OR, HEAR IT OUT.

27

Tourly. And I fhall wish to be yours-for though I never go out of my road to look at dull ruins and dead antiquities, I would cheerfully travel England over, to contemplate fuch living excellence as Mr. Villars.

Jack. Very likely-but he fhall find he has to deal with one who can inflict a punishment great as his arrogance deferves.

Tourly. Stop, Jack-I know you mean that you are the best markfman in the whole univerfity, and 'tis certainly very creditable to fnuff a candle ar forty yards, or wound an orange at fifty-but to rob a wife of fuch a husband-a child of such a father or a poor wanderer of fuch a protector! you shan't ftir-you came here for pleasure, and if you don't get the firft fhot 'tis all over with you; for thefe long hair trigger'd piftols are brought to fuch perfection, that if ever I fire one off, it shall be at a gunsmith!-it fhall! for making duelling a certainty.

Jack. Let me pafs, Sir-one of us mult fall.

Enter Giles Woodbine. (with part of a torn letter in his band.)

Giles. Let I come at un, that's all, let I come at un-Gentlemen, na offence I do hope-but pray. ha ye feen fifter?

Tourly. Sifter!

Giles. Ay, and her dom❜d blackhearted deceiver: they be fomewhere pretty near, I promise ye, for I's just pick'd up in the foreft thick fcrap of a letter, pen'd in Sophia Woodbine's own falfe hand! (Tourly and Jack look aftonished) but I tell you what, gentlemen, I do hate to be felfifh ye fee-I do loik my neighbours to have fport as well as myself fo if ye'll come with a few farming friends

that

1

that be now waiting, why ye'll fee the head of a feducer treated like a cricket-ball-domme I'll bang it till it do bound again, and if he do talk of challenging, I fhou'd be a fool to be afeard of pistols, when nature had given I thefe two English bull-dogs.-Come Sir, come and fee the sport.

Tourly. Thank you, Sir, thank you-you are very good, but we have lately had fo much fport, and my friend in particular, he wouldn't be at all pleased with this fort of diverfion, would you, Jack?

Giles. But dang it, what be I about? chattering here, when Soph, fifter Soph! dear! dear! if feyther were alive to fee this day! (going up stage and Looking about.)

Tourly. I fay, Jack-as you must fight him before Villars, I'll tell him at once.

Giles. (looking through the window in Villars's boufe.) It is! no-ees-odraten! there the be! juft as aunt and doctor prophefied-and I to pledge my life! Lord! Lord! mayhap I (coming from window) do miftake though; fure in one day I were not born to lose a friend fo koind-a fifter fo-no, they do love I better; and (returning to the window, and looking in) I cannot fee-fomething be floating in my eye-oh! ees, and now it do quite blind me (bursting into tears).

Tourly. Speak to him, Jack, this is beyond me.
Jack. (to Giles.) Come, be a man-you ought

to feel afham'd.

Giles, No-let them be asham'd that make I fo; and thof my heart do break, I would not change my lot for theirs; but Mr. Villars fhall repent it every way-inftant I'll turn him from his farm-him, and his wife and infant-What! my fellow fufferers! they who be innocent and wrong'd! I's knaw not what I's doing-I's all fever-wild! pity me, Gentlemen, pity me! and should a fimple

ruftie

Enter Giles. (baftily, and not feeing Sophia).

Giles. So Mr. Villars, an't ye ashamed of your felf, Mr. Villars-Lord blefs me! be it you Madam? dear! I's quite forry-thof I fuppose you do knaw-▬▬▬▬▬

Mrs. V. Know what, Giles?

Giles. That I have a base fifter-thee, a false hufband.

Mrs. V. Away-I'm deaf to fuch calumnious charges.

Giles. 'Icod! I wish I were deaf to every thing, for one do never hear any thing pleafant, I do think-and to find two people I fo lov'd-but here it be in Soph's own crooked ugly hand: (producing part of letter, and reading) "Dear brother-I confefs I have elop'd from Lady Davenant; and after fuch rashness and imprudence, I am afhamed to "There!-the reft be torn off-but odraten! that be enough of the vile fcrawl.

Mrs. V. No-it is not enough: you found this in the foreft?

Giles. Ees, fure.

Mrs. V. Then read if fhe is guilty (giving him the other part of letter); I found this in the foreft too-lee-'tis Sophia's hand!

Giles. So it be-and dang it! how nicely they do fit and dovetail (putting the pieces together, and reading); "return to her protection-but you will one day find, it was owing to a young collegian at Oxford, who lur'd me to meet him on a promife of marriage, and finding his intentions dishonourable, I left him with difdain to feek my dear-lov'd brother's pity and forgiveness !"--He! he! he! (half

(half laughing and half crying) what a straight pretty

hand.

Sophia. (advances unfeen towards him, kneels, and turns him round to her.) Giles! will you caft me from you?

Giles. (clafping her in his arms.) No-not while thefe arms can hauld thee!-and Mr. Villars did befriend thee, I fuppofe.

Sophia. He did—he did!

Giles. And I'm to turn him out of farm, am I? -by Gom!-if I be a farmer, let me be a gentleman one!—and before I do turn out or rackrent good tenants, that (fnapping his fingers) for all

the doctors and old maids in the universe !-but where be he?-and where my little favourite Henry?

Mrs. V. Ah! where indeed!-I have fearch'd every where-and ftill must search

Sophia. And I've detain'd you-oh! let me attend you and affift

Mrs. V. Will you?-yet why am I alarm'd?— why thus indulge these weak maternal fears, when Sufan is but sheltering from the ftorm, within fome neighbouring cot.

Giles. No-that be all-and when ye come back, I'll just thank ye, Soph, for the name of this college chap-for I's promis'd feveral friends to fee the fport-two in particular, who be now out-fide house (looks cafually out of window.) Seethere be one croffing ftyle.

Sophia. (looking out of window.) Heavens! that's he-no-I miftake-believe me not-you'll

quarrel and encreafe my fufferings !

Giles. Quarrel?-not I-Lord help thee I'll only just play a bit o' cricket wi him, and fo I told un-go-be fatisfied-he! he!-he be quite prepared for the fport-nay-I's infift

Mrs. V.

Mrs. V. Come, I entreat you.

[Exeunt Mrs. Villars and Sophia. Giles. Now dom un!-I'll not difappoint un

(going.)

Enter Tourly.

Tourly. There he goes!-Mifs Woodbine!Mifs Sophia Woodbine!

Giles. Hauld-look-what you have to pass(holding up his fifts.)

Tourly. My dear fellow-do you think I forget them?-but you may muzzle them for ever-for I come, commiffion'd by my friend, to offer marriage-think of that-you'll be brother to a man of fashion.

Giles. No-I fhan't-for thof I do know that marriage be the common reparation in these cases, 1 be above such practices-and mind me, Sir-the last man that fhall be Sophy's husband, is the villain who has wrong'd her-and if all feythers and brothers were of my opinion-they wou'dn't fo often revenge poor daughters' and fifters' injuries, by tying them to infamy and misery.

Tourly. Give me your hand-I love you for that fentiment-and if my friend had ftudied in your school-but poor fellow!- he hadn't your advantages-no-he was ruined by Latin, Greek, and mathematics.

Giles. Ruin'd by mathematics!

Tourly. Ay, Sir-they got him his fellowshipand I blush to tell you-a fellowship forbids a man not to take a wife himself; and confequently turns his mind to other people's wives'-you underftand, Sir-now-a-days nobody blames Oxonians and Cantabs-and fee! how you are to be envied?-you may lead a life of virtue-you are no fcholar!