may be to fomething else.- -Were it in my power, I would not do your lordship fo ill an office. Ld. Court. I truft myself to your friendship.I am forry I cannot have the honour of your company where I am going; when I return to pay my refpects to the ladies, I hope to bring you proofs that my friendfhip was not merely profeffion. [Exit. you Bart. I find you have the ufe of your reafon when your wife is not by; confider yourself as a man, and confider her as a woman, and you may have it then too. You were born to freedom, and would seek to make yourself a flave? You were born to fortune, and would you ftoop to make yourself a beggar? For of all beggars, I look upon a minifter's follower to be the meaneft. Sir Tho. I have ftill, fir, fo much of the fpirit of a true Briton, that I defpife myself for the fteps I have been led into.- 'Tis true, I am one flesh with my wife, but my mind is my own; and you fhall foon be convinced, that I have fo reasonable a regard for her, that my own honour fhall govern me, and not her capricious paflions. Bart. That you may not be disappointed of the fum upon this emergency, it fhall be my immediate bufinefs to find out a perfon to fupply you. I'll be with you again an hour or two before dinner. Sir Tho. I fhall ever own the obligation, and you will foon have the pleasure to fee that your good offices were not thrown away. [Exit Barter. Enter Humphrey. Sir Tho. Well, Humphrey, what want you ? Humph. My lady, fir, hath order'd ine to call upon the wine-merchant for fix dozen more of champaign. Now the cafe is, Mr. Botler won't deliver a drop more without ready money.-Alack-a-day, fir! things are hugely alter'd from what they were in old fir Thomas's time. But fervants must fee all, and fay nothing. Sir Tho. 'Tis no matter, Humphrey.- You may tell my wife, that I gave you orders to the contrary. Humph. Well, it is no wonder that your fine folk live fo great, when they pay for nothing -Now to -But my thinking, to fquander more than a man hath, is not fo reputable a thing as your people of quality feem to think. Why now, an't like your honour, there's your taylor ufes you like a dog. -My lady too, methinks, had better play lefs and pay better. fervants, they fay, muft fee, and fay nothing. What, though it be the fashion, to my thinking, there is no fuch mighty matter of greatness in being bubbled by knaves, and fpunging upon induftry.Now, for my part, I can't find out where would be the leffening of a great man, though he fhould pay his debts. Great folk have great privileges, that's certain But, troth, I think 'tis e'en as creditable to be juft and honeft. Sir Tho. I thank thee, Humphrey, for thy bluat reproof. I feel the fhame of being in debt.- -'Tis a life of dependance, and beneath a man of honour. Humph. And they tell me too, that matters are going at a wild rate in the country yonder. Hath your honour spoke with your tenant John Trenchwell, who came to town laft night-But here he is himself, and he can better inform your honour.-He would very fain have feen your honour as foon as he came to town. Enter Trenchwell. Sir Tho. Farmer Trenchwell, I am glad to fee you. Pray, what bufinefs brought you to town? Trench. My bufinefs, fir Thomas, is merely upon your account. As I have always found you a kind landlord, I thought it my duty to ferve you to the beft of my power. Sir Tho. What is that paper in your hand? Hath a life dropp'd, and do you want to renew? Trench. That you might not look upon it as a private pique of mine, you will find there the hands of most of your creditable tenants.—— Your fteward Survey, fir, hath abused you. honest Humph. Open his eyes, Mafter Trenchwell. Be a rogue never fo rich and great, 'tis the part of an man to detect him--Fear him not, fariner Trenchwell. A knave, before he is found out is proud and infolent; but after he is found out, he is the meanest of cowards. -Speak -Speak out; fpeak plain. 'Tis what every fervant of the family hath long thought of him. Sir Tho. "Tis a remonftrance I fee againft Survey, my teward, Trench. He never had any thing to tranfact with any one tenant, but he had a private job of his own. By what means, think you, hath he purchased all thofe fine tenements round you?-Only give your tenants a hearing, and you will not want proofs. Sir Tho. I always took Survey to be an honeft fellow. Sir Tho. I don't know what to think. Trench. Read on. Only fee how he hath acted fince he was left to himself. Humph. Well faid, teach him to know a rogue from an honeft man 'Tis a leffon that country gentlemen almost always pay for learning.-Now he does not care to find him out, becaufe it will give him the trouble of` looking into his own affairs.-Then too, none of your high-born gentlemen ever care to own they have been impofed upon. Sir Tho. The facts charged against him are very ftrong. Sir Tho. I have been very kind to the fellow. Trench. Knavery, fir Thomas, is not confin'd to London. We are not fo ignorant of the ways of the world. Pray, how think you ftewards get richer than their -Ah, dear fir- they know how to make mafters ? the most of a place too. Enter lady Willit. La. Willit. How can you have your creatures in one's dreffing-room ?-You know I want to drefs. What business have you here?-Did not I order you to go to the wine-merchant ? Sir Tho. I fhall give direction about it, child.Here's my honeft neighbour Trench well hath brought me a moft flagrant information against Survey. La. Willit. A gentleman would have a fine time on't to be influenced by a few difcontented peasants. Sir The. But the thing, madam, must be enquired into. N 4 La. La. Willit. How can any creature be so dull, so unentertaining, to be always pothering over his own affairs! Can you be so unlike a gentleman, to think your father left you an eftate to look after it ?-What are ftewards for? Sir Tho. To look after fools eftates, till they leave 'em nothing to look after. La. Willit. Short and pithy.-But why am I to be worried—I am not your steward ;—am I ?— know that I am to have company to breakfast? -Do you Fetch, get my things ready to dress this infant. Sir Tho. Since the company and difcourfe are difa[Calls at the door. greeable to you, we'll talk farther upon this affair be low. gone firft. And let (Exit. La. Willit. What is the wench ftupid ?—Fetch.No-let the difagreeable crew be me know when every thing is ready. Sir Tho. Where fhall one look for honesty ?Who hath it? Or of what ufe is it to the owner ?———'Tis a reftraint upon a man's fortune ; 'tis a curb upon opportunity, and makes either a public or private truft worth nothing reward!--Poverty ? Is it among the rich No: -What's its for it never keeps company with avarice, luxury and extravagance. Is it among the vulgar act by imitation. No: for they Who can one truft?. truft my fervant, I tempt him.If I truft my friend, I lose him.-If I truft my wife, for the quiet of the family, the looks upon it as her duty to deceive me. 'Tis then ourselves who, by implicit truft, ACT B ACT II. Lady Willit, Fetch. Lady Willit fitting at her toilet. Lady WILL IT. LESS me!How can any mortal be so aukward [Fetch combing her hair.]—Dost think I have no feeling? Am I to be flea'd alive?-Go-begone.' Lgoing] Come hither. [returning ]— Who do you think is to drefs nie?- Tell 'em I'll have the teakettle ready this inftant [going]Is the wench dif tracted?-What, am I to fit all day long with my hair about my ears like a mermaid? [returning ---Now I'll be fworn for't, thou haft not ipoke for the teawater all this while, though I order'd it an hour ago. Fetch. Not by me, madam. La. Willit. So you tell me I lye-that's all. [going] -What is the blundering fool doing ?-Am I to be drefs'd to day or no? [returning]-Bid the porter bring me up the book of vifits.-Why don't you go? [going] -Must I bid you do the fame thing a thousand times over and over again? -I am to have no breakfast to. day, that I find you are determin'd upon. [flops at the door.] Fetch. Your ladyship bid me call the porter. La Willit. And where is he?-Thou haft not done any one thing that I have order'd thee all this day. [going]-Bring me the lavender-drops. [returning.]No, I won't have any now-you know I hate 'emOne would think the wench had learn'd from her mafter, and that I was born to be contradicted.- --The vifiting-book, I fuppofe, is to be a fecret; and I am the laft of the family who is to be trusted with it. Go, get you out of my fight, 'provoking flut. [tops at the door.] Fetch. Your ladyfhip hares one fo-fo-fo, that you will not give one ti-ti-me-to do a hundred things at once. N 5 La. |