thirty guineas, then offer him damag'd linen and muflin to the amount of one hundred and twenty, and bid him call again in a fortnight— you have his note all the time you know.

Ready. Certainly, fir; and when he calls

Flufb. Give him a bad bill for one hundred and fifty, and pay him the odd hundred in trifles; fuch as pafte buckles, gilt bracelets, Weftphalia hams, painted prints, neats tongues, and Stilton cheefes fo fhake hands, and have done with Mafter Parfon.

Ready. But not with the bill, fir.

Flub. No-my bankers difcount it, and pay it away; till paffing through different hands, fomebody gives value for it at last, and then the glorious work begins-then comes the hero into combat! an attorney is employ'd! an attorney, my boy! action is brought upon action! declaration filed upon declaration! till the drawer, acceptor, and indorfers all get into the King's Bench-the King's Bench-no-I beg pardon; the high money-lenders, and low attornies, have fo fill'd it with their dupes, that there isn't room there the houfe overflows! fo Newgate, Newgate is the fhop!

Enter a Servant.

Flufh. Shew him in.

Servant. Here's your fon juft arriv'd from London! [Exit fervant. Ready. I'm told, fir, Mr. Gingham is quite another man, fince I faw him.

Flush. Yes, yes, you knew his curft, ingenuous, candid difpofition; he learnt it in the country, the dog would speak the truth, and his fim

plicity

plicity fo injur'd our trade, that I threatened to turn him out of doors; but he has reform'd, Ready! the boy has the good fenfe to tell a lie now, and I've fent for him to witnefs his bleffed reformation.

Ready. Ay, fir, your fon always fpoke his mind too freely-in fhort, Mr. Gingham was too honeft for his profeffion.

Flufb. He was; however, he has given me his word, never to fpeak what comes uppermoft, and he is now what he ought to be; a regular, folemn, jefuitical-in short-he's a very promifing young man.

Enter GINGHAM.

Gingham. Sir, your hand-Ready, yours. Well! here I am-quite converted-like father, like fon-tell a lie without blufhing.

Flub. Here-I told you fo-ay, ay, I knew the boy would come to fomething good at laft -fo, my dear boy, you have left off telling the truth-fpeaking your mind.

Gingham. Mum! clofe as the cabinet-keep you in my eye-put on your face, and do it fo punctually, you wouldn't know young P. O. from yourfelf-(Looking about the room.) Zounds! what a fine house you've got! how it's furnish'd! what plate! what pictures!

Flush. The refult of trade and honeft industry, Frank-yes-it's pretty furniture, isn't it?

Gingham. Pretty furniture! it's fo handfome, that, except yourself, curfe me, if I fee a fhabby bit in the room!-nay, nay, upon my foul, I didn't allude to you; I meant Ready.

Ready.

Ready. He's at his old tricks I fee-as candid

as ever.

Gingham. Plague on't! I could fooner bite off my tongue, than ftop its speaking what I think! nay, fir, now pray.

Flub. Well, well, I excufe you this once; I, a fhabby bit! however we fhall foon fee-how goes on the fhop in London ?

Gingham. The shop!

Flub. Ay, the fhop in the city that you've the care of the linens-the

Gingham. Oh, ay; now I recollect: why very well upon the whole, I believe, fir-very wellonly between ourselves, I am afraid it won't laft; I think we and our tricks fhall be found out-you understand

Flufb. Found out! 'fblood, firrah

Gingham. Softly, fir-foftly-don't put yourself in a paffion, and lay the blame on me; don't charge me with our ruin, for every body knew my opinion long ago; didn't they, Ready? I told it to a thoufand people-fays I, "fwindling will never thrive, and I and my poor "father fhall get duck'd at last!"

66

Fluf. You did! did you?

Gingham. That I did, fir; and I'll prove I said fo-the other night I flept at the weft end, and two friends-diftrefs'd old officers in the armybrought their notes to be difcounted-fays I, "Gentlemen, it won't do-you'll get little cafh, "but a quantity of trumpery nonsense, such as "hams, cheefes, prints, linens, and other ve"getables!" faid they, "We know that-we "know you and your father are two infernal "fharpers, but a guinea now is worth ten a "month hence-fo give us the money."

Flufb.

Flub. Well and you took their note, didn't you?

Gingham. No, I didn't-I gave them the cash, fhook the two old foldiers by the hand, and faid I was tir'd of fuch dd fwindling practices.

Ready. This is fad work, Mr. Gingham; you'll never be at the top of your profeffion. Gingham. The top!-Oh! what the pillory? no-I leave that to you, Ready.

Flush. Was there ever fuch a fcoundrel?-but we'll hear more, (Afide.)—So, you sleep at the weft end of the town, do you?

Gingham. Always-it's vulgar to be in the city of an evening? befides I like to walk in Kenfington-gardens in the morning-you know Kenfington-gardens, father-the place where there's fuch a mixture of green leaves and brown powder-of blue violets and yellow fhoes; and where there's fuch a croud, that to get air and exercife you ftand a chance of broken bones and fuffocation! Well!-there I ftrut away, my boys

Flub. You do-do you ?-I can hardly keep my hands off the rafcal-So then, I fuppofe, the moment my back was turn'd, you never thought of business.

Gingham. Bufinefs!-no never-did I, Ready? Irecollected myfather play'd the fame gamebefore me; that when he was clerk at the lottery-office, at billiards all the morning, and at hazard all the evening-therefore, fays I, where's the difference?-none! but that he had the policy to conceal his tricks, and I the folly to fhew mine-heh! I'm right-an't I, Ready?

Flufb. You villain!-is this your reformation? not even conceal your own faults, much more G mine,

mine. Expofe my character, neglect my trade, and strut away in Kenfington-gardens! I have done with you; from the country you came, and to the country you fhall return-Speak the truth, indeed! zounds! firrah, what has truth to do with money-lending? [Here Ready exit.

Enter CLARA SEDLEY.

Clara. Oh, Guardy-I'm just come to Bath with Mr. and Mrs. Darnley-we are all on a vifit at Sir George Gauntlet's, and

(feeing Gingham she stops.).

Flub. It's only my fon, Clara-a fimple foolish young man.

Gingham. (bowing to her.) More knave than fool, upon my honour, ma'am.

Clara. The gentleman don't praise himself I fee, Mr. Flufh.

Gingham. No, ma'am-nor do I know any body that will praise me-unlefs my father indeed. Flufh. Silence, fir!-well: but about the rural pair, my dear ward; do you know I have a great regard for Mr. and Mrs. Darnley.

Clara. Have you? I'm vaftly glad of that; for your joint guardian, Sir Paul, is fo employ'd in feeking for his loft child, that he has forgot his promife to affift Darnley; therefore I want you to do him a favour.

Flufb. A favour!-he may command me.

Clara. The cafe is this-his increase of family has fo enlarg'd his expences, that he has thoughts of returning to the army-Sir George has promifed to procure him a company, but Mrs. Darnley, not chufing he fhould owe his promotion to him, wishes he fhould purchase; now,

Guardy,