, without offence, what you may refufe without offending.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Sir! I beg you'd reflect; though, I fear, I fhall fcarce have any power to refufe a request of yours; yet you may be precipitate: confider, Sir.

HONEYWood.

I own my rafhnefs; but, as I plead the cause of friendship, of one who loves-Don't be alarmed, madam

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