am resolved now to thwart her in every thing; and if Granger has but wit enough to talk Sophronia into her senses; that is, if he can but convince her that she is flesh and blood, and born to breed, like other women; odzooks! he shall marry immediately: I'll plague her ladyship that way too.

Frank. And, if I don't mistake, sir, Granger is in a fair way there too; for, to my knowledge, he has been locked up with her this half hour here in her library. Sir G. The dickens!

Frank. Did not you observe them steal off together just before the music?

Sir G. I wondered, indeed, what was become of them; by the lord Harry, I am glad of it-I must have a peep at them. [Goes to the Key-hole] Odso! they are just a coming forth.

Frank. We had best be out of the way then, that we may not disturb them.

Sir G. No, no, I'll warrant you; pr'ythee, let us stand and observe what passes.

Frank. Quick! quickly then; here they come.

[They retire.

Enter GRANGER with SOPHRONIA.

Soph. Oh, Granger! still preserve this purity, And my whole soul will open to receive thee. Gran. Hear this, ye bright immortal choirs above, And own that human souls, like you, can love.

Sir G. Hey-day! this is downright love in a tragedy! Well; he's a comical thief.

Gran. Oh, harmony of heart! Oh, spotless passion! Here, on this hand, the altar of my vows,

I offer up my purer part, my soul,

To thine, and swear inviolable

Soph. Hold!

Passions, like ours, no formal vows require;
For vows suppose distrust, or faithless love;
But where the pure, with the pure soul unites,
The simple band, thus given, and receiv'd, suffices.
Gran. Let then this hand my spotless heart resign.

Soph. Thus in exchange I blend my soul with thine. Sir G. So; they are got to hand and heart already. Now for it.

Frank. Nay, dear sir, be easy.

Sir G. Well! well! I will.

Soph. And now, no more Sophronia, but thy friend; Be both my name and sex from hence forgotten. Gran. No:

Let me remember still that thou art fair;

For were there no temptation in thy beauty,
Where were the merit of such hard resistance?
Indeed, my friend, 'tis hard! 'tis hard resistance!
I view thee with delight, I hear with transport,
And thy touch-is rapture-

Oh, Sophronia!

Why, why must virtue be this foe to nature?
Why set our senses with our souls at variance,
As heav'n had form'd thee fair-to kill thy friend.
Soph. What means my throbbing heart? Oh, virtue!
Now save me from unequal nature's power! [now,
Now guard me from myself and hide my shame!
Gran. Must I then perish? Will my friend forsake me?
Soph. Oh, Granger! I am lost!-thou hast undone me!
I am fallen, and thou wilt hate me now.

Gran. Oh, Sophronia!

Soph. Thy melting plaints have stole upon my heart. Gran. Oh, the tumultuous joy!

[She sinks into his Arms. Sir G. Ah, dead! dead! We have her, boy! we have her.

Gran. Oh, be but thus for ever kind, thy eyes
Will find new subjects for eternal talk,

And everlasting love: blush not, my fair,
That thou art kind: thy heart has only paid

To love, the tribute due from nature's whole creation:
Hear how the British Virgil sings his sway:
Thus every creature, and of every kind,
The secret joys of mutual passion find;
Not only man's imperial race, but they
That wing the liquid air, or swim the sea,

Or haunt the desert, rush into the flame; For love is lord of all, and is in all the same. [Exeunt Granger and Sophronia. Sir G. Oh, rare philosophy! Oh, fine philosophy! dainty philosophy! ho! [Singing.

Frank. Ha ha, ha! that must be a pleasant sort of philosophy indeed, sir, that pretends to be wiser than nature. Platonic love is a mere philosopher's stone; when different sexes once come to lay their heads together about it, the projection's sure to fly in fumo.

Sir G. Fumo! Ay, I warrant you. A handsome wench, that shuts herself up two or three hours with a young fellow, only out of friendship, is making a hopeful experiment in natural philosophy indeed-Why, it's just like spreading a bag of gunpowder before a great fire, only to dry it; ha, ha, ha!

Frank. Ha, ha, ha! what a rare welcome too this news will have with my lady! How she will fume at the disappointment!

Sir G. Nay, I have nothing to do with that, you know; this was none of my doing: let every tub stand upon its own bottom.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Sir, here's Mr. Delay, the lawyer.

Sir G. Odso! that's well! Now, Mr. FranklyFrank. I believe, sir, you had best keep him out of my lady's sight, till matters are ripe for execution.

Sir G. You are right, you are right; say no more, I'll do it. Ah, the sly rogue! how he tickled her up! Frank. But harkee, harkee, sir Gilbert-don't flinch now; don't be a craven; be sure to stand it out stoutly with my lady.

Sir G. Will you and Granger continue to stand by me?

Frank. To the last drop of our amorous blood to your daughters, and our amiable blood to you.

Sir G. Why then, if I don't squabble it out with her ladyship to the last drop of a husband's authority, may I live and die the cock of the hen-peck'd corporation.

[Exit.

Frank. So; thus far we stand fair: we have nothing now to combat but my lady; and Granger's success with Sophronia, at this time, will naturally strengthen our alliance against her. As for my friend Witling, his own assurance and vanity will partly do his businessà-propos! here he comes.

Enter WITLING.

Wit. Ha, ha, ha! dear Tom! I am glad I have found thee, faith! I have a favour to beg of thee.

Frank. Why then, I am glad you have found me too -because, I believe, I shall not grant it.

Wit. Ha, ha! what crabbed still, my dear! But I come to thee from a fair lady, child; and 'tis for her sake am going to be obliged to thee.

Frank. I am glad of that too. A woman of sense, I warrant her, by her sending thee on a fool's errand. Wit. Suppose then it were from a lady, Tom, that designs to take either you or me for a husband? What dost thou think of my little Charlotte, my dear Tommy?

Frank. Why, if she takes thee for a husband, I shall think her a fool; and if I should take thee for a wit, she would think me a fool: but by her sending thee to ask a favour of me, it's a sign she thinks thee a fool.

Wit. Ha, ha! a very pretty parcel of cross purposes; a fool and wit, and wit and fool; and she, and thee, and me! What! art thou playing at hustlecap with thy words, child? But to business--the fair lady, my dear Tom

Frank. Ay, what of her?

Wit. For you must know, she is in a terrible taking about me.

Frank. How so, sir?

Wit. Why, she said, just now, she was afraid to marry me so soon as to-night, upon thy account.

Frank. Good! then there may be hopes she will not marry thee upon any account.

Wit. No, don't flatter thyself neither, my dear Tommy; for her concern at the bottom was all upon my account.

Frank. How does that appear?

Wit. Why, you know, says she, after all, poor Frankly has some sort of pretensions to me: I don't know how it was, says she; but some way or other he got in with my father: so I durst not wholly discourage his addresses. Now, Frankly's of a surly temper, and I know, says she, Mr. Witling, you are violent in your nature too; and if matters should rise to a quarrel, nobody knows where the mischief may end; the world will certainly lay it all at my door--I should be the miserablest creature alive therefore I beg you, says she, go to him from me, and try to make an amicable end of the business; and the moment poor Frankly's made easy, says she, I'll marry you the next hour, without any reserve in the whole world.

Frank. Why then, without any reserve in the whole world, pray tell the lady, that she may depend upon it I am certainly easy-because I am sure she imposes upon you.

Wit. Impose upon me, child! ha, ha! that's pleasant enough, ha, ha!

Frank. That is, she lets you impose upon yourself, which is the same thing.

Wit. That may be, Tom; but the devil take me if I can find it out: and perish me if thou art not one of the best-bred rivals in the whole world! ha, ha, ha! and here she comes, faith, to thank thee for her part of the consolation. Ha, ha!

Frank. Ha, ha!

Enter CHARLOTTE.

Char. So, gentlemen, I am glad to find you in such good humour.

Wit. O! madam, the dearest friends in the world: I have obey'd your commands; and here's honest Tom is so far from being uneasy at our marriage, that 'egad, I can't get him to believe it will ever come to any thing.

Char. O! as to that, Mr. Frankly may think as he pleases; but if he is not uneasy upon your account, that's all I pretend to desire of him.