Enter JENNY.

Jenny. O, madam! I have betrayed you. I have gone and said something I should not have said to my uncle Jenkins; and, as sure as day, he has gone and told it all to Sir John.

Enter SIR JOHN FLOWERDALE and JENKINS.

Clar. My father!

Sir J. F. Go, Jenkins, and desire that young gentleman to come back- [Exit JENKINS.] stay where you are. But, what have I done to you, my child ? · How have I deserved, that you should treat me like an enemy? Has there been any undesigned rigour in my conduct, or terror in my looks?

Clar. Oh, sir!,

Enter JENKINS and LIONEL.

Jenk. Here is Mr. Lionel.

Sir J. F. Come in-When I tell you, that I am instructed in all your proceedings, and that I have been ear-witness to your conversation in this place, you will, perhaps, imagine what my thoughts are of you, and the measures which justice prescribes me to follow.

Lionel. Sir, I have nothing to say in my own defence; I stand before you, self-convicted, self-condemned, and shall submit without murmuring to the sentence of my judge.

Sir J. F. As for you, Clarissa, since your earliest infancy, you have known no parent but me; I have been to you, at once, both father and mother; and, that I might the better fulfil those united duties, though left a widower in the prime of my days, I would never enter into a second marriage--I loved you for your likeness to your dear mother; but, that mother never

G

deceived me—and there the likeness fails--you have repaid my affection with dissimulation-Clarissa, you should have trusted me.-As for you, Mr. Lionel, what terms can I find strong enough to paint the excess of my friendship!-I loved, I esteemed, I honoured your father: he was a brave, a generous, and a sincere man; I thought you inherited his good qualities-you were left an orphan; I adopted you, put you upon the footing of my own son; educated you like a gentleman; and designed you for a profession, to which I thought your virtues would have been an ornament. What return you have made me, you seem to be acquainted with yourself, and, therefore, I shall not repeat it-Yet, remember, as an aggrava tion of your guilt, that the last mark of my bounty was conferred upon you in the very instant when you were undermining my designs. Now, sir, I have but one thing more to say to you-take my daughter; was she worth a million, she is at your service.

Lionel. To me, sir!-your daughter-do you give her to me?-Without fortune-without friends!without

Sir J. F. You have them all in your heart; him, whom virtue raises, fortune cannot abase.

Clar. O, sir, let me on my knees kiss that dear hand ---acknowledge my error, and entreat forgiveness and blessing.

Sir J. F. You have not erred, my dear daughter; you have distinguished. It is I should ask pardon, for this little trial of you, for I am happier in the son-inlaw you have given me, than if you had married a prince.

Lionel: My patron-my friend-my father-I would fain say something; but, as your goodness exceeds all bounds

Sir J. F. I think I hear a coach drive into the court; it is Colonel Oldboy's family; I will go and

receive them. Don't make yourself uneasy at this; we must endeavour to pacify them as well as we can. My dear Lionel, if I have made you happy, you have made me so. Heaven bless you, my children, and make you deserving of one another.

[Exeunt SIR JOHN and JENKINS. Jenny. O dear, madam, upon my knees, I humbly beg your forgiveness.-Dear Mr. Lionel, forgive me -I did not design to discover it, indeed--and you won't turn me off, madam, will you? I'll serve you for nothing.

Clar. Get up, my good Jenny, I freely forgive you, if there is any thing to be forgiven. I know you love me, and I am sure here is one who will join with me in rewarding your services.

Jenny. Well, if I did not know, as sure as could be, that some good would happen, by my left eye itching this morning!

[Exit.

Lionel. O bliss unexpected! my joys overpow'r me!

My love, my Clarissa, what words shall I find! Remorse, desperation, no longer devour me

He bless'd us, and peace is restor❜d to my mind. Clar. He bless'd us! O rapture! Like one I recover Whom death had appall'd, without hope, without aid;

A moment depriv'd me of father and lover ;
A moment restores, and my pains are repaid.

Lionel. Forsaken, abandon'd,

Clar,

What folly! what blindness!

Lionel. We fortune accus'd;

Clar. And the fates that decreed.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another Apartment in SIR JOHN's House.

Enter LADY MARY OLDBOY, MR. JESSAMY leading

her.

Lady M. O. 'Tis all in vain, my dear-set me down any where; I can't go a step further—I knew, when Mr. Oldboy insisted upon my coming, that I should be seized with a meagrim by the way; and it's well I did not die in the coach.

Jess. But, pr'ythee, why will you let yourself be affected with such trifles-Nothing more common than for young women of fashion to go off with low fellows.

Lady M. O. Only feel, my dear, how I tremble! Not a nerve but what is in agitation; and my blood runs cold, cold!

Jess. Well, but, Lady Mary, don't let us expose ourselves to those people! I see there is not one of the rascals about us, that has not a grin upon his

countenance.

Lady M. O. Expose ourselves, my dear! Your father will be as ridiculous as Hudibras, Quixote.

or Don

Enter SIR JOHN FLOWERDALE and COLONEL

OLDBOY.

Sir J. F. I give you my word, my good friend and neighbour, the joy I feel upon this occasion is greatly allayed by the disappointment of an alliance with your family; but I have explained to you how things have

happened-You see my situation; and, as you are kind enough to consider it yourself, I hope you will excuse it to your son.

Lady M. O. Sir John Flowerdale, how do you do? You see we have obeyed your summons; and I have the pleasure to assure you, that my son yielded to my entreaties with very little disagreement: in short, if I may speak metaphorically, he is content to stand candidate again, notwithstanding his late repulse, when he hopes for an unanimous election.

Col. O. My lady, you may save your rhetoric; for the borough is disposed of to a worthier member. Jess. What do you say, sir?

Enter LIONEL and CLARISSA.

Sir J. F. Here are my son and daughter.
Lady M. O. Is this pretty, Sir John?

Sir J. F. Believe me, madam, it is not for want of a just sense of Mr. Jessamy's merit, that this affair has gone off on my side: but the heart is a delicate thing; and after it has once felt, if the object is meritorious, the impression is not easily effaced; it would therefore have been an injury to him, to have given him in appearance what another in reality posscssed.

Jess. Upon my honour, upon my soul, Sir John, I am not the least offended at this contre temps-Pray, Lady Mary, say no more about it.

Col. O. Tol, lol, lol, lol.

Sir J. F. But, my dear Colonel, I am afraid, after all, this affair is taken amiss by you; yes, I see you are angry on your son's account; but let me repeat it, I have a very high opinion of his merit.

Col. O. Ay! that's more than I have. Taken amiss! I don't take any thing amiss; I never was in better spirits, or more pleased, in my life.

Sir J. F. Come, you are uneasy at something, Colonel?