Scene between Colonel Rivers and Sir Harry ; in which the Col. from Principles of Honour, refuses to give his Daughter to Sir Harry.

Sir Har. COLONEL, your most obedient; I am

come upon the old bufinefs; for, unless I am allowed to entertain hopes of Mifs Rivers, I fhall be the most miserable of all human beings.

Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you perfonally, 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 do know I have promised her to Mr Sidney?

Sir Har. I do-But I alfo know that matters are not finally fettled between Mr Sidney and you; and I moreover 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 confequence.

Sir Har. A thoufand, if you please, Sir.

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

Sir Har.. And fo I do, Sir-a man of the nicest ho

nor.

Riv. And yet, Sir, you afk me to violate the fanctity of my word; and tell me directly, that it is my interest to be a rafcal?

Sir Har. I really don't understand you, Colonel; I thought, when I was talking to you, I was talking to a

man

man who knew the world; and as you have not yet figned

Riv. Why this is mending matters with a witnefs ! And fo you think, because I am not legally bound, I am under no neceffity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honor: They want no bond but the rectitude of their own 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, fhew some little regard for your daughter.

Riv. I fhew the greatest regard for my daughter, by giving her to a man of honor: and I muft not be infulted with any further repetition of your propofals.

Sir Har. Infult you, Colonel! Is the offer of my alliance an infult? Is my readiness to make what fettlements you think proper

Riv. Sir Harry, I fhould confider the offer of a kingdom an infult, if it were to be purchafed by the violation of my word. Befides, though my daughter fhall never go a beggar to the arms of her husband, I would rather fee her happy than rich; and if she has enough to provide handsomely for a young family, and fomething to fpare for the exigencies of a worthy friend, I fhall think her as affluent as if he were mistress of Mexico.

Sir Har. Well, Colonel, I have done; but I be lieve

Riv. Well, Sir Harry, and as our conference is done, we will, if you please, retire to the ladies. I fhall be always glad of your acquaintance, though I cannot receive you as a fon-in-law; for a union of intereft I look upon as a union of difhonor, and confider a marriage for money at best but a legal prostitution.

The

TH

HE father of Meliffa was the youngest fon of a country gentleman who poffeffed an eftate of about five hundred a year; but as this was to be the inheritance of the elder brother, and as there were three fifters to be provided for, he was at about fixteen taken from Eton school, and apprenticed to a confiderable merchant at Briftol. The young gentleman, whofe imagination had been fired by the exploits of heroes, the victories gained by magnanimous prefumption, and the wonders difcovered by daring curiofity, was not difpofed to confider the acquifition of wealth as the limit of his ambition, or the repute of honeft induftry as the total of his fame. He regarded his fituation as fervile and ignominious, as the degradation of his genius, and the preclufion of his hopes; and longing to go in fearch of adventures, he neglected his bufinefs as unworthy of his attention, heard the remonftrances of his master with a kind of fullen difdain, and, after two years legal flavery, made his efcape, and at the next town enlifted himself R

a

a foldier; not doubting but that, by his military merit and the fortune of war, he should return a general officer, to the confusion of those who would have buried him in the obfcurity of a compting-house. He found means effectually to elude the inquiries of his friends, and it was of the utmost importance to prevent their officious endeavours to ruin his project and obstruct his advancement.

He was fent with other recruits to London, and foon after quartered with the reft of his company in a part of the country, which was fo remote from all with whom he had any connection, that he no longer dreaded a difcovery.

It happened that he went one day to the house of a neighbouring gentleman with his comrade, who was become acquainted with the chambermaid, and by her intereft admitted into the kitchen. This gentleman, whofe age was fomething more than fixty, had been about two years married to a fecond wife, a young woman who had been well educated, and lived in the polite world, but had no fortune. By his first wife, who had been dead about ten years, he had feveral children; the youngest was a daughter, who had juft entered her feventeenth year; fhe was very tall for her age, had a fine complexion, good features, and was well fhaped; but her father, whofe affection for her was mere inftinct, as much as that of a brute for its young, utterly neglected her education. It was impoffible for him, he faid, to live without her; and as he could not afford to have her attended by a governefs and proper masters in a place fo remote from London, fhe was fuffered to continue illiterate and unpolished ; fhe knew no entertainment higher than a game at romps with the fervants; fhe became their confidant, and trufted them in return, nor did the think herself happy any where but in the kitchen.

As the capricious fondness of her father had never conciliated her affection, fhe perceived it abate upon his marriage without regret. She fuffered no new re

ftraint

ftraint from her new mother, who obferved, with a fecret fatisfaction, that Mifs had been ufed to hide herfelf from visitors, as neither knowing how to behave nor being fit to be seen, and chose rather to conceal her defects by excluding her from company, than to fupply them by putting her to a boarding-school.

Mifs, who had been told by Betty that the expected her fweetheart, and that they were to be merry, ftole down ftairs, and, without any fcruple, made one in a party at blindman's buff. The foldier of fortune was ftruck with her perfon, and difcovered, or thought he discovered, in the fimplicity of nature, fome graces which are polished away by the labour of art. However, nothing that had the appearance of an adventure could be indifferent to him; and his vanity was flattered by the hope of carrying off a young lady under the difguife of a common foldier, without revealing his birth, or boasting of his expectations.

In this attempt he became very affiduous, and fucceeded. The company being ordered to another place, Betty and her young mistress departed early in the morning with their gallants; and there being a privileged chapel in the next town, they were married.

The old gentleman, as foon as he was informed that his daughter was miffing, made fo diligent and fcrupulous an inquiry after her, that he learned with whom and which way he was gone: he mounted his horse, and purfued her, not without curfes and imprecations; difcovering rather the tranfports of rage than the emotions of tenderness, and resenting her offence rather as the rebellion of a flave than the difobedience of a child. He did not, however, overtake them till the marriage had been confummated; of which, when he was informed by the husband, he turned from him with expreffions of brutality and indignation, fwearing never to forgive a fault which he had taken no care to prevent. The young couple, notwithstanding their union frequently doubled their diftrefs, ftill continued fond of each other. The spirit of enterprize and the hope of prefumption

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