Enter AMELIA.

Amelia. Oh, madam, might I implore your influence with

Lady Am. Thou art ill accommodated here; but I hope thou wilt excuse-My mind is a sea of trouble, my peace shipwrecked-Oh, friend, hadst thou seen my cousin Harry, thou too, all who knew him, must be anxious for his safety.

John. [Without.] Heave a-head.

Enters with SIR GEORGE.

Sir Geo. Rascal! whip me up like a pound of tea, dance me about like a young bear, make me quit the preserver of my life! yes, puppy unknown will think me a poltroon, and that I was afraid to follow, and second him.

John. Well, you may as well turn into your hammock; for out to-night you shall not budge-[Sees AMELIA.] Oh! marcy of Heaven! isn't it-Eh, master? Only give one look.

Amelia. [Seeing SIR GEORGE.] My husband!

[Suoons; LADY AMARANTH supports her.

Sir Geo. "Tis my Amelia !

John. [Stopping SIR GEORGE, and looking attentively at AMELIA.] Reef the foresail! first, you cracked her heart by sheering off, and now you'll overset her by bringing to.

Lady Am. Hold-soft!

Amelia. Are you at length returned to me, my Seymour ?

Lady Am. Seymour! her mind is disturbed; this is mine uncle, Sir George Thunder.

John. No, no, my lady, she knows what she's saying very well.

Sir Geo. Niece, I have been a villain to this lady, I confess. But, my dear Amelia, Providence has

done you justice in part. From the first month I quitted you, I have never entered one happy hour on my journal; hearing that you foundered, and considering myself the cause, the worm of remorse has gnawed my timbers.

Amelia. You're not still offended with me?

Sir Geo. Me! can you forgive my offence, and condescend to take my hand as an atonement?

Amelia. Your hand! Do you forget that we are already married?

Sir Geo. Ay, there was my rascality.
John. You may say that.

Sir Geo. Hold your tongue, you impudent crimp, you pander, you bad adviser-I'll strike my false colours-I'll now acknowledge the chaplain you provided was

John. Was a good man, and a greater honour to his black, than your honour has been to your blue, cloth--Eh, by the word of a seaman, here he is himself!

Enter BANKS.

Sir Geo. Your brother!

Banks. Captain Seymour! have I found you, sir? Sir Geo. My dear Banks, I'll make every reparation. Amelia shall really be my wife.

Banks. That, sir, my sister is already; for when I performed the marriage ceremony, which you took only as the cloke of your deception, I was actually in orders.

John. Now, who's the crimp, and the pander? I never told you this since; because I thought a man's own reflections were the best punishment for betray. ing an innocent woman.

Lady Am. Madam, my inmost soul partaketh of thy gladness, and joy for thy reformation. [To SIR GEORGE.] But thy prior marriage to this lady, annuls the subsequent, and my cousin Harry is not now thy heir,

Sir Geo. So much the better; he's an unnatural cub; but, Amelia, I flatter myself I have an heir, my infant boy

Amelia. Ah, husband, you had; but

but himself.

Sir Geo. Gone! well, well, I see I have been a miserable scoundrel-Eh, I will, yes, I'll adopt that brave kind lad, that wou'dn't let any body kill me He shall have my estate, that's my own acquisition-My lady, marry him, puppy unknown's a fine fellow! Amelia, only for him, you'd never have found your husband Captain Seymour in Sir George Thunder.

Amelia. What?

Banks. Are you Sir George Thunder ?

Enter LANDLORD, followed by EPHRAIM.

Land. Please you, madam, they've got a footpad in custody.

Eph. I am come to sit in judgment, for there is a bad man in thy house, Mary. Bring him before

Sir Geo. Before you, old squintabus? And perhaps you don't know I'm a magistrate ?

Eph. I'll examine him.

Sir Geo. You be damn'd!-I'll examine him myself. [Shoves EPHRAIM.] Tow him in here. I'll give him a passport to Winchester bilboes.

Amelia. [Kneels to SIR GEORGE.] Oh, sir, as you hope for mercy, extend it to this youth; but even, should he be guilty, which, from our knowledge of his benevolent and noble nature, I think next to an impossibility, let the services he has rendered to us-he protected, relieved your forsaken wife, and her unhappy brother, in the hour of want and sorrow.

Sir Geo. What, Amelia, plead for a robber! Consider, my love, justice is above bias or partiality. If my son violated the laws of his country, I'd deliver

him up a public victim to disgrace and punish

ment.

Lady Am. Oh, my impartial uncle! Had thy country any laws to punish him, who, instead of paltry gold, would rob the artless virgin of her dearest treasure, in the rigid judge I should now behold the trembling criminal.

Enter TWITCH, with ROVER bound, who keeps his face averted, and Two RUFFIANS.

Eph. [Advances.] Speak, thou. Sir Geo. Hold thy clapper, thouprosecutors?

Eph. Call in―

-Who are the

Sir Geo. Will nobody stop his mouth? [JOHN DORY pushes him up against the wall.] Where are the prosecutors?

Twitch. There, tell his worship, the justice.

2d Ruff. A justice-Oh! the devil!-I thought we should have nothing but quakers to deal with.[Aside.] Why, your honour, I'll swear—

[In a feigned country voice, Sir Geo. [Looking at them.] Oh, ho! Clap down the hatches-secure these sharks.

Rover. I thought I should find you here, Abrawang, and that you had some knowledge of these fellows.

Lady Am. Heavens ! my cousin Harry! [Aside, Sir Geo. The devil! isn't this my spear and shield? John. [Advances.] My young master-Oh! what have you been at here? [Unbinds Rover,

Enter HARRY.

Harry. My dear fellow, are you safe?

Rover. Yes, Dick, I was brought in here very safe,

I assure you.

Harry. A confederate in custody below has made a confession of their villany; that they concerted this plan to accuse him of a robbery; first, for revenge, then, in hope to share the reward for apprehending him: he also owns they are not sailors, but depredators on the public.

Sir Geo. Keep them safe in limbo. [RUFFIANS taken off.]-Not knowing that the justice of peace, whom they've brought the lad now here before, is the very man they attacked!-Ha! ha! ha!-The rogues have fallen into their own snare.

Rover. What, now, you're a justice of peace; well said, Abrawang!

Amelia. Then, Sir George, you know him too? Sir Geo. Know puppy unknown! to be sure. Rover. Madam, I am happy to see you again. [To AMELIA. Ah, how do you do, my kind host?

[Shakes hands with BANKS. Lady Am. I rejoice at thy safety.-Be reconciled to him. [To SIR GEORge. Sir Geo. Reconciled!-If I don't love, respect, and honour him, I should be unworthy of the life he rescued. But who is he?

Harry. Sir he is

Rover. Dick, I thank you for your good wishes; but I am still determined not to impose on this lady. Madam, as I at first told this well meaning tar, when he forced me to your house, I am not the son of Sir George Thunder.

John. No! Then I wish you were the son of an admiral, and I your father.

Harry. You refuse the lady? To punish you, I've a mind to take her myself.-My dear cousin―

Rover. Stop, Dick.-If I, who adore her, won't, you shall not. No, no; madam, never mind what this fellow says, he's as poor as myself-Isn't he, Abrawang?

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