Fram. When I see my friend upon the verge of a precipice, is that a time for compliment? Shall I not rudely rush forward, and drag him from it? Just in that state you are at present, and I will strive to save you. Virtue may languish in a noble heart, and suffer her rival, vice, to usurp her power; but baseness must not enter, or she flies forever The man who has forfeited his own esteem, thinks all the world has the same consciousness, and therefore is, what he deserves to be, a wretch.

Lord Eust. Oh, Frampton! you have lodged a dagger in my heart.

Fram. No, my dear Eustace, I have saved you from one, from your own reproaches, by preventing your being guilty of a meanness which you could never have forgiven yourself. Lord Eust. Can you forgive me, and be still my friend? Frum. As firmly as I have ever been, my lord. But let us, at present, hasten to get rid of the mean business we are engaged in, and forward the letters we have no right to detain.

XXVII.—FROM THE BEAUX STRATAGEM.-Farquhar.

BONIFACE-AIMWELL.

Boniface. This way, this way, sir.
Aimwell. You're my landlord, I suppose.

Bon. Yes, sir, I'm old Will Boniface; pretty well known upon the road. as the saying is.

Aim. O, Mr. Boniface, your servant.

Bon. O, sir, what will your honor please to drink, as the saying is?

Aim. I have heard your town of Litchfield much famed for ale; I think I'll taste that!

Bon. Sir. I have now in my cellar, ten ton of the best ale in Staffordshire; 'tis smooth as oil, sweet as milk, clear as amber and strong as brandy; and will be just fourteen years old the fifth day of March next old style.

Aim. Bon. dren.

You're very exact. I find, in the age of your ale. As punctual, sir, as I am in the age of my chilI'll show you such ale!-Here. tapster, broach num ber 1706, as the saying is-Sir you shall taste my anno

domini. I have lived in Litchfield, man and boy above eight-and-fifty years, and, I believe, have not consumed. eight-and-fifty ounces of ineat.

Aim. At a meal, you mean, if any one may guess by your bulk.

Bon. Not in my life, sir; I have fed purely upon my ale: I have ate my ale, drank my ale, and I always sleep upon ale. [Enter tapster, with a tankard.] Now, sir, you shall see your worship's health. [Drinks] Ha! delicious, delicious! Fancy it Burgundy; only fancy it—and 'tis worth ten shillings a quart.

Aim. [Drinks.] 'Tis confounded strong.

Bon. Strong! It must be so, or how should we be strong that drink it?

Aim. And have you lived so long upon this ale, landlord? Bon. Eight-and-fifty years, upon my credit, sir; but it killed my wife, poor woman, as the saying is

Aim. How came that to pass?

Bon. I don't know how, sir. She was for qualifying it every now and then. with a dram, as the saying is; and an honest gentleman that came this way, from Ireland, made her a present of a dozen bottles of usquebaugh; but the poor woman was never well after; but, however, I was obliged to the gentleman you know.

Aim. Why, was it the usquebaugh that killed her?

Bon. My Lady Bountiful said so; she good lady, did what could be done: she cured her of three tympanies; but the fourth carried her off. But she's happy, and I'm contented, as the saying is.

Aim. Who is that Lady Bountiful, you mentioned? Bon. Odds my life, sir, we'll drink her health. [Drinks.] My Lady Bountiful is one of the best of women. Her last husband, Sir Charles Bountiful. left her worth a thousand pounds a year; and I believe she lays out one half on't in charitable uses for the good of her neighbors.

Aim. Has the lady been any other way useful in her generation?

Bon. Yes, sir, she had a daughter by Sir Charles—the finest woman in all our country, and the, greatest fortune. She has a son, too. by her first husband, Squire Sullen, who married a fine lady from London t'other day; if you please, sir, we'll drink his health. [Drinks.]

Aim. What sort of a man is he?

Bon: Why, sir, the man's well enough; says little, thinks

less, and does-nothing at all, faith; but he's a man of great estate, and values nobody.

Aim. A sportsman, I suppose ?

Bon. Yes, he's a man of pleasure; he plays at whist and smokes his pipe eight-and-forty hours together, sometimes Aim. Fine sportsman, truly and married, you say?

Bon. Ay; and to a curious woman, sir -But he's my landlord and so a man, you know, would not---Sir, my humble service to you [Drinks.] Though I value not a farthing what he can do to me; I pay him his rent at quarter-day: I have a running trade- I have but one daughter, and can give her- -no matter for that.

Aim. You're very happy, Mr. Boniface: pray, what other company have you in town?

Bon. A power of fine ladies; and then we have the French officers.

Aim. O, that's right; you have a good many of those gentlemen. Pray, how do you like their company?

Bon. So well, as the saying is, that I could wish we had many more of them. They're full of money, and pay dou ble for everything they have. They know, sir, that we paid good round taxes for taking of 'em; and so they are willing to reimburse us a little one of 'em lodges in my house. [Bell rings.] I beg your worship's pardon-I'll wait on you again in half a minute. [Exeunt.]

XXVIII.-FROM NOLENS VOLENS.-Hall.

SIR CHRISTOPHER-QUIZ.

[NOTE. Sir Christopher is an elderly gentleman, who has a son at college, against whom he is much enraged for having fallen prematurely in love. Quiz, under the assumed name of " Blackletter," personates a professor of languages, having come for the purpose of pacifying Sir Christopher, and thus to obtain money for the son.]

Sir Christopher. And so, friend Blackletter, you are just come from college?

Quiz. Yes, sir.

Sir Ch. Ah, Mr. Blackletter, I once loved the name of a college, until my son proved so worthless.

Quiz. In the name of all the literati, what do you mean! You fond of books, and not bless your stars in giving you

such a son!

Sir Ch.

Ah, sir, he was once a youth of promise.—But do you know him?

Quiz.

What! Frederick Classic ?—Ay, that I do--heaven be praised!

Sir Ch. I tell you, Mr. Blackletter, he is wonderfully changed.

Quiz. And a lucky change for him. What, I suppose he was once a wild young fellow?

Sir Ch. No, sir, you don't understand me, or I don't you. I tell you, he neglects his studies and is foolishly in love, for which I shall certainly cut him off with a shilling.

Quiz. You surprise me, sir. I must beg leave to undeceive you you are either out of your senses, or some wicked enemy of his has, undoubtedly, done him this injury. Why, sir, he is in love, I grant you, but it is only with his book. He hardly allows himself time to eat; and as for sleep, he scarcely takes two hours in the twenty four This is a thumper; for the dog has not looked into a book these six months, to my certain knowledge. [Aside.]

Sir Ch. I have received a letter from farmer Downright this very day, who tells me he has received a letter from him, containing proposals for his daughter.

Quiz. This is very strange. I left him at college as close to his books as-oh oh I believe I can solve this mystery, and much to your satisfaction.

Sir Ch. I should be happy indeed if you could.

Quiz. Oh, as plain as that two and three are five. 'Tis thus: : an envious fellow, a rival of your son's-a fellow who has not as much sense in his whole corporation, as your son has in his little finger-yes, I heard this very fellow ordering a messenger to farmer Downright, with a letter; and this is, no doubt, the very one. Why, sir, your son will certainly surpass the Admirable Crichton. Sir Isaac Newton will be a perfect automaton compared with him; and the sages of antiquity, if resuscitated, would hang their heads in despair.

Sir Ch. Is it possible that my son is now at college, making these great improvements?

Quiz. Ay, that he is sir.

Sir Ch. [Rubbing his hands.] Oh, the dear fellow, the dear fellow !

Quiz. Sir, you may turn to any part of Homer, and repeat one line-he will take it up, and by dint of memory, continue repeating to the end of the book.

Sir Ch. Well, well, well. I find I was doing him great injustice; however, I'll make him ample amends - oh, the dear fellow, the dear fellow, the dear fellow-[With great joy-he will be immortalized; and so shall I, for if I had not cherished the boy's genius in embryo, he would never have soared above mediocrity

Quiz. True, sir.

Sir Ch. I cannot but think what superlative pleasure I shall have when my son has got his education. No other man's in England shall be comparative with it-of that I am positive. Why, sir, the moderns are such dull, plodding, senseless barbarians, that a man of learning is as hard to be found, as the unicorn.

Quiz. 'Tis much to be regretted, sir; but such is the lamentable fact.

Sir Ch. Even the shepherds, in days of yore, spoke their mother tongue in Latin; and now, hic, hæc, hoc, is as little understood as the language of the moon.

Quiz. Your son, sir, will be a phenomenon, depend upon it.

Sir Ch. So much the better so much the better. I expected soon to have been in the vocative, for, you know, you found me in the accusative case, and that's very near it—ha! ha ha!

Quiz. You have reason to be merry, sir, I promise you. Sir Ch. I have, indeed. Well, I shall leave off interjections, and promote an amicable conjunction with the dear fellow. Oh! we shall never think of addressing each other in plain English-no, no, we will converse in the pure classical language of the ancients. You remember the Eclogues of Virgil, Mr. Blackletter?

Quiz. Oh, yes, sir, perfectly; have 'em at my fingers' ends. Not a bit of a one did I ever hear of in my life.

Aside.]

Sir Ch. How sweetly the first of them begins! Quiz. Very sweetly, indeed, sir. [Aside.] I heartily wish he would change the subject.

6.

Sir Ch. Tytere, tu patulæ recubans;" faith, 'tis more musical than fifty hand-organs.

Quiz. [Aside. I had rather hear a jew's-harp.

Sir Ch. Talking of music, though-the Greek is the language for that.