be very

well satisfied with such customers every night. Five guineas for the assault, and another to drink their healths.

great men, and if we stand

They must be out for more,

they will be discharged to-morrow for nothing.

Capt. Hem! Well, gemmen, you may depart, and I would advise you to go home quietly, as you may not get out of such another affair very easily. But here's one of you that can't go far, it seems.

Squire. No-poor Dickey's head is too heavy for his heels, or, perhaps, we should not have been done. Do, Captain, let him have your chair till morning.

Capt. Why I don't mind being so civil as that to gemmen who can be civil to me.

Squire. Well-take care of him, and here's another guinea for your trouble.

[Exeunt Squire and the rest of

the party.

SCENE. A Street.

Enter an old Woman, with a Candle and Lanthorn, going to her daily Labour.

Woman. The Lord help poor folks-the rich can help themselves; as we rise to work, they lie down to rest.

Well, for the matter

even, as their work

o'that, things are pretty begins when ours is done. But what sort of work is theirs?-One such day's washing as I'm now going to do, would make a whole score of them lie a-bed for a month afterwards: (a noise behind.) Lord help us →→→→ there are some rakehells stirring yet; but they'll hardly do a mischief to such a poor old woman.

Enter Squire and Party.

Squire. It's now young-ey'd morn, and time

to retire.

Cutlas. You may sneak to bed, if you like, but dee if I do, till I have refreshed my

self with a pot of purl. Here, you old Lady! whither are you going at this time o'th'morning? Do you know any public-house, where we can get entrance ?

Woman. No, indeed, Sir, I'm going a washing, but then it's at a private house.

Squire. A comical thought strikes me. Let's make a burning shame of this old woman. The news-papers will ring with the waggery, and the old woman shan't lose by the joke.

All. Aye! aye!

Woman. Lord, gemmen, don't burn me tho' you shame me. I've not as much money as will buy a glass of gin pray don't ill use

me!

Squire. You shall come to no harm. (They tye her petticoats round her neck, and the lanthorn round her waist.) There, now go about your business, and don't forget to look in the lanthorn; we've put five guineas in it for you. [Exeunt Squire's Party laughing. Woman. Lord help us! What shameless rogues to expose a poor old woman in this manner! expose! no; as luck will have it, 'tis not yet day break, or the Rising Sun would

3

would blush at this burning shame, as the rogues called it. Well, I will get my hands freed, and if I find the five guineas in the lanthorn, I'll say they are princely rogues, and might make a burning shame of me every morning of my life—that is, before day-break. [Exit

CHAPTER XV.

FOOLS OF FORTUNE ARE TO BE PITIED; HELIOGABALUS'S LUST AND PRODIGALITY NEITHER TO BE ENVIED NOR PRAISED! — THE CONSEQUENCES OF DEBAUCHERY ARE IMPOTENCE AND REMORSE, -THE AUTHOR INVEIGHS AGAINST STUPID IDOLATRY. THE SQUIRE'S PROGRESS;- HIS DEBTS ARE PAID BY THE TENANTRY, WHO BEHAVE WITH GREAT DELICACY ON THE OCCASION.

We shall now quit the hop, skip, and jump of the drama, and return to plain, jog trot, narrative. A great fortune in the hands of a fool is a great misfortune, as, the more money he has, the greater fool he makes himself: Heliogabalus, the Roman emperor, was as boundless in his prodigality as his lust; during his short reign he reduced all the subjects of his empire to beggary, and at his death, he left an empty Exchequer. Was his sensuality to be envied or his prodigality] praised? No; we envy no