Tony. Then you'll see the first use I'll make of my liberty. (Taking Miss Neville's hand.) Witness all men by these presents, that I, Anthony Lumpkin, Esquire, of Blank-place, refuse you, Constance Neville, spinster, of no place at all, for my true and lawful wife. So Constance Neville may marry whom she pleases, and Tony Lumpkin is his own man again. Sir C. O! brave 'squire!

Hast. My worthy friend!

Mrs H. My undutiful offspring! (Beats Tony off.) Mar. Joy, my dear George; I give you joy sincerely; and, could I prevail upon my little tyrant here to be less arbitrary, I should be the happiest man alive, if you would return me the favour.

Hast. (To Miss Hardcastle.) Come, madam, you are now driven to the very last scene of all your contrivances. I know you like him, I'm sure he loves you, and you must and shall have him.

Hard. (Joining their hands.) And I say so, too. And, Mr Marlow, if she makes as good a wife as she has a daughter, I don't believe you'll ever repent your bargain. So now to supper. To-morrow we shall gather all the poor of the parish about us, and the mistakes of the night shall be crowned with a merry morning; so, boy, take her; and, as you have been mistaken in the mistress, my wish is, that you may never be mistaken in the wife. [Exeunt.

THE RIVALS

A COMEDY, IN FIVE ACTS.

By R. B. SHERIDAN

Enter THOMAS; he crosses the Stage; FAG follows, looking after him.

Fag. What! Thomas! Sure 'tis he?-What! Thomas! Thomas!

Thos. Hey!-Odd's life! Mr Fag!-give us your hand, my old fellow-servant.

Fag. Excuse my glove, Thomas :-I'm glad to see you, my lad. Why, my prince of charioteers, you look as hearty!-but who thought of seeing you in Bath?

Thos. Sure, master, Madam Julia, Harry, Mrs Kate, and the postillion, be all come.

Fag. Indeed!

Thos. Ay, master thought another fit of the gout was coming to make him a visit; so he'd a mind to gi't the slip, and whip! we were all off at an hour's warning.

Fag. Ay, ay, hasty in everything, or it would not be Sir Anthony Absolute!

Thos. But tell us, Mr Fag, how does young master? Odd! Sir Anthony will stare to see the captain here!

Fag. I do not serve Captain Absolute now.

Thos. Why sure!

Fag. At present I am employed by Ensign Beverley. Thos. I doubt, Mr Fag, you ha'n't changed for the better.

Fag. I have not changed Thomas.

Thos. No! Why didn't you say you had left young master?

Fag. No.-Well, honest Thomas, I must puzzle. you no farther:-briefly then-Captain Absolute and Ensign Beverley are one and the same person.

Thos. The

they are!

Fag. So it is indeed, Thomas; and the ensign half of my master being on guard at present-the captain has nothing to do with me.

Thos. So, so!-What, this is some freak, I warrant!-Do tell us, Mr Fag, the meaning o't—you know I ha' trusted you.

Fag. You'll be secret, Thomas?

Thos. As a coach-horse.

Fag. Why then the cause of all this is-Love,— Love, Thomas, who (as you may get read to you) has been a masquerader ever since the days of Jupiter.

Thos. Ay, ay;-I guessed there was a lady in the case-but pray, why does your master pass only for an ensign ?—Now, if he had shammed general indeed

Fag. Ah! Thomas, there lies the mystery o' the matter. Hark'ee, Thomas, my master is in love with a lady of a very singular taste: a lady who likes him better as a half-pay ensign than if she knew he was

son and heir to Sir Anthony Absolute, a baronet of three thousand a year.

Thos. That is an odd taste indeed!-But has she got the stuff, Mr Fag? Is she rich, hey?

Fag. Rich!-Why, I believe she owns half the stocks! Zounds! Thomas, she could pay the national debt as easily as I could my washerwoman! She has a lap-dog that eats out of gold,—she feeds her parrot with small pearls, and all her thread-papers are made of bank-notes!

Thos.

Bravo, faith!-Odd! I warrant she has a set of thousands at least:-but does she draw kindly with the captain ?

Fag. As fond as pigeons.

Thos. May one hear her name?

Fag. Miss Lydia Languish.-But there is an old tough aunt in the way; though, by-the-by, she has never seen my master-for we got acquainted with miss while on a visit in Gloucestershire.

Thos. Well-I wish they were once harnessed together in matrimony.-But pray, Mr Fag, what kind of a place is this Bath ?—I ha' heard a deal of it-here's a mort o' merry-making, hey?

Fag. Pretty well, Thomas, pretty well-'tis a good lounge; in the morning we go to the pump-room (though neither my master nor I drink the waters); after breakfast we saunter on the parades, or play a game at billiards; at night we dance; but I'm tired of it: their regular hours stupefy me-not a fiddle nor a card after eleven !-However Mr Faulkland's gentleman and I keep it up a little in private parties; -I'll introduce you there, Thomas-you'll like him much.

Thos. Sure I know Mr Du-Peigne-you know his master is to marry Madam Julia.

Fag. I had forgot. But, Thomas, you must polish a little-indeed you must.-Here now-this wig! What do you do with a wig, Thomas?—None of the London whips of any degree of ton wear wigs

now.

Thos. More's the pity! more's the pity! I say.Odd's life! when I heard how the lawyers and doctors had took to their own hair, I thought how 'twould go next:-odd rabbit it! when the fashion had got foot on the bar, I guessed 'twould mount to the box!-but 'tis all out of character, believe me, Mr Fag: and lookee, I'll never gi' up mine-the lawyers and doctors may do as they will.

Fag. Well, Thomas, we'll not quarrel about that. Thos. Why, bless you, the gentlemen of the professions ben't all of a mind-for in our village now, thoff Jack Gauge, the exciseman, has ta'en to his carrots, there's little Dick the farrier swears he'll never forsake his bob, though all the college should appear with their own heads!

Fag. Indeed! well said, Dick!—but hold-mark! mark! Thomas.

Thos. Zooks! 'tis the captain. Is that the Lady with him?

Fag. No no, that is Madam Lucy, my master's mistress's maid. They lodge at that house-but I must after him to tell him the news.

Thos. Odd! he's given her money!-Well, Mr Fag

Fag. Good-bye, Thomas. I have an appointment in Gyde's porch this evening at eight; meet me there, and we'll make a little party. [Exeunt severally.

SCENE II-A Dressing-room in MRS MALAPROP'S

Lodgings.

LYDIA sitting on a sofa, with a book in her hand. Lucy, as just returned from a message.

Lucy. Indeed, ma'am, I traversed half the town in search of it! I don't believe there's a circulating library in Bath I han't been at.

Lyd. And could not you get The Reward of Constancy?

Lucy. No, indeed, ma'am.

Lyd. Nor The Fatal Connexion ?