Sid. No doubt you do, Mrs. Betty. Betty. (Going and returning). I do indeed, sir; and so, your servant, sir. But I hope your worship won't mention my name in this business; or that you had an item from me.

Sid. I shall not, Mrs. Betty.

Betty. For, indeed, sir, I am no busybody, nor do I love fending nor proving; and I assure you, sir, 1 hate all tittling and tattling, and gossiping, and backbiting, and taking away a person's good name. Sid. I observe you do, Mrs. Betty. Betty. I do, indeed, sir; I am the farthest from it in the world.

Sid. I dare say you are. Betty I am indeed, sir; and so your humble Sid. Your servant, Mrs. Betty. [servant. Betty (Aside, in great exultation.) So! I see he believe every word I say-that's charming. I'll do herbusiness for her, I'm resolved.

[Exit.

Sid. What can this ridiculous creature mean by her dak walk, her private spark, her kissing, and all heislanderous insinuations against Constantia, whose conduct is as unblamable as innocence itself? I see envy is as malignant in a paltry waiting wench, as in the vainest or most ambitious lady of the court. It is always an infallible mark of thepasest nature; and merit in the lowest, as well a in the highest station, must feel the shaft of envy'constant agents-falsehood and slander.

[Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE I-A Library

Enter CONSTANTIA and EGERTON. Con Mr. Sidney is not here, sir.

Ege I assure you I left him, and begged he would stay till I returned.

Con His prudence, you see, sir, has made him retire; erefore we had better defer the subject till he is resent; in the meantime, sir, I hope you will perm me to mention an affair that has greatly alarm and perplexed me: I suppose you guess what is?

Ege I do not, upon my word.

ConThat is a little strange. You know, sir, that ou and Mr. Sidney did me the honour of brealasting with me this morning in my little Ege We had that happiness, madan. [study. ConJust after you left me, upon opening my book f accounts, which lay in the drawer of the readig desk, to my great surprise, I there found this se of jewels, containing a most elegant pair of earings, a necklace of great value, and two bankills in this pocket-book, the mystery of which sir, I presume, you can explain?

Eg I can.

CoThey were of your conveying, then? Eg They were, madam. CoI assure you, they startled and alarmed me. Eg I hope it was a kind of alarm, such as blushg virtue feels, when with her hand, she gives her hrt and last consent.

CoIt was not indeed, sir.

Eg Do not say so, Constantia: come, be kind at on; my peace and worldly bliss depend upon this bment.

Con What would you have me do? Eg What love and virtue dictate. CoO! sir, experience but too severely proves, that ich unequal matches as ours, never produce aughbut contempt and anger in parents, censure frome world, and a long train of sorrow and repentice in the wretched parties; which is but too ofterntailed upon their hapless issue. Eg. But that, Constantia, cannot be our case:

B

my fortune is independent and ample; equal to luxury and splendid folly. I have a right to choose the partner of my heart.

Con. But I have not, sir; I am a dependant on my lady-a poor, forsaken, helpless orphan: your benevolent mother found me, took me to her bosom, and there supplied my parental loss, with every tender care, indulgent dalliance, and with all the sweet persuasion that maternal fondness, religious precept, polished manners, and hourly example could administer-she fostered me: (weeps) and shall I now turn viper, and with black ingratitude sting the tender heart that thus hath cherished me? shall I seduce her house's heir, and kill her peace? No; though I loved to the mad extreme of female fondness; though every worldly bliss, that woman's vanity or man's ambition could desire, followed the indulgence of my love, and all the contempt and misery of this life, the denial of that indulgence, I would discharge my duty to my benefactress-my earthly guardian, my more than parent.

Eger. My dear Constantia, your prudence, your gratitude, and the cruel virtue of your self-denial, do but increase my love, my admiration, and my misery.

Con. Sir, I must beg you will give me leave to return these bills and jewels.

Eger. Pray do not mention them: sure my kindness and esteem may be indulged so far without suspicion or reproach: I beg you will accept of them; nay, I insist.

Con. I have done, sir; my station here is to obey. I know, sir, they are gifts of a virtuous mind; and mine shall convert them to the tenderest and most grateful use.

Eger. Hark! I hear a coach; it is my father. Dear girl, retire and compose yourself. I will send my lady and Sidney to you; and by their judgment we will be directed: will that satisfy you?

Con. I can have no will but my lady's. With your leave, I will retire; I would not see her in this confusion.

Eger. Dear girl, Adieu! [Exit Constantia. Enter SAM. Sam. Sir Pertinax and my lady are come, sir; and my lady desires to speak with you in her own room.-Oh! here she is, sir. [Exit.

Enter LADY MACSYCOPHANT.

Lady M. (In great confusion and distress.) Dear child. I am glad to see you; why did not you come to town yesterday, to attend the levee; your father is incensed to the utmost at your not being there.

Eger, (With great warmth.) Madam, it is with extreme regret I tell you, that I can be no longer a slave to his temper, his politics, and his scheme of marrying me to this woman; therefore, you had better consent at once to my going out of the kingdom, and my taking Constantia with me; for without her I never can be happy.

Lady M. As you regard my peace, or your own character, I beg you will not be guilty of so rash a step. You promised me you would never marry her without my consent. I will open it to your

er. Pray, dear Charles, be ruled: let me pre

vail. Sir P. (Without, in great anger.) Sir, wull ye do as ye are bid, and haud your gab, you rascal! You are so full of gab, you scoundrel! Take the chesnut gelding, return to town directly, and see what is become of my Lord Lumbercourt.

Lady M. Here he comes. I will get out of his way; but, I beg, Charles, while he is in this illhumour that you will not oppose him, let him say

[Exit Lady M. Sir P. (Without.) Here, you Tomlins, where is my son Egerton?

Tom. (Without.) In the library, sir.

and of aw national distinctions whatever, relative to the three kingdoms? (With great anger.) And, you blockhead! was that a prudent wish before so many of your ain countrymen? or was it a filial language to hold before me?

Eger. Sir, with your pardon, I cannot think it unfilial or imprudent. (With a most patriotic

Enter SIR PERTINAX.

Sir P. Weel, sir! vary weel! vary weel! are nat ye a fine spark? are ye nat a fine spark, I say? Ah! ye are a-So you wou'd not come up till the levee?

Eger. Sir, I beg your pardon; but I was not very well; besides, I did not think my presence there was necessary.

Sir P. (Snapping him up.) Sir, it was necessary; I tauld you it was necessary: and, sir, I must now tell you that the whole tenor of your conduct is most offensive.

Eger. I am sorry you think so, sir; I am sure I do not mean to offend you.

Sir P. I care not what you intend. Sir, I tell you, you do offend. What is the meaning of this conduct, sir?-Neglect the levee!-'death, sir, you -what is your reason, I say, for thus neglecting the levee, and disobeying my commands?

Eger. (With a stifled, filial resentment.) Sir, I am not used to levees; nor do I know how to dispose of myself; nor what to say or do in such a situation.

Sir P. (With a proud, angry resentment.) Zounds! sir, do you nat see what others do? gentle and simple, temporal and spiritual, lords, members, judges, generals, and bishops; aw crowding, bustling, and pushing foremost intill the middle of the circle, and there waiting, watching, and striving to catch a look or a smile fra the great mon, which they meet wi' an amicable reesibility of aspect a modest cadence of body, and a conciliating co-operation of the whole mon; which expresses an officious promptitude for his service, and indicates that they Îuock upon themselves as the suppliant appendages of his power, and the enlisted Swiss of his poleetical fortune; this, sir, is what you ought to do; and this, sir, is what I never once omitted for this fiveand-thraty years, let who would be minister. Eger. (Aside.) Contemptible!

Sir P. What is that you mutter, sir? Eger. Only a slight reflection, sir, not relative to you.

Sir P. Sir, your absenting yourself fra the levee at this juncture if suspeecious; it is looked upon as a kind of disaffection, and aw your countrymen are highly offended at your conduct. For this, sir, they do not look upon you as a friend or weel-wisher either to Scotland or Scotchmen.

Eger. (With a quick warmth.) Then sir, they wrong me, I assure you; but, pray sir, in what particular can I be charged, either with coldness or offence to my country?

Sir P. Why, sir, ever since your mother's uncle, Sir Stanley Egerton, left you his three thousand pounds a-year, and that you have, in compliance with his will, taken up the name of Egerton, they think you are grown proud; that you have estranged yourself fra the Macsycophants; have associated with your mother's family-with the opposeetion; and with those who do not wish well to Scotland: besides, sir, the other day, in a conversation, at dinner, at your cousin Campbell M'Kenzie's, before a whole table full of your ain relations, did you not publicly wish a total extinguishment to aw party,

for a total extinction of all party; particularly, that those of English, Irish, and Scotch, might never more be brought into contest or competition : unless, like loving brothers, in generous emulation for one common cause.

Sir P. How, sir! do you persist? What! would you banish aw party, and aw distinction between English, Irish, and your ain countrymen.

Eger. (With great dignity of spirit.) I woull, sir. Sir P. Then d-n you, sir; you are nae trie Scot. Ay, sir, you may look as angry as you vill, but again, I say, you are nae true Scot.

Eger. Your pardon, sir; I think he is the true Scot, and the true citizen, who wishes equal justice to the merit and demerit of every subject of Great Britain! amongst whom I know but of two distinctions. those?

Sir P. Weel, sir, and what are those-wiat are
Eger. The knave and the honest man.
Sir P. Psha! rideeculous!

Eger. And he who makes any other, let him be of the north, or of the south-of the east, or of the west-in place, or out of place, is an enemy to the whole, and to the virtues of humanity.

the

Sir P. Ay, sir, this is your brother's imudent doctrine; for the which I have banished Im for ever fra my presence, my heart, and my frtune. Sir, I will have no son of mine, because, trulyhe has been educated in an English seminary, prsume, under the mask of candour, to speak against is native, land or against my principles. Scotchmen, sir, Scotchmen, wherever they meet throughout globe, should unite, and stick together, as i were, in a political phalanx. However, nae mair f that now; I will talk at large to you about tha anon. In the meanwhile, sir, notwithstanding yor contempt of my advice, and your disobedience ill my commands, I will convince you of my patenal attention till your welfare, by my managementf this voluptuary, this Lord Lumbercourt, whose aughter you are to marry. You ken, sir, that theellow has been my patron above these five-andhraty years.

Eger. True, sir.

Sir P. Vary weel. And now, sir, you te, by his prodigality, he is become my dependan and, accordingly, I have made my bargain with hi: the devil a baubee he has in the world but whatomes through these clutches; for his whole estate, which has three impleecit boroughs upon it-mak!-is now in my custody at nurse, the which estte, on my paying off his debts, and allowing hima liferent of five thousand pounds per annum, i to be made over till me for my life, and at my dean is to descend till ye and your issue. The peeige of Lumbercourt, you ken, will follow of coure So, sir, you see, there are three impleecit boughs, the whole patrimony of Lumbercourt, and peerage at one slap. Why, it is a stroke-a hit a hit. Zounds! sir, a mon may live a century, ad not make sic an hit again.

Eger. It is a very advantageous bargain ideed, sir; but what will my lord's family say to it.

Sir P. Why, mon, he cares not if his famil were aw at the devil, so his luxury is but gratified only let him have his race-horse to feed his vanit; his

harridan to drink drams with him, scrat his face,
and burn his periwig, when she is in her maudlin
hysterics; and three or four discontented patriotic
dependants, to abuse the ministry, and settle the
affairs of the nation, when they are aw intoxicated;
and then, sir, the fellow has aw his wishes, and aw
his wants in this world and the next.
Enter TOMLINS.

Tom. Lady Rodolpha is come, sir.
Sir P. And my lord?

Tom. Not yet, sir, he is about a mile behind, the servants say.

Sir P. Let me know the instant he arrives.
Tom I shall, sir,

(Exit. Sir 2. Step you out, Charles, and receive Lady Rodolma; and I desire you will treat her with as much nspect and gallantry as possible; for my lord has hirted that you have been very remiss as a lover. Adzooks! Charles, you should administer a whole orrent of flattery till her; for a woman ne'er tinks a mon loves her, till he has made an idiot o her understanding by flattery: flattery is the prine bliss of the sex, the nectar and ambrosia of ther charms, and you can ne'er gi' 'em o'er muckl on't; so, there's a guid lad, gang and mind your fittery. [Exit Egerton. Ah! I must keep a devilis tight hand upon this fellow. Ah! I am frightaed out of my wits, lest his mother's family should seduce him to desert to their party, which would otally ruin my whole scheme, and break my heart. A fine time of day for a blockhead to turn patrio when the character is exploded, marked, proscrbed! Why, the common people, the vary vulgar have found out the jest, and laugh at a patrio now-a-day, just as they do at a conjurer, a magian, or any other impostor in society.

Ente TOMLINS and LORD LUMBERCOURT.
Tom Lord Lumbercourt.

[Exit.

Lord. Sir Pertinax, I kiss your hand. Sir. Your lordship's most devoted. Lord. Why, you stole a march upon me this mornig gave me the slip, Mac; though I never wante your assistance more in my life. I thought you wald have called upon me.

Sir My dear lord, I beg ten millions of pardons fr leaving town before you; but ye ken that your Irdship, at dinner yesterday, settled it that we sheld meet this morning at the levee.

Lord. That I acknowledge, Mac; I did promise to be tere, I own.

Sir You did, indeed; and accordingly I was at the vee, and waited there till every soul was gone; nd seeing you did not come, I concluded that yer lordship was gone before.

Lord. Why, to confess the truth, my dear Mac, those id sinners, Lord Freakish, General Jolly, Sir Amony Soaker, and two or three more of that set, laihold of me last night at the opera; and, as the Geral says, "from the intelligence of my head ts morning," I believe we drank pretty deep ere woarted: ha, ha, ha!

Sir Ha, ha, ha! nay, if you were with that party, by lord, I do not wonder at not seeing your lordsh at the levee.

Lord. The truth is, Sir Pertinex, my fellow let me sle too long for the levee. But I wish I had seen y before you left town; I wanted you dreadfully.!

Siri I am heartily sorry that I was not in the way; it on what account did you want me?

Lord. Ha, ha, ha! a cursed awkward affair; and-, ha, ha!-yet, I can't help laughing at it, neithe though it vexed me confoundedly.

Sir. Vexed you, my lord? Zounds! I wish I

I had been with you! But, for heaven's sake! my lord, what was it that could possibly vex your lordship? Lord L. Why, that impudent, teasing, dunning, rascal, Mahogany, my upholsterer; you know the Sir P. Perfectly, my lord. [fellow ? Lord L. The impudent scoundrel has sued me up to some d-d kind of a-something or other in the law, that I think they call an execution.

Sir P. The rascal!

Lord L. Upon which, sir, the fellow, by way of asking pardon-ha, ha, ha!-had the modesty to wait on me two or three days ago, to inform my honour-ha, ha, ha!-as he was pleased to dignify me, that the execution was now ready to be put in force against my honour; but that, out of respect to my honour, as he had taken a great deal of my honour's money, he would not suffer his lawyer to serve it, till he had first informed my honour; because he was not willing to affront my honour-ha, ha, ha!-a son of a w

Sir P. I never heard of so impudent a dog. Lord L. Now, my dear Mac-ha, ha, ha!-as the scoundrel's apology was so very satisfactory, and his information so very agreeable, I told him that, in honour, I thought that my honour could not do less than to order his honour to be paid immediately.

Sir P. Vary weel, vary weel! you were as complaisant to the scoundrel till the full, I think, my ford.

Lord L. You shall hear, you shall hear, Mac; so sir, with great composure, seeing a smart oaken cudgel that stood very handily in a corner of my dressing-room, I ordered two of my fellows to hold the rascal, and another to take the cudgel, and return the scoundrel's civility with a good drubbing, as long as the stick lasted.

Sir P. Ha, ha, ha! admirable! as good a stroke of humour as ever I heard of. And, did they drub him, my lord?

Lord L. Most liberally, most liberally, sir; and there I thought the affair would have rested, till I should think proper to pay the scoundrel; but this morning, just as I was stepping into my chaise, my servants about me, a fellow called a tipstaff, stepped up, and begged the favour of my footman, who thrashed the upholsterer, and of the two that held him, to go along with him upon a little business to my Lord Chief Justice.

Sir P. The devil!

Lord L. And, at the same instant, I, in my turn, was accosted by two other very civil scoundrels; who, with a most insolent politeness, begged my pardon, and informed me that I must not go into my own chaise!

Sir P. How, my lord, not into your ain carriage? Lord L. No, sir; for that they, by order of the sheriff, must seize it, at the suit of a gentlemanone Mr. Mahogany, an upholsterer.

Sir P. An impudent villain!

Lord L. It is all true, I assure you; so you see, my dear Mac, what a d-d country this is to live in, where noblemen are obliged to pay their debts just like merchants, cobblers, peasants, or mechanics: is not that a scandal, dear Mac, to this nation?

Sir P. My lord, it is not only a scandal, but a national grievance.

Lord L. Sir, there's not a nation in the world has such a grievance to complain of.

Sir P. Vary true, my lord, vary true; and it is monstrous that a mon of your lordship's condition is not entitled to run one of these mechanics through the body when he is impertinent about his money;