my obligations! and the consciousness of them, was one motive of my coming here! Gen. Sav. Then, you have made your acknowledgments to Miss Walsingham, I hope? Miss Wal. He has, indeed, general, said a great deal more than was necessary. Gen. Sav. That opinion proceeds from the liberality of your temper; for, 'tis impossible he can ever say enough of your goodness. Capt. Sav. So it is; if you knew but all, sir! Gen. Sav. Why, who can know more of the matter than myself? Miss Wal. This gentlemen, it seems, has something, generai Savage, very necessary for your information. Gen. Sav. How's this? Capt. Sav. Nay, sir, I only say, that, for some particular reasons, which I shall communicate to you at a more proper time, I must beg leave to decline the lady whose hand you kindly intended for me this morning. Gen. Sav. O, you must!—Why, then, I hope you decline, at the same time, all pretension to every shilling of my fortune? It is not in my power to make you fight, you poltroon, but I can punish you for cowardice. Miss Wal. Nay, but, general, let me interpose here-If he can maintain any charge against the lady's reputation, 'twould be very hard that he should be disinherited for a necessary attention to his honour. Capt. Sav. And if I don't make the charge good, I submit to be disinherited without murmuring. Gen. Sav. 'Tis false as hell! the lady is infinitely too good for you in every respect; and I undervalued her worth, when I thought of her for your wife. Miss Wal. I am sure the lady is much obliged to your favourable opinion, sir. Gen. Sav. Not in the least, madam; I only do her common justice. Capt. Sav. I cannot bear that you should be displeased a moment, sir; suffer me, therefore, to render the conversation less equivocal, and a few words will explain every thing. Gen. Sav. Sirrah, I'll hear no explanationar'n't my orders, that you should mary? Miss Wal. For my sake hear him, general Sa vage. Capt. Sav. Madam, I disdain every favour that is to be procured by your interposition. [Erit CAPTAIN SAVAGE. Miss Wal. This matter must not be suffered to proceed farther though, provokingly, cruelly as the captain has behaved. [Aside. Gen. Sav. What's that you say, my bewitching girl? Miss Wal. I say that you must make it up with the captain, and the best way will be to hear his charge patiently. Gen. Sav. I am shocked at the brutality of the dog! he has no more principle than a suttler, and no more steadiness than a young recruit upon drill-But you shall have ample satisfaction: this very day I'll cut him off from a possibility of succeeding to a shilling of my fortune. He shall be as miserable as Miss Wal. Dear general, do you think that this would give me any satisfaction? Gen. Sav. How he became acquainted with my design, I know not; but I see plainly that his mutiny proceeds from his aversion to my marrying again. Miss Wal. To your marrying again, sir! why should he object to that? Gen. Sav. Why, for fear I should have other children, to be sure. Miss Wal. Indeed, sir, it was not from that motive; and, if I can overlook his folly, you may be prevailed upon to forgive it. Gen. Sav. After what you have seen, justice should make you a little more attentive to your own interest, my lovely girl! Miss Wal. What! at the expence of his? Gen. Sav. In the approaching change of your situation, there may be a family of your own. Miss Wal. Suppose there should, sir; won't there be a family of his too? Gen. Sav. I care not what becomes of his family. Miss Wal. But, pray, let me think a little about it, general. Gen. Sav. 'Tis hard, indeed, when I was so desirous of promoting his happiness, that he should throw any thing in the way of mine. Miss Wal. Recollect, sir, his offence was wholly confined to me. Gen. Sav. Well, my love, and isn't it throwing an obstacle in the way of my happiness, when he abuses you so grossly for your readiness to marry me? Miss Wal. Sir! Gen. Sav. I see, with all your good nature, that this is a question you cannot rally against. Miss Wal. It is indeed, sir—What will become of me! [Aside. Gen. Sav. You seem suddenly disordered, my love! Miss Wal. Why, really, sir, this affair affects me strongly ! Gen. Sav. Well, it is possible, that, for your sake, I may not punish him with as much severity as I intended: in about an hour, I shall beg leave to beat up your quarters again with Mr Torrington; for 'tis necessary I should shew you some proof of my gratitude, since you have been so kindly pleased to honour me with a proof of your affection. Miss Wal. [Aside.] So, now indeed, we're in a hopeful situation! [Exeunt. Wolf. Yes, we are, sir. Leech. Only because you asked for our pa pers, sir. Tor. Why, what has this to do with them? Crow. Why, that's the warrant for arresting the young gentleman. Tor. What young gentleman? Wolf. Lord bless your heart, sir! that stopped you in the street, and that you bailed for the hundred and seventy pounds. Tor. I bailed for an hundred and seventy pounds! Leech. Sure, sir, you told me to follow you to your chambers, and you would satisfy us. Tor. Pray hear me, sir-ar'n't you a trader of Dantzick? Leech. I a trader! I am no trader, nor did I ever before hear of any such place. Tor. Perhaps this gentleman is Crow. Lord help your head, I was born in Claremarket, and never was farther out of town Tor. Because, if it is more agreeable to you, in my life than Brentford, to attend the Sheriff we'll talk in Latin? at the Middlesex election! Tor. And it may be that you don't want to Leech. We don't understand Latin, sir. Tor. I thought you generally conversed in that be naturalized? language abroad. Crow. No, nor at home neither, sir: there is a language we sometimes talk in, called slang. Tor. A species of the ancient Sclavonic, I suppose? [TO WOLF. Wolf. For what, my master? I am a liveryman of London already, and have a vote, besides, for the four counties. Tor. Well, gentlemen, having been so good as to tell me what you are not, add a little to the Leech. No, its a little rum tongue, that we un-obligation, and tell me what you are? derstand anong von another Leech. Why, sir, the warrant that we have busi-shewed you, tells that ve are sheriff's officers. Tor. I never heard of it before-but to ness, gentlemen-the constitution of your country is at present very deplorable, I hear? Wolf. Why, indeed, sir, there never was a greater cry against people in our way. Tor. But you have laws, I suppose, for the regulation of your trade? Leech. To be sure we have, sir: nevertheless, ve find it very difficult to carry it on. Crow. We are harassed by so many oppressions Tor. What, by the Prussian troops? Crow. The Prussian troops, sir!-Lord bless you, no! by the courts of law; if ve make never so small a mistake in our duties. Tor. Then your duties are very high, or very Tor. Sheriff's officers are you?-O-ho!--Sheriff's officers!—then I suppose you must be three very honest gentlemen? Crow. Sir!-we are as honest Tor. As sheriff's officers usually are -Yet could you think of nobody, but a man of the law, for the object of your conspiracy? Leech. Sir, we don't understand what you mean? Tor. But I understand what you mean, and therefore I'll deal with you properly. 1 Wolf. I hope, sir, you'll pay us the money, for we can't go till the affair is certainly settled in some manner. Tor. O, you can't?-why, then, I will pay youBut it shall be in a coin you won't like, depend upon it-Iere, Mr Molesworth Enter MOLESWORTH. Make out mittimusses for the commitment of these three fellows; they are disguised to defraud people; but I am in the commission for Middlesex, and I'll have you all brought to justice-I'll teach you to go masquerading about the streets. So, take them along, Mr Molesworth. Leech. Ve don't fear your mittimus. Crow. We'll put in bail directly, and try it with you, though you are a great lawyer. 6 I Wolf. He'll make a flat of himself in this barrister, he may, perhaps, take a trip to the Nantzick affair. barbarous borders of the Ohio, from the beautiTor. Mighty well!—And if I find the young | ful banks of the Thames. ACT IV. SCENE I.-An apartment at BELVILLE'S. Enter MRS BELVILLE, and CAPTAIN SAVAGE. Mrs Bel. DON'T argue with me, captain Savage; but consider that I am a wife, and pity my distraction. [Exeunt. her so! for, if she was not greatly distressed, it would be monstrously unnatural! Mrs Bel. O, Matilda !-my husband! my husband! my children! my children! Miss Wal. Don't weep, my dear! don't weep! pray, be comforted; all may end happily! Lady Rachel, beg of her not to cry so. Lady Rach. Why, you are crying yourself, Miss Walsingham; and, though I think it out of character to encourage her tears, I can't help Capt. Sav. Dear madam, there is no occasion to be so much alarmed. Mr Belville has very properly determined not to fight; he told me so himself, and should have been effectually pre-keeping you company. vented, if I hadn't known his resolution. Mrs Bel. There is no knowing to what extremities be may be provoked, if he meets Mr Leeson. I have sent for you, therefore, to beg, that you will save him from the possibility, either of exposing himself to any danger, or of doing an injury to his adversary. Capt. Sav. What would you have me do, madam ? Mrs Bel. O, why is not some effectual method contrived to prevent this horrible practice of duelling! Lady Rach. I'll expose it on the stage, since the law, now-a-days, kindly leaves the whole cognizance of it to the theatre. Miss Wal. And yet, if the laws against it were as well enforced as the laws against destroying the game, perhaps, it would be equally for the benefit of the kingdom. Mrs Bel. Fly to Hyde Park, and prevent, if yet possible, his meeting with Mr Leeson: do it, Mrs Bel. No law will ever be effectual till I conjure you, if you'd save me from desperation. the custom is rendered infamous.-Wives must Capt. Sav. Though you have no reason what-shriek !-mothers must agonize!—orphans must ever to be apprehensive for his safety, madam, yet, since you are so very much affected, I'll immediately execute your commands. multiply! unless some blessed hand strips the fascinating glare from honourable murder, and bravely exposes the idol who is worshipped thus [Erit CAPTAIN SAVAGE. in blood! While it is disreputable to obey the Mrs Bel. Merciful Heaven! where is the ge- laws, we cannot look for reformation:-But, if nerosity, where is the sense, where is the shame the duelist is once banished from the presence of of men, to find a pleasure in pursuits, which they his sovereign;-if he is for life excluded the concannot remember without the deepest horror, dence of his country;-if a mark of indelible which they cannot follow without the meanest disgrace is stamped upon him, the sword of pubfraud, and which they cannot effect, without lic justice will be the sole chastiser of wrongs; consequences the most dreadful? The single trifles will not be punished with death; and ofword, Pleasure, in a masculine sense, compre-ences, really meriting such a punishment, will be hends every thing that is cruel! every thing that reserved for the only proper avenger, the common is base! and every thing that is desperate! Yet executioner. men, in other respects, the noblest of their species, make it the principal business of their lives. and do not hesitate to break in upon the peace of the happiest families, though their own must. be necessarily exposed to destruction- Bel- Miss Wal. Yes; and butcher each other like ville! Belville!-my life! my love! he great-madmen, for fear their courage should be susest crime which a libertine can ever experience, pected by fools. is too despicable to be envied-'tis at best nothing but a victory over his own humanity; and, if he is a husband, he must be dead, indeed, if he is not doubly tortured upon the wheel of recollection. Lady Rach. I could not have expressed myself better on the subject, my dear: but, till such a hand as you talk of is found, the best will fall into the error of the times. Mrs Bel. No news yet from captain Savage? Lady Rach. He can't have reached Hyde-park yet, my dear. Miss Wal. Let us lead you to your chamber, my dear; you'll be better there. Mrs Bel. Matilda, I must be wretched any Enter MISS WALSINGHAM and LADY RACHEL where; but I'll attend you. MILDEW. Miss Wal. My dear Mrs Belville, I am extremely unhappy to see you so distressed! Lady Rach. Now, I am extremely glad to see Lady Rach. Thank Heaven I have no husband to plunge me into such a situation ! Miss Wal. And, if I thought I could keep my resolution, I'd determine this moment on living single all the days of my life. Pray, don't spare my arm, my dear. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Hyde-park. Enter BELVILLE. Bel. I fancy I am rather before the time of appointment; engagements of this kind are the only ones, in which, now-a-days, people pretend to any punctuality-a man is allowed half an hour's law to dinner; but a thrust through the body must be given within a second of the clock. Enter LEESON. Lee. Your servant, sir.pose, is Belville? -Your name, I sup Bel. Your supposition is very right, sir; and, I fancy, I am not much in the wrong, when I suppose your name to be Leeson. Lee. It is, sir: I am sorry I should keep you bere a moment. Bel. I am very sorry, sir, you should bring me here at all! Lee. I regret the occasion, be assured, sir; but, 'tis not now a time for talking; we must proceed to action. Bel. And yet, talking is all the action I shall proceed to, depend upon it. Lee. What do you mean, sir? Where are your pistols? Bel. Where I intend they shall remain, till my next journey into the country; very quietly over the chimney in my dressing-room. Lee. You treat this matter with too much levity, Mr Belville; take your choice of mine, sir. Bel. I'd rather take them both, if you please; for, then, no mischief shall be done with either of them. Lee. Sir, this trifling is adding insult to injury; and shall be resented accordingly. Did not you come here to give me satisfaction? Bel. Yes; every satisfaction in my power. Bel. Come, Mr Leeson, your bravery will not at all be lessened by the exercise of a little understanding: If nothing less than my life can atone for the injury I have unconsciously done you, fire at me instantly, but don't be offended because I decline to do you an additional wrong. Lee. 'Sdeath, sir, do you think I come here with an intention to murder? Bel. You come to arm the guilty against the innocent, sir; and that, in my opinion, is the most atrocious intention of murder! Lee. How's this! Bel. Look'e, Mr Leeson, there's your pistol[Throws it on the ground.] I have already acted very wrongly with respect to your sister; but, sir, I have some character (though, perhaps, little enough) to maintain, and I will not do a still worse action, in raising my hand against your life. Lee. This hypocritical cant of cowardice, sir, is too palpable to disarm my resentment; though I held you to be a man of profligate principles, I nevertheless considered you as a man of courage; but, if you hesitate a moment longer, by Heaven I'll chastise you on the spot! [Draws.] Bel. I must defend my life; though, if it did not look like timidity, I would inform you-[They fight; LEESON is disarmed.]--Mr Leeson, there is your sword again. Lee. Srike it through my bosom, sir!—I don't desire to out-live this instant ! Bel. I hope, my dear sir, that you will long live happy!-as your sister, though, to my shame, I can claim no merit on that account, is recovered, unpolluted, by her family: but, let me beg, that you will now see the folly of decisions by the sword, when success is not fortunately chained to the side of justice. Before I leave you, receive my sincerest apologies for the injuries I have done you; and, be assured, no occurrence will ever give me greater pleasure, than an opportunity of serving you, if, after what is past, you shall, at any time, condescend to use me as a friend. [Exit BEL. Lee. Very well-very well-very well.Enter CONNOLLY. What! you have been within hearing, I suppose? Con. You may say that. Lee. And is not this very fine? Con. Why, I can't say much as to the finery of it, sir; but it is very foolish. Lee. And so this is my satisfaction, after all! Con. Yes; and pretty satisfaction it is! When Mr Belville did you but one injury, he was the greatest villain in the world; but, now, that he has done you two, in drawing his sword upon you, I suppose he is a very worthy gentleman. Lee. To be foiled, baffled, disappointed in my revenge!-What though my sister is by accident unstained, his intentions are as criminal as if her ruin was actually perpetrated; there is no possibility of enduring this reflection!-I wish not for the blood of my enemy, but I would, at least, have the credit of giving him life. Con. Arrah, my dear, if you have any regard for the life of your enemy, you should not put him in the way of death. Lee. No more of these reflections, my dear Connolly; my own feelings are painful enough. Will you be so good as to take these damned pistols, and go with me to the coach? Con. Troth, and that I will! but don't make yourself uneasy; consider that you have done every thing which honour required at your hands. Lee. I hope so. Con. Why, you know so; you have broke the laws of Heaven and earth, as nobly as the first lord in the land; and you have convinced the world, that when any body has done your family one injury, you have courage enough to do it an other yourself, by hazarding your life. Lee. Those, Conolly, who would live reputa Enter MISS WALSINGHAM. Miss Wal. Gentlemen, your most obedient; bly in any country, must regulate their conduct, in many cases, by its very prejudices.—Custom, with respect to duelling, is a tyrant, whose despotism no body ventures to attack, though every-general, I intended writing to you about a body detests its cruelty. Con. I did not imagine that a tyrant of any kind would be tolerated in England. But where do you think of going now? For chambers, you know, will be most delightfully dangerous, till you have come to an explanation with Mr Torrington. Lee. I shall go to Mrs Crayons. Con. What! the gentlewoman that paints all manner of colours in red chalk? Lee, Yes; where I first became acquainted with Emily. Con. And where the sweet creature has met you two or three times, under pretence of sitting for her picture? Lee. Mrs Crayons will, I dare say, oblige me, in this exigency, with an apartment for a few days. I shall write, from her house, a full explanation of my conduct to Mr Torrington, and let him know where I am; for the honest old man must not be the smallest sufferer, though a thousand prisons were to stare me in the face.— But come, Connolly, we have no time to lose -Yet, if you had any prudence, you would abandon me in my present situation. Con. Ah, sir, is this your opinion of my friendship? Do you think that any thing can ever give me half so much pleasure in serving you, as seeing you surrounded by misfortunes? [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Changes to an apartment at BELVILLE'S. Enter GENERAL SAVAGE, MR TORRINGTON, and SPRUCE. Spruce. Miss Walsingham will wait on you immediately, gentlemen. Gen. Sav. Very well. Spruce. [Aside.] What can old Holofernes want so continually with Miss Walsingham? [Exit SPRUCE. Gen. Sav. When I bring this sweet mild creature home, I shall be able to break her spirit to my own wishes-I'll inure her to proper discipline from the first moment, and make her tremble at the very thought of mutiny. Tor. Ah, general, you are wonderfully brave, when you know the meekness of your adversary. Gen. Sav. Envy, Torrington-stark, staring envy :-Few fellows, on the borders of fifty, have so much reason as myself, to boast of a blooming young woman's partiality. Tor. On the borders of fifty, man!-beyond the confines of threescore. Gen. Sav. The more reason I have to boast of my victory, then; but don't grumble at my triumph: you shall have a kiss of the bride: let that content you, Torrington, trifling mistake; but, poor Mrs Belville has been so very ill, that I could not find an opportunity. Gen. Sav. I am very sorry for Mrs Belville's illness; but I am happy, madam, to be personally in the way of receiving your commands; and I wait upon you with Mr Torrington, to talk about a marriage-settlement. Miss Wal. Heavens, how shall I undeceive him! [Aside. Tor. 'Tis rather an aukward business, Aliss Walsingham, to trouble you upon; but as the general wishes that the affair may be as private as possible, he thought it better to speak to yourself, than to treat with any other person. Gen. Sav. Yes, my lovely girl; and, to convince you that I intended to carry on an honourable war, not to pillage like a free-booter, Mr Torrington will be a trustee. Miss Wal. I am infinitely obliged to your intention, but there's no necessity to talk about my settlement-for Gen. Sav. Pardon, me, madam !-pardon me, there is-besides, I have determined that there shall be one, and what I once determine, is absolute. A tolerable hint for her own behaviour, when I have married her, Torrington. [Aside to Tor. Miss Wal. I must not shock him before Mr Torrington. [Aside.] General Savage, will you give me leave to speak a few words in private to you? Gen. Sav. There's no occasion for sounding a retreat, madam. Mr Torrington is acquainted with the whole business; and I am determined, for your sake, that nothing shall be done without him. Tor. I can have no objection to your hearing the lady ex parte, general. Miss Wal. What I have to say, sir, is of a very particular nature. Tor. [Rising.] I'll leave the room, then. Gen. Sav. [Opposing him.] You shan't leave the room, Torrington. Miss Walsingham shall have a specimen of my command, even before marriage; and you shall see, that every woman is not to bully me out of my determination. [Aside to Ton. Miss Wal. Well, general, you must have your own way. Gen Sav. [To TOR.] Don't you see that 'tis only fighting the battle stoutly at first, with one of these gentle creatures? Tor. [Significantly.] Ah, general! Gen. Sav. I own, madam, your situation is a distressing one; let us sit down-let us sit downMiss Wal. It is unspeakably distressing, indeed, sir. Tor. Distressing, however, as it may be, we must proceed to issue, madam; the general pro |