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Croak. But I fay there is no cruelty. Don't you know, blockhead, that girls have always a round about way of both faying yes before company? So get you gone together into the next room, and hang him that interrupts the tender explanation. Get you gone, I fay; I'll not hear a work.

Leont. But, fir, I must beg leave to infist

Croak. Get off, you puppy, or I'll beg leave to infist upon knocking you down. Stupid whelp. But I don't wonder, the boy takes entirely after his mother.

[Exeunt mifs Rich. and Leont.

Enter Mrs. CROAKER.

Mrs, Croak. Mr. Croaker, I bring you fomething, my dear, that I believe will make you smile.

Croak. I'll hold you a guinea of that, my dear.

Mrs. Croak. A letter; and, as I knew the hand, I ventured to open it.

Croak. And how.can you expect your breaking open my letters should give me pleafure?

Mrs. Croak. Poo, it's from your fifter at Lyons, and contains good news: read it.

Croak. What a Frenchified cover is here! That fifter of mine has fome good qualities, but I could never teach

her to fold a letter.

Mrs. Croak. Fold a fiddlestick. Read what it contains.

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Croak, (reading.) 'Dear Nick, An English gentleman, of large fortune, has for some time made private, tho' honourable propofals to your daughter Olivia. They • love_each_other_tenderly, and I find she has consented,

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without letting any of the family know, to crown his ad'dreffes. As fuch good offers don't come every day, your

own good fenfe, bis large fortune and family confiderations will induce you to forgive her.

• Yours ever,

RACHEL CROAKER,'

My daughter, Olivia, privately contracted to a man of large forture! This is good news indeed. My hear never foretold me of this. And yet, how flily the little baggage has carried it fince fhe came home. Not a word on't to the old ones for the world. Yet I thought I faw fomething she wanted to conceal.

Mrs. Croak. Well, if they have concealed their amour, they fhan't conceal their wedding; that shall be public I'm refolved.

Croak. I tell thee, woman, the wedding is the most foolish part of the ceremony. I can never get this woman to think of the moft ferious part of the nuptial engagement.

Mrs. Croak. What, would you have me think of their funeral? But come, tell me, my dear, don't you owe more to me than you care to confefs? Would you have ever been known to Mr. Lofty, who has undertaken Miss Richland's claim at the treafury, but for me? Who was it firft made him an acquaintance at lady Shabbaroon's rout? Who got him to promife us his intereft? Is not he a back-ftairs favourite, one that can do what he pleafes with those that do what they pleafe? Isn't he an acquaintance that all your groaning and lamentations could never have got us ?

G

Croak. He is a man of importance, I grant you. And yet, what amazes me is, that while he is giving away places to all the world, he can't get one for himself.

Mrs. Croak, That perhaps may be owing to his nicety. Great men are not easily satisfied.

Enter FRENCH SERVANT.

Serv. An expreffe from Monfieur Lofty. He vil be vait upon your honour's inftraminant. He be only giving four five inftruction, read two three memorial, call upon von ambaffadeur. He vil be vid you in one tree minutes.

Mrs. Croak. You fee now, my dear. What an extenfive department! Well, friend, let your mafter know, that we are extremely honoured by this honour. Was there any thing ever in a higher ftyle of breeding! All meffages among the great are now done by exprefs.

Croak. To be fure, no man does little things with more folemnity, or claims more refpect than he. But he's in the right on't. In our bad world, refpect is given, where respect is claim'd.

Mrs. Croak. Never mind the world, my dear; you were never in a pleasanter place in your life. Let us now think of receiving him with proper respect (a loud rapping at the door) and there he is by the thundering

rap.

Croak. Ay, verily, there he is; as close upon the heels of his own exprefs, as an indorsement upon the back of a bill. Well, I'll leave you to receive him, whilft I go to chide my little Olivia for intending to fteal a marriage

without mine or her aunt's confent. I must seem to be angry, or fhe too may begin to defpife my authority.

Enter LOFTY, Speaking to his servant.

[Exit.

Lofty. And if the Venetian ambassador, or that teazing creature the marquis, fhould call, I'm not at home. Dam'me, I'll be pack-horfe to none of them. My dear madam, I have just fnatched a moment.-And if the expreffes to his grace be ready, let them be fent off; they're of importance. Madam, I afk a thousand pardons.

Mrs. Croak. Sir, this honour

Lofty. And Dubardieu! if the perfon calls about the commiffion, let him know that it is made out. As for lord Cumbercourt's ftale requeft, it can keep cold: you. understand me. Madam, I ask ten thousand pardons. Mrs. Croak. Sir, this honour

Lofty. And, Dubardieu! if the man comes from the Cornish borough, you must do him; you must do him, I say. Madam, I ask ten thousand pardons. And if the Ruffian-ambaffador calls: but he will fcarcely call today, I believe. And now, madam, I have just got time to express my happiness in having the honour of being permitted to profefs myself your moft obedient humble fervant.

Mrs. Croak. Sir, the happiness and honour are all mine; and yet, I'm only robbing the public while I detain you.

Lofty. Sink the public, madam, when the fair are to be attended. Ah, could all my hours be fo charmingly

devoted! Sincerely, don't you pity us poor creatures in affairs? Thus it is eternally; folicited for places here, teazed for penfions there, and courted every where. I know you pity me. Yes, I fee you do.

Mrs. Croak. Excufe me, fir.

fures are, as Waller fays.

Toils of empires plea

Lofty. Waller, Waller; is he of the house?

Mrs. Croak. The modern poet of that name, fir. Lofty. Oh, a modern! We men of business despise the moderns; and as for the ancients, we have no time to read them. Poetry is a pretty thing enough for our wives and daughters; but not for us. Why now, bere I ftand that know nothing of books; I fay, madam, I know nothing of books; and yet, I believe, upon a landcarriage fishery, a stamp-act, or a jag-hire, I can talk my two hours without feeling the want of them.

Mrs. Croak. The world is no ftranger to Mr. Lofty's eminence in every capacity.

Lofty. I vow to gad, madam, you make me blush. I'm nothing, nothing, nothing in the world; a mere obfcure gentleman. To be fure, indeed, one or two of the prefent minifters are pleased to represent me as a formidable man. I know they are pleased to be-spatter mę at all their little dirty levees. Yet, upon my foul, I wonder what they fee in me to treat me fo! Measures, not men, have always been my mark; and I vow, by all that's honourable, my refentment has never done the men, as mere men, any manner of harm-that is as mere

men.

Mrs. Croak. What importance, and yet what modefty!

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