Sir Herb. Mr. Malcour with them!

Curfitor. Ay, there!-do you mark that?

Sir Herb. I do-and fhe fhall find-fear not-I'm refolute-determined. [Exit. Curfitor. So you think now-but one of her Imiles will undo all.

Shenkin. Inteed, and upon my life, fo it will, Mr. Curfitor. Oh,tear! tear! 'tis now only eight months fince I did difgrace the noble race of Shenkins by putting on a livery-and what I would give to be fafe back at Abarathgwilly.

Curfitor. Abarathgwilly! what! then you come from Sir Herbert's neighbourhood?

Shenkin. Ifs: and tho' I do not like my place, I do ftill like my mafter; for there is strong fimilarities between us. We are both fine scholars, you do know,both of noble families, you do know-To be fure, the Shenkins are older than the Melmoths by fome centuries; but I do never mention it because a man is not to be infulted for the blunders of his grandfathers and grandmothers, Mr. Curfitor.

Curfitor. Right-and if you knew Sir Herbert and his fon in Wales

Shenkin. Knew him! plefs my foul-my poor dead father was one of Sir Herbert's tenants.-He did keep a great pig Latin fchool in the mountains; and before he did die, Caractacus was his under--master.

Curfitor. Caractacus !—and, pray, who was he?

Shenkin. I-I'm Caractacus. I'm the laft prop of the pedigree and you must know, my learned father had great griefs and troubles about his other childrenfor my brother, Alcibiades, did rob an orchard.

Curfitor. Alcibiades! Oh, I begin to comprehend, now-As a schoolmaster and a man of learning, your father was above giving his children fuch common names as William, Thomas, John.

Shenkin. Inteed, I cannot fay-But my brother Alcibiades did run away, and foon after Ajax Telamon did die of the hooping-cough, and the youngest of all did join a puppet-fhew, and in fording a small rivulet,

A 4

Punch,

Punch, his wife, and poor little Junius Brutus, all went

down together.

Curfitor. Indeed, great loffes! - But

fhe ftill living?

your mother-is

Shenkin. To be fure-and bleffed be St. David! for I do love the good old lady better than chis and pippins. I did come to town with her to open a school and teach English-but, fomehow, no fcholar did come near us; -and then I did go out for ufher-but, fomehow, the boys did laugh at me. I do find there is great difference between English English and Welch-English-and fo I did hire lodgings for the old lady, and a place for myself-and if wearing a livery is beneath me, fupporting a mother isn't beneath me-And, in her fon Caractacus, I do hope fhe will forget Alcibiades, and Ajax Telamon, and little Junius Brutus.

Curfitor. Hufh-Sir Herbert returns-now observe.

Enter Sir Herbert, Lady Melmoth, and Georgiana.

Lady Mel. Nay, now I am angry in my turn, Sir Herbert.-Sufpect me of coquetting and flirting with any man but my husband! Come, coufin, you who fo oft take part against me, can vindicate me now.

Georgiana. Oh yes, Sir Herbert! though lur'd by fashion into follies numberless, her heart is ftill at home; and if you've rivals to contend with-'tis in two infant pledges of your mutual love, whom the the more adores, because they so resemble you.

Sir Herb. Well, well,-'tis ever thus-her magic power difarms me of my anger-I'll think on't no

more.

Lady Mel. In truth, you have no caufe:-for fince the day you proffered me this ring, my heart has never wandered, never-but don't now, don't mention it; for if the people I vifit were to know how much I love my husband, they'd fo torment and ridicule me.

Sir Herb. And why-why dread their ridicule ? Lady Mel. I don't know-I'm a fad coward, I believe. But remember the ball we are to give to-morrow in the Eaftern

Eastern style.-I fhall want plenty of money to finish the preparations; for my pride is concerned, and I'm fure, you wou'dn't like to fee me mortified or humbled, Sir Herbert...

Sir Herb. No, not a wifh fhall be ungratified that I have power to grant you. Mr. Curfitor, that money may be raised, prepare the deeds inftantly-I expect my fon from his fhip this very day. But come, Ellen, you want repofe.

Lady Mel. Yes: I'm fo fatigued, but not fleepy. Coufin,, this is a very reftlefs lite.

Georgiana. Then, why pu. fue it? Why leave the certain treatures that your home contains for fuch precarious and difgufting fcenes.

Lady Mel. Well, after this Winter-but, pofitively, I must go thro' with it this winter, I will not, to appear happy, make myself miferable-No-I'll retire with my husband and my children-that is, if you'll all fland by me; for, to do fuch old fashion'd deeds, requires more affurance than even a modern fine lady poffeiles. [Exit with Sir Herbert and Georgiana.

Shenkin. Plefs my foul, this is marrying for love, is it? And they do fay his luft match, which was to please his father, and for money, didn't anfwer either.

Curfitor. No, monied matches never antwer-there the parties commence enemies-For, what with settlements, pin money, attornies, and truft deeds, they go to law before they go to bed-and inftead of bride and bridegroom entering a church, it's like plaintiff and defendant coming into Westminster Halle-So, no wife at all is my motto (going).

Shenkin. And mine alfo. But, look you, M. Curfitor, I do want your advice about finding my loft brother, Alcibiades. I do fome how think you might bring a fort of bill in chancery for a discovery;-but I peg pardon this way; and as an honeft lawyer will not difgrace the peft pedigree, Caractacus will open the door in perfon. [Exit, bewing out Cufficer.

SCENE

SCENE II.-Outfide of Melmoth Houfe, Lodge, Gateway, &c.

Enter Malcour and Curlitor from Gateway.

Malcour. Come, now, inform me, Curfitor; wasn't Sir Herbert goaded to the foul to find me with his wife at this late hour?

Curfitor. Good morning, Mr. Malcour, (going). I fee what you are aiming at. But if you think I'll aid you in betraying Lady Melmoth, or any other married woman, you mistake your man.

Malcour. Betraying!-'Sdeath! he was the betrayer. Long ere Sir Herbert gained her hand, he knew that fhe encouraged my addreffes-And, yet, moft artfully feduced her from me.

Curfitor. That I deny-he fairly won her; and, for the encouragement you talk of, why, young Ladies will have admiration, and young Gentlemen will have vanity. So, once more, good morning, Mr. Malcour.

Malcour. 'Tis well-but he fhall repent his treachery. Oh! if I forgive him!

Curfitor. That's not my affair-only, don't involve me. Tho' an attorney, I mean to do my best towards going to heaven; and if you gallant, feducing gentlemen are of service to our tribe in this world, I don't think you'll help us in the next-So, a third time, good morning, Mr. Malcour. [Exit. Malcour. Mean, confcientious fool.-But here comes one who may be useful to my purpole. Leonard is my friend-we have already met-and if hereafter I can work on his ingenuous mind..

Enter Leonard, dressed in a naval uniform.

So here ends your journey, Leonard-After an abfence of two tedious years, once more welcome to your father's houfe. Does not the fight tranfport you?

Leonard. It would; but I've a thoufand fears-The

letter

letter which he wrote me-The business which demands my prefence here-And, above all, this marriage with his ward.I know her, Malcour-'tis now fix years fince, with her cousin Georgiana, fhe was placed under my father's guardianship.

Malcour. Ay-and that of Mr. Poft Obit. Curfe the old legacy-hunter for not oppofing the match.

Leonard. He dar'd not. He is wholly influenc'd by Sir Herbert. And now, Malcour, if the should involve this hitherto exalted man-Georgiana too! I ftill muft feel for her, for fhe was born to fmile away misfortune, and is the nobleft prize a lover can contend for.

Malcour. Like father, like fon-Here'll be another thoughtless marriage, I fee.

Leonard. Nay, the knows not of my love, or if she did, have I the vanity to think the ever would return it? No, furrounded as he is by all that wealth and fashion can difplay, how can a rough, unpolish'd failor hope fuccefs? Befides, the ocean has fo much divided us, that we have feldom met.

Enter Shenkin from the Gateway.

Shenkin. Plefs my foul, I did think fo—I did think I did hear your voice in the lodge-Tear! tear! how you to do, Mr. Leonard? How you to do?

Leonard. What, my old Welch companion? Heyday! how's this? A livery, Shenkin?

Shenkin. If--You do fee what we great men do come to-But of that by-and-by. Walk you in, Mr. Leonard.

Leonard. Stop-Before we enter, I would know fomething about my father and his bride.Is Lady Melmoth, in the character of wife, lefs extravagant than in that of ward?

Shenkin (whispering). More a great deal.

Leonard. Indeed!

Shenkin. Don't you fay I did tell you-but every day fhe do lay out hundreds on things the never utes. And I do verily think fhe do coft Sir Herbert the rent of all Abarathgwilly to dreis herfelf like a Druid.-To be fure

they