in

my time; but, 'egad, I could never find in my heart to marry any body before.

Jer. Well, sir, I'll go and tell her my master's coming; and meet you in half a quarter of an hour, with your disguise, at your own lodgings. You must talk a little madly-she wont distinguish the tone of your voice. Tat. No, no, let me alone for a counterfeit.-I'll be ready for you.

Enter MISS PRUE.

[Exit Jeremy.

Miss P. O, Mr. Tattle, are you here? I'm glad I bave found you. I have been looking up and down for you like any thing, till I'm as tired as any thing in the world. Tat. How shall I get rid of this foolish girl? [Aside. Miss P. O, I have pure news, I can tell you pure news -I must not marry the seaman now- -My father says so. Why won't you be my husband? You say you love me! and you won't be my husband. And I know you may be my husband now, if you please.

Tat. O fie, miss! who told you so, child? Miss P. Why, my father-I told him that you loved me. Tat. O fie, miss! why did you do so? and who told you so, child?

Miss P. Who? Why you did; did not you?

Tat. O that was yesterday, miss; that was a great while ago, child. I have been asleep since; slept a whole night, and did not so much as dream of the matter.

Miss P. Pshaw! O but I dreamt that it was so though. Tat. Ay, but your father will tell you that dreams come by contraries, child. O fie! what, we must not love one another now.-Pshaw, that would be a foolish thing indeed!-Fie, fie, you are a woman now, and must think of a new man every morning, and forget him every night. -No, no, to marry is to be a child again, and play with the same rattle always: O fie, marrying is a paw thing! Miss P. Well, but don't you love me as well as you did last night then?

Tat. No, no, child, you would not have me.
Miss P. No? Yes, but I would though.

Tat. Pshaw, but I tell you, you would not.-You forget you are a woman, and don't know your own mind. Miss P. But here's my father, and he knows my mind.

Enter FORESIGHT.

Fore. O, Mr. Tattle, your servant, you are a close man; but methinks your love to my daughter was a secret I might have been trusted with!-or had you a mind to try if I could discover it by my art?-Hum, ha! I think there is something in your physiognomy, that has a resemblance of her; and the girl is like

me.

Tat. And so you would infer, that you and I are alike. What does the old prig mean? I'll banter him, and laugh at him, and leave him. [Aside]--Į fancy you have a wrong notion of faces.

Fore. How? what? a wrong notion! how so?

Tat. In the way of art, I have some taking features, not obvious to vulgar eyes. Sir, I beg your pardon, I am in haste

Fore. For what?

Tat. To be married, sir-married.

Fore. Ay, but pray take me along with you, sir. Tat. No, sir; it is to be done privately-I never make confidants.

Fore. Well; but my consent, I mean-You won't marry my daughter without my consent?

Fat. Who, I, sir? I am an absolute stranger to you and your daughter, sir.

Fore. Hey-day! What time of the moon is this?

:

I

Tat. Very true, sir; and desire to continue so. have no more love for your daughter, than I have likeness of you and I'm going to be married just now, yet did not know of it half an hour ago; and the lady stays for me, and does not know of it yet.-There's a mystery for you. I know you love to untie difficulties. Or if you can't solve this; stay here a quarter of an hour, and I'll come and explain it to you. [Exit. Miss P. O father, why will you let him go? Won't you make him to be my husband?

Fore. Mercy on us, what do these lunacies portend? Alas! he's mad, child, stark wild.

Miss P. What, and must not I have e'er a husband then? What, must I go to bed to nurse again, and be a child as long as she's an old woman? Indeed, but Į

won't. For, now my mind is set upon a husband, I will have a husband some way or other.

Fore. O fearful! I think the girl's influenced too. [Aside]--Hussy, you shall have a rod.

Miss P. A fiddle of a rod! I'll have a husband; and if you wont get me one, I'll get one for myself. I'll marry our Robin the butler: he says he loves me; and he's a handsome man, and shall be my husband: I warrant he'll be my husband, and thank me too; for he told me so. Enter SCANDAL, MRS. FORESIGHT, and Nurse. Fore. Did he so?-Nurse, nurse!-I'll dispatch him for it presently! rogue!-Oh, nurse, come hither. Nurse. What is your worship's pleasure?

Fore. Here, take your young mistress, and lock her up presently, till further orders from me.-Not a word, hussy-Do what I bid you. No reply: away. And bid Robin make ready to give an account of his plate and linen, d'ye hear? Be gone, when I bid you.

-Mr.

[Exeunt Nurse and Miss Prue. Mrs. Fore. What's the matter, husband? Fore. "Tis not convenient to tell you nowScandal, heaven keep us all in our senses!-I fear there is a contagious frenzy abroad. How does Valentine? Scan. Ö, I hope he will do well again.-I have a message from him to your niece Angelica.

Fore. I think she has not returned since she went abroad with sir Sampson. Nurse, why are you not gone? Enter BEN.

Here's Mr. Benjamin; he can tell us if his father be come home.

Ben. Who? Father? Ay, he's come home with a

vengeance.

Mrs. Fore. Why, what's the matter?

Ben. Matter! Why, he's mad.

Fore. Mercy on us! I was afraid of this.

Ben. And there's a handsome young woman, she as they say brother Val went mad for, she's mad too, I think. Fore. O my poor niece! my poor niece! is she gone too? Well, I shall run mad next.

Mrs. Fore. Well, but how mad? how d'ye mean?

Ben. Nay, I'll give you leave to guess I'll undertake to make a voyage to Antigua-No, I mayn't say so, neither-but I'll sail as far as Leghorn, and back again, before you shall guess at the matter, and do nothing else. Mess, you may take in all the points of the compass, and not hit right.

Mrs. Fore. Your experiment will take up a little too

much time..

Ben. Why then I'll tell you: there's a new wedding upon the stocks, and they two are going to be married to rights.

Scan. Who?

Ben. Why father, and—the young woman. I can't hit of her name.

Scan. Angelica?

Ben. Ay, the same.

Mrs. Fore. Sir Sampson and Angelica? Impossible! Ben. That may be-but I'm sure it is as I tell you. Scan. 'Sdeath, it is a jest. I can't believe it.

Ben. Look you, friend, it is nothing to me whether you believe it or no. What I say is true, d'ye see; they are married, or just going to be married, I know not which. Fore. Well, but they are not mad, that is, not lunatic? Ben. I don't know what you may call madness-but she's mad for a husband, and he's horn mad, I think, or they'd never make a match together.-Here they come.

Re-enter SIR SAMPSON LEGEND and ANGELICA,

with BUCKRAM.

Sir S. Where is this old soothsayer? this uncle of mine elect? Aha! old Foresight! uncle Foresight! wish me joy, uncle Foresight, double joy, both as uncle and astrologer: here's a conjunction that was not foretold in all your ephemeres! The brightest star in the blue firmament-is shot from above, and so forth; and I'm lord of the ascendant. Odd, you're an old fellow, Foresight, uncle I mean; a very old fellow, uncle Foresight; and yet you shall live to dance at my wedding; faith and troth you shall. Odd, we'll have the music of the spheres for thee, old lily, that we will; and thou shalt lead up a dance in via lactea.

Fore. I'm thunder-struck! You are not married to my niece?

Sir S. Not absolutely married, uncle; but very near it; within a kiss of the matter, as you see. [Kisses Ang. Ang. 'Tis very true indeed, uncle; I hope you'll be my father, and give me.

Sir S. That he shall, or I'll burn his globes.
Scan. Death and hell! Where's Valentine?
Mrs. Fore. This is so surprising-

[Exit.

Sir S. How? What does my aunt say? surprising, aunt? not at all, for a young couple to make a match in winter! Not at all. It's a plot to undermine cold weather, and destroy that usurper of a bed called a warming-pan. Mrs. Fore. I'm glad to hear you have so much fire in you, sir Sampson.

Ben. Mess, I fear his fire's little better than tinder. Sir S. Why, you impudent tarpaulin! sirrahı, do you bring your forecastle jests upon your father? But I shall be even with you; I won't give you a groat. Mr. Buckram, is the conveyance so worded, that nothing can possibly descend to this scoundrel? I would not so much as have him have the prospect of an estate, though there were no way to come to it, but by the north-east passage. Buck. Sir, it is drawn according to your directions; there is not the least cranny of the law unstopp'd.

Ben. Lawyer, I believe there's many a cranny and leak unstopp'd in your conscience!-If so be that one had a pump to your bosom, I believe we should discover a foul hold. They say a witch will sail in a sieve -but I believe the devil would not venture aboard your conscience. And that's for you.

Sir S. Hold your tongue, sirrah. How now? who's here?

Re-enter TATTLE, with MRS. FRAIL.

Mrs. Frail. O, sister, the most unlucky accident!
Mrs. Fore. What's the matter?

Tat. O the two most unfortunate poor creatures in the world we are.

Fore. Bless us! how so?

Mrs. Frail. Ah, Mr. Tattle and 1, poor Mr. Tattle and I are-I can't speak it out.