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SCENE between General SAVAGE, Captain SAVAGE, Miss WAL SINGHAM, and TORRINGTON, a Lawyer, in which the Gen. discovers his mistake.

Capt. Sav. NAY, but my dearest Miss Walsingham, the extenuation of my conduct to Belville made it absolutely necessary for me to discover my engagements with you and as happiness is now so fortunately within our reach, I flatter myself you will be prevailed upon to forgive an error which proceeded only from the extravagance of love.

Miss Wal. To think me capable of such an action, Captain Savage! I am terrified with the idea of an union with you; and it is better for a woman at any time, to sacrifice an insolent lover, than to accept of a suspicious husband..

Capt. In the happiest union, my dearest creature, there must always be something to overlook on both sides. Miss Wal. Very civil, truly.

Capt. Pardon me, my life, for this frankness; and recollect, that if the lover has through misconception, been unhappily guilty, he brings a husband altogether reformed to your hands. Miss Wal. Well, I see I must forgive you at last; so I may as well make a merit of necessity, you provoking creature. Capt. And may I indeed hope for the blessing of this hand. Miss Wal. Why, you wretch, would you have me force it upon you? I think after what I have said, a soldier might venture to take it without further ceremony.

Capt. Angelie creature! thus I seize it as my lawful prize. Miss Wal. Well, but now you have obtained this inestima ble prize, Captain, give me leave to ask, if you have had a certain explanation with the General.

Capt. How can you doubt it ?

Miss Wal. And is he really impatient for our marriage?
Capt. 'Tis incredible how earnest he is.

Miss Wal. What! did he tell you of his interview with me this evening when he brought Mr. Torrington!

Capt. He did.

Miss Wal. O, then I can have no doubt.

Capt. If a shadow of doubt remains, here he comes to remove it. Joy, my dear Sir, joy a thousand times!

Enter General SAVAGE und TORRINGTON. A Gen. What my dear boy, have you carried the day? Miss Wal. I have been weak enough to indulge him with a victory, indeed, General.

Gen. Fortune favors the brave, Torrington.

For. I congratulate you heartily on this decree, General. -Gen. This had nearly proved a day of disappointment, but the stars have fortunately turned it in my favor, and now I reap the rich reward of my victory.

Capt. And here I take her from you as the greatest good which heaven can send me.

Miss Wal. O Captain!

Gen. You take her as the greatest good which Heaven can send you, Sirrah! I take her as the greatest good which Heaven can send me; and now what have you to say to her?

Miss Wal. General Savage!

For. Here will be fresh injunction to stop proceedings.
Miss Wal. Are we never to be done with mistakes?

Gen. What mistakes can have happened now, sweetest? you delivered up your dear hand this moment!

Miss Wal. True, Sir: but I tho't you were going to bestow my dear hand upon this dear gentleman.

Gen. How! that dear gentleman.

Capt. I am thunderstruck!

Tor. Fortune favors the brave, General, nome but the brave. [Laughingly.]

Gen. So the covert way is cleared at last; and you have all along imagined that I was negociating for this fellow, when I was gravely soliciting for myself.

Miss Wal. No other idea, Sir, ever entered iny imagination. Tor General, noble minds should never despair.

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[Laughinglys

Gen. Well, my hopes are all blown up to the moon at once, and I shall be the laughing stock of the whole town.

SCENE between Mrs. BELVILLE, Miss WALSINGHAM, and Lady RACHEL MILDEW.-On DUELLING.

Mrs. Belv.

WH HERE is the generosity, where is the sense, [alone.] where is the shame of men, to find pleasure in pursuits which they cannot remember without the deepest horror; which they cannot follow without the meanest fraud; and which they cannot effect without consequences the most dreadful; the greatest triumph which a libertine can ever experience, is too despicable to be envied; 'tis at best nothing but a victory over humanity; and if he is a husband, he must be doubly tortured on the wheel of recollection.

Enter Miss WALSINGHAM and Lady RACHEL MILDEW, Miss Wal. My dear Mrs. Belville, I am extremely unhappy to see you so distressed.

Lady Rach. Now I am extremely glad to see her so; for if she were not greatly distressed, it would be monstrously unnatural. Mrs. Belv. O Matilda! my husband! my children!

Miss Wal. Don't weep, my dear, don't weep! pray be com forted; all may end happily. Lady Rachel, beg of her not to cry so.

Lady Rach. Why, you are crying yourself, Miss. Walsing. ham. And though I think it out of character to encourage her tears, I cannot help keeping you company.

Mrs. Belo. O, why is not some method contrived to prevent this horrible practice of duelling.

Lady Rach. I'll expose it on the stage, since the law now adays kindly leaves the whole cognizance of it to the theatre. Miss Wal. And yet, if the laws against it were as well enforced as the laws against destroying the game, perhaps it would be equally for the benefit of the kingdom.

Mrs. Belv. No law will ever be effectual, till the custom is rendered infamous. Wives must shriek! mothers must agonize! orphans must be multiplied! unless some blessed hand strip the fascinating glare from honorable murder, and bravely expose the idol who is worshipped thus in blood. While it is disreputable to obey the laws, we cannot look for reformation. But if the duellist is once banished from the presence of his sovereign; if he is for life excluded the confidence of his country; if a mark of indelible disgrace is stamped upon him, the sword of public justice will be the sole chastiser of wrongs; trifles will not be punished with death, and offences really meriting such punishment, will be reserved for the only proper revenger, the commion executioner.

Lady Rach. I could not have expressed myself better on this subject, my dear; but till such a hand as you talk of, is found, the best will fall into the error of the times.

Miss Wal. Yes, and butcher each other like madmen, for fear their courage should be suspected by fools.

Sir Har.

COLONEL RIVERS AND SIR HARRY.

OLONEI, your most obedient: I am come upon the old business; for unless I am allowed to enl

tertain hopes of Miss Rivers, I shall be the most miserable of uman beings.

Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you personally, I cannot listen to your proposals.

Sir Har. No. Sir?

Riv. No, Sir; I have promised my daughter to Mr. Sidney; do you know that, Sir?

Sir Har. I do; but what then? Engagements of this kind, you know

Riv. So then, you know I have promised her to Mr. Sidney?

Sir Har. I do; but I also know that matters are not finally settled between Mr. Sidney and you; and I mcreover know, that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, therefore

Riv. Sir Harry, let me ask you one question before you make your consequence.

Sir Har. A thousand if you please, Sir.

Riv. Why then, Sir, let me ask you, what you have ever observed in me or my conduct, that you desire me so familiarly to break my word? I thought, Sir, you considered me as a man of honor.

Sir Har. And so I do, Sir, a man of the nicest honor.

Riv. And yet, Sir, you ask me to violate the sanctity of my word; and tell me directly that it is my interest to be a rascal. Sir Har. I really don't understand you, Colonel: I thought I was talking to a man who knew the world; and as you have not signed

Riv. Why this is mending matters with a witness! And so you think because I am not legally bound, I am under no neessity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honor; they want no bond but the rectitude of their ovn sentiments; and laws are of no use but to bind the villains of society.

Sir Har. Well but my dear Colonel, if you have no regard for me, shew some little regard for your daughter.

Riv. I shew the greatest regard for my daughter, by giv ing her to a man of honor, and I must not be insulted with any further repetition of your proposals.

Sir Har. Insult you, Colonel! is the offer of my alliance an insult? is my readiness to make what settlements you think proper

Rio. Sir Harry, I should consider the offer of a kingdom an insult, if it were to be purchased by the violation of my word. Besides, though my daughter shall never go a beggar to the arms of her husband, I would rather see her happy thanrich; and

if she has enough to provide handsomely for a young family, and something to spare for the exigencies of a worthy friend, I shall think her as affluent as if she was mistress of Mexico. Sir Har. Well, Colonel, I have done; but I believe—

Riv. Well, Sir Harry, and as our conference is done, we will if you please, retire to the ladies; I shall be always glad of your acquaintance, though I cannot receive you as a son-inlaw for a union of interest I look upon as a union of dishonor, and consider marriage for money, at best but a legal prostitution.

SCENE BETWEEN SHYLOCK AND TUBAL.*

Shy. HOW now, Tubal! what news from Genoa? Have you heard any thing of my backsliding daughter? Tub. I often came where I heard of her, but could not find her. Shy. Why there, there, a diamond gene that cost me two thousand ducats at Frankfort! The curse never fell upon the nation till now! I never felt it before! Two thousand ducats, in that and other precious jewels! I wish she lay dead at my feet! No news of them! and I know not what spent in the search. Loss upon loss. The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge; no ill luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders.

Tub. O yes, other men have il lluck too, Antonio, as I heard in Genoa

Shy. (Interrupting him) What, has he had ill luck?

Tub. Has had a ship cast away coming from Tripoli.
Shy. Thank fortune! Is it true? is it true?

Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped from the wreck.

Shy. I thank you, good Tubal. Good news! Good news! What, in Genoa, you spoke with them.

Tub. Your daughter, as I heard, spent twenty ducats in one night.

Shy. You stick a dagger in me, Tubal. I never shall see my gold again. Twenty ducats in one night! Twenty ducats! O father Abraham "

Tub. There came several of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, who say he cannot but break.

Shy. I am glad on't; l'il plague him; I'll torture him: I am glad on't.

*Shylock had sent Tubal after his daughter, who had eloped from his house. Antonio was a merchant, hated by Shylock.

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