D. Man. Civil rascal! [Aside.] No, no, as you say, I hope you won't take it ill neither; for how do I know, you know, but what you tell me (begging your pardon again, sir,) may be all a lie!

D. Ph. Another man, indeed, might say the same to you; but I shall take it kindly, sir, if you suppose me a villain no oftener than you have occasion to suspect me.

D. Man. Sir, you speak like a man of honour, it is confessed; but (begging your pardon again, sir,) so may a rascal too sometimes.

D. Ph. But a man of honour, sir, can never speak like a rascal.

D. Man. Why, then, with your honour's leave, sir, is there nobody here in Madrid that knows you?

D. Ph. Sir, I never saw Madrid till within these two hours, though there is a gentleman in town that knew me intimately at Seville; I met him by accident at the inn where I alighted; he's known here; if it will give you any present satisfaction, I believe I could easily produce him to vouch for me.

D. Man. At the inn, say ye, did you meet this gentleman? What's his name, pray?

D. Ph. Octavio Cruzado.

D. Man. Ha, my bully confessor! this agrees word for word with honest Trappanti's intelligence[Aside.]-Well, sir, and pray what does he give you for this job?

D. Ph. Job, sir!

D. Man. Ay, that is, do you undertake it out of good fellowship, or are you to have a sort of fellowfeeling in the matter?

D. Ph. Sir, if you believe me to be the son of Don Fernando, I must tell ye, your manner of receiving me is what you ought not to suppose can please him, or I can thank you for; if you think me an impostor, I'll ease you of the trouble of suspecting me, and leave your house till I can bring better proofs who I am.

D. Man. Do so, friend; and in the mean time, d'ye see, pray give my humble service to the politician, and tell him, that to your certain knowledge the old fellow, the old rogue, and the old put, d'ye see, knows how to bamboozle as well as himself.

D. Ph. Politician! and bamboozle! Pray, sir, let me understand you, that I may know how to answer

you.

D. Man. Come, come, don't be discouraged, friend -sometimes, you know, the strongest wits must fail. You have an admirable head, it is confessed, with as able a face to it as ever stuck upon two shoulders; but who the devil can help ill luck for it happens at this time, d'ye see, that it won't do.

D. Ph. Won't do, sir?

D. Man. Nay, if you won't understand me now, here comes an honest fellow that will speak you point blank to the matter.

Enter TRAPPANTI.

Come hither, friend; dost thou know this gentleman?

Trap. Bless me, sir is it you? Sir, this is my old master I lived with at Seville.

D. Ph. I remember thee; thy name's Trappanti ; thou wert my servant when I first went to travel.

Trap. Ay, sir, and about twenty months after you came home too.

D. Ph. You see, sir, this fellow knows me.

D. Man. Oh, I never questioned it in the least, sir Pr'ythee, what's this worthy gentleman's name, friend?

Trap. Sir, your honour has heard me talk of him a thousand times; his name, sir, his name is Guzman : his father, sir, old Don Guzman, is the most eminent lawyer in Seville, was the very person that drew up the settlement and articles of my master's marriage with your honour's daughter: this gentleman knows all the particulars as well as if he had drawn them up himself: but, sir, I hope there's no mistake in them that may defer the marriage.

D. Ph. Confusion!

D. Man. Now, sir, what sort of answer d'ye think fit to make me?

D. Ph. Now, sir, that I'm obliged in honour not to leave your house till I at least have seen the villain that calls himself Don Philip, that has robbed me of my portmanteau, and would you, sir, of your honour and your daughter-As for this rascal

Trap. Sir, I demand protection.

[Runs behind Don Manuel.

D. Man. Hold, sir; since you are so brisk, and in my own house too, call your master, friend: you'll find we have swords within can match you.

Trap. Ay, sir, I may chance to send you one will take down your courage.

[Exit Trappanti. I must confess the

D. Ph. I ask your pardon, sir; villany I saw designed against my father's friend had transported me beyond good manners; but be assured, sir, use me henceforward as you please, I will detect it though I lose my life. Nothing shall affront me now till I have proved myself your friend indeed, and Don Fernando's son,

D. Man. Nay, look ye, sir, I will be very civil too -I won't say a word-you shall e'en squabble it out by yourselves; not but at the same time thou art to me the merriest fellow that ever I saw in my life.

Enter HYPOLITA, FLORA, and TRAPPANTI. Hyp. Who's this that dares usurp my name, and calls himself Don Philip de las Torres ?

D. Ph. Ha! this is a young competitor indeed!

Flo. Is this the gentleman, sir ?

D Man. Yes, yes, that's he: ha, ha!

[side.

D. Ph. Yes, sir, I'm the man who but this morning lost that name upon the road; I'm informed an impudent young ascal has picked it out of some writings in the portmanteau he robbed me of, and has brought it hither before me. D'ye know any such, sir?

[Aside.

Flo. The fellow really does it very well, sir. D. Man. Oh, to a miracle! D. Ph. Pr'ythee, friend, how long dost thou expect thy impudence will keep thee out of gaol? Could not the coxcomb that put thee upon this inform thee too that this gentleman was a magistrate ?

D. Man. Well said, my little champion.

D. Ph. Now, in my opinion, child, that might as well put thee in mind of thy own condition; for sup pose thy wit and impudence should so far succeed as to let thee ruin this gentleman's family, by really marrying his daughter, thou canst not but know 'tis impossible thou shouldst enjoy her long; a very few days must unavoidably discover thee: in the meantime, if thou wilt spare me the trouble of exposing thee, and generously confess thy roguery, thus far I'll forgive thee; but if thou still proceedest upon his credulity to a marriage with the lady, don't flatter thyself that all her fortune shall buy off my evidence, for I'm bound in honour as well as law to hang thee for the robbery.

Hyp. Sir, you are extremely kind.

Flo. Very civil, egad.

Hyp. But may not I presume, my dear friend! this wheedle was offered as a trial of this gentleman's credulity? Ha, ha hal

D. Man. Indeed, my friend, 'tis a very shallow one. Canst thou think I'm such a sot as to believe that if he knew 'twere in thy power to hang him, he would not have run away at the first sight of thee?