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Cec. Astonishment and pleasure leave me hardly power to say, that a disobedience to you, sir, would only double my fault; nor to worship that heaven, which has led me through such a trial to such a reward!-Take all I have left myself to give you, Woodville, in my hand.

[WOODVILLE kisses first her hand, and then herself. Grey. Now let me die, my darling child! since I have seen thee, once more, innocent and happy.

Gov. And now, kiss me, my Cecilia !-Kiss me !Od! Miss Mortimer shall kiss me too, for loving my poor girl here!-Kiss me, all of you, old and young! men, women, and children!--Od, I am so overjoyed, I dread the consequences.- -D'ye hear, there?Fetch me a surgeon and a bottle of wine! -I must both empty and fill my veins on this occasion!-Zooks, I could find in my heart to frisk it merrily in defiance of the gout, and take that cursed vixen below, whoever she is, for my partner!

Lord G. Methinks all seem rewarded, but my poor Sophia, here! and her protection of Cecilia deserves the highest recompençe!-But whenever, my dear, you can present me the husband of your choice, I will present him with a fortune fit for my daughter.

Gov. Protect Cecilia!-Od! she is a good girl, and a charming girl, and I honour the very tip of her feathers now!-If she could but fancy our Charles, I'd throw in something pretty on his side, I promise you.

Miss Mor. Frankness is the fashion.-What would you say, sir, and you, my lord, if I had fancied your Charles so much, as to make him mine already?

Gov. Hey-day! more discoveries!-How's this, boy?
Capt. Har. Even so, sir, indeed.

Lord G. It completes my satisfaction.

Gov. Od, brother! who'd have thought you in the right all the while?-We'll never separate again, by the Lord Harry! but knock down our Welch friend's old

house, and raise him one on the ruins, large enough to contain the whole family of us, where he shall reign sole sovereign over all our future little Woodvilles and Cecilias.

Cec. Oppressed with wonder, pleasure, gratitude, I must endeavour to forgive myself, when heaven thus graciously proves its forgiveness, in allying me to every human being my heart distinguishes.

Grey. Yes, my Cecilia, you may believe him, who never gave you a bad lesson, that you are now most truly entitled to esteem; since it requires a far greater exertion to stop your course down the hill of vice, than to toil slowly up toward virtue.

THE END.

THE

CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE,

A COMEDY.

BY

COLMAN AND GARRICK.

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THE

CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE.

ACT I.

Scene I.-A Room in Sterling's House.

MISS FANNY and BETTY, meeting.

Betty. [Running in.] Ma'am! Miss Fanny! Ma'am ! Fanny. What's the matter, Betty?

Betty. Oh, la! ma'am! as sure as I am alive, here is your husband-I saw him crossing the court-yard in his boots.

Fanny. I am glad to hear it. -But pray, now, my dear Betty, be cautious. Don't mention that word again on any account. You know, we have agreed never to drop any expressions of that sort, for fear of an accident.

Betty. Dear ma'am, you may depend upon me. There is not a more trustier creature on the face of the earth, than I am. Though I say it, I am as secret as the grave—and if it is never told till I tell it, it may remain untold till doom's-day for Betty.

Fanny. I know you are faithful-but in our circumstances we cannot be too careful.

Betty. Very true, maʼam! and yet I vow and protest, there's more plague than pleasure with a secret; espe cially if a body mayn't mention it to four or five of one's particular acquaintance.

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