Lady T. Well, if it had not been for this last piece of sobriety, I was just going to call for some surfeit

water.

Lady G. Why, don't you think, with the further aid of breakfasting, dining, and taking the air, supping, sleeping, not to say a word of devotion, the four-andtwenty hours might roll over in a tolerable manner?

Lady T. Tolerable! deplorable! Why, child, all you propose is but to endure life; now I want to enjoy it. Enter MRS. TRUSTY.

Mrs. T. Ma'am, your ladyship's chair is ready. Lady T. Have the footmen their white flambeaux yet? for last night I was poisoned.

Mrs. T. Yes, ma'am, there were some came in this morning.

[Exit. Lady T. My dear, you will excuse me; but, you know, my time is so precious-———

Lady G. That I beg I may not hinder your least enjoyment of it.

Lady T. You will call on me at lady Revel's?
Lady G. Certainly.

Lady T. But I am so afraid it will break into your scheme, my dear!

Lady G. When it does, I will-soberly break from

you.

Lady T. Why then, till we meet again, dear sister, I wish you all tolerable happiness.

[Exeunt.

Enter LORD TOWNLY and MANLY. Lord T. I did not think my lady Wronghead had such a notable brain; though I can't say she was so very wise, in trusting this silly girl, you call Myrtilla, with the secret.

Man. No, my lord, you mistake me; had the girl been in the secret, perhaps I had never come at it myself.

Lord T. Why, I thought you said the girl writ this letter to you, and that my lady Wronghead sent it enclosed to my sister.

Mun. If you please to give me leave, my lord-the fact is thus-This enclosed letter to lady Grace was a real, original one, written by this girl to the count we have been talking of; the count drops it, and my lady Wronghead finds it-then, only changing the cover, she seals it up, as a letter of business, just written by herself to me; and pretending to be in a hurry, gets this innocent girl to write the direction for her.

Lord T. Oh, then the girl did not know she was superscribing a billet-doux of her own, to you?

Man. No, my lord; for when I first questioned her about the direction, she owned it immediately; but when I showed her that her letter to the count was within it, and told her how it came into my hands, the poor creature was amazed, and thought herself betrayed, both by the count and my lady-in short, upon this discovery, the girl and I grew so gracious, that she has let me into some transactions in my lady Wronghead's family, which, with my having a careful eye over them, may prevent the ruin of it.

Lord T. You are very generous, to be so solicitous for a lady that has given you so much uneasiness.

Man. But I will be most unmercifully revenged of her; for I will do her the greatest friendship in the world-against her will.

Lord T. What an uncommon philosophy art thou master of, to make even thy malice a virtue!

Man. Yet, my lord, 1 assure you there is no one action of my life gives me more pleasure than your approbation of it.

Lord T. Dear Charles! my heart's impatient till thou art nearer to me; and, as a proof that I have long wished thee so, while your daily conduct has chosen rather to deserve, than to ask, my sister's favour, I have been as secretly industrious to make her sensible of your merit; and since, on this occasion, you have opened your whole heart to me, 'tis now with equal pleasure I assure you we have both succeeded-she is as firmly yours

Man. Impossible! you flatter me!

Lord T. I'm glad you think it flattery, but she herself shall prove it none; she dines with us alone :— when the servants are withdrawn, I'll open a conversation that shall excuse my leaving you together-Oh, Charles! had I, like thee, been cautious in my choice, what melancholy hours had this heart avoided!

Man. No more of that, I beg, my lord.

Lord T. But 'twill, at least, be some relief to my anxiety, however barren of content the state has been to me, to see so near a friend and sister happy in it. Your harmony of life will be an instance, how much the choice of temper is preferable to beauty.

While your soft hours in mutual kindness move,
You'll reach by virtue, what I lost by love.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 1. MRS. MOTHERLY'S House.

Enter MANLY, meeting SIR FRANCIS WRONGHEAD. Man. Sir Francis, your servant.

Sir F. Cousin Manly!

Man. I am come to see how the family goes on here. Sir F. Troth, all as busy as bees! I have been upon the wing ever since eight o'clock this morning.

Man. By your early hour, then, I suppose you have been making your court to some of the great men.

Sir F. Why, faith, you have hit it, sir!—I was advised to loose no time; so I e'en went straight forward to one great man I had never seen in my life before.

Man. Right! that was doing business: but who had you got to introduce you?

Sir F. Why, nobody-I remember I had heard a wise mau say-My son, be bold-so, troth, I introduced myself.

Man. As how, pray?

Sir F. Why, thus-Look ye-"Please your lordship,"

says I, "I am sir Francis Wronghead, of Bumper-hall, and member of parliament for the borough of Guzzledown."-"Sir, your humble servant," says my lord; "tho'f I have not the honour to know your person, I have heard you are a very honest gentleman, and I am glad your borough has made choice of so worthy a representative; and so," says he, "sir Francis, have you any service to command me?" Naw, cousin, those last words, you may be sure, gave me no small encouragement. And tho'f I know, sir, you have no extraordinary opinion of my parts, yet, I believe, you won't say I mist it naw.

Man. Well, I hope I shall have no cause.

.

Sir F. So, when I found him so courteous-" My lord," says I, "I did not think to ha' troubled your lordship with business upon my first visit; but, since your lordship is pleased not to stand upon ceremony,-why, truly," says I, "I think naw is as good as another time." Man. Right! there you pushed him home.

Sir F. Ay, ay, I had a mind to let him see that I was none of your mealy-mouthed ones.

Man. Very good.

Sir F. "So, in short, my lord," says I, "I have a good estate-but-a-it's a little awt at elbows: and, as I desire to serve my king as well as my country, I shall be very willing to accept of a place at court."

Man. So, this was making short on't.

Sir F. Icod, I shot him flying, cousin! some of you hawf-witted ones, naw, would ha' hummed and hawed, and dangled a month or two after him, before they durst open their mouths about a place, and mayhap not ha' got it at last neither.

Man. Oh, I'm glad you're so sure on't

Sir F. You shall hear, cousin-" Sir Francis," says my lord, "pray what sort of a place may you ha' turned your thoughts upon?"-" My lord," says 1, "beggars must not be choosers; but ony place," says I, "about a thousand a year, will be well enough to be doing with till something better falls in"-for I thowght it would not look well to stond haggling with him at first.