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ter's husband, died two thousand pounds in his debt, for which he religiously determined to punish me his heir. At my father's death I was ten years old, but from that time no intercession could prevail with this most obstinate mule so much as to see me. But we have no time to lose in words-Come on, my boys, now let us give order for the coach to drive gently up the hill-By this time Sir John, I hope, is ready to receive us.. [Exeunt

Sir JOHN ENGLISH walking in his hall: VULTUR comes blowing in as a running footman.

Vult. Hoh-Phu! phu! with your pardon, Sir, with your pardon; phu! phu!

Sir John. How now, pumps, dimity, and sixty miles a day, whose greyhound are you ?

Vult. Phu! phu! do you know, or can you give me any information? phu!

Sir John. Stand still and breathe, puppy; I'll walk a turn or two till your bellows are in order.

Vult. Can you tell me, I say, if my lord duke be come in yet?

Sir John. Thy lord duke! pr'ythee who is thy Lord Duke, friend?

Vult. I thought every body knew my Lord; his Grace the Duke of Gasconade; his youngest son bears the title of Lord Bite, and his eldest is Marquis of Bamington by the courtesy of England.

Sir John. Art sure he will alight here? I shou'd be

proud to entertain his grace; but I fear thou art mistaken.

Vult. Do you think so, Sir? By your leave, Sir. [Going. Sir John. Passion o' my fellow; why Pumps, I say, come back.

Vult. What is your pleasure, Sir?

Sir John. How happy should I be to entertain his grace. Did not his grace name the house with the great turret o' top?

Vult. No, Sir, no!

Sir John. Nor did not you hear him mention the velvet cushions in my little parlour?-Nor my large gilt candlesticks?

Vult. Upon my honour, no.

Sir John. Your honour, scab !-Nor no word dropt about the hangings in the great chamber?

Sir John holds him.

Vult. Not a word. [Running off, Sir John. A pox confine thee! This fellow was born with a whirligig in his heels. Stand still, you lousy seven miles an hour rascal.

Vult. If you stop me a second longer you ruin me. Sir John. Was there no talk of a plentiful board, open house-keeping, and the good old English hospitality reviv'd somewhere hereabout?-hah!

Vult. Now you come a little nearer the matter. Sir John. But now in one word—and indeed a question I should have ask'd before-Whom did he send you to?

Vult. To Sir John English, Sir,

Sir John. I am he, you round-about knave, you skip-ditch, I am Sir John English-Well, and will his grace be here?—I am overjoy'd-nobody; no, nobody of any degree or quality, that is to say-passes by the house-Nobody entertains like me-Well; well; well;-there is a kind of a grace, an art, a manner in these things, which so naturally slips from me-Godso, I forget myself Where are my servants? John Pippin, John!

Serv.. Did your worship call?

Sir John. Bid that figurative fool Timothy Shacklefigure, Robin Marrowbone the cook, and Doublejugg the butler, and Dorothy and Cicely, and all my servants, come hither instantly, I must speak with them all-Here, give this fustian rascal a horn o' beer and a crust-Well, and how does his grace, good now? I never saw him in my life.

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Vult. My lord has travell'd these five years, an' it please your good worship.

Sir John. Travell'd! good now!---A cup o' beer and a crust, there. The fellow's a fool, I think.

Enter Steward, Cook, Butler, CICELY and DOROTHY.

Sir John, Here Marrowbone, Robin, Robin, some tame ducks, a virgin pullet, a few pigeons, a bit of mutton, or something or other--- Dorothy, air the great chamber, Dorothy, the fine sheets for his grace's bed you understand me? The Holland curtains for the damask bed, edg'd with point: up with 'em; up E

with 'em --unpaper the screens, the sconces, and the andirons.

[As Sir John gives crders to his Servants, Vultur and another Servant are drinking and complimenting on one side.

Enter Servant.

Serv. An' it please your worship, there's a nobleman and all his servants just alighted at the great gate.

Sir John. Codso; codso; we shall be in a fearful hurry---" set my band, Dorothy"---quickly, quickly-So, there, there---- His grace, I profess, has surprised me, taken me so unprepared.

Enter LURCHER as a Duke, with his equipage; runs up to Sir JOHN, and salutes him.

Lurch. Sir John English, I am your most faithful and obedient servant: I could by no means have excused myself, if I had passed by, and not paid my respects here.

Sir John. A dog-hole, may it please your grace, a mere dog-hole; I have a clean bed or so, a bottle or two of good wine for a particular; I brew with the best malt, and can pretend to a bit of good mutton, or -We shall s arve your grace---but your grace's

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goodness

Lurch. Ever hearty Sir John, the happiest creature breathing (that is your character) when your friends are round you.

Sir John. Good now! good now! your grace is

pleasant----Will your grace taste a glass of old hock---with a little, little dash of palm, before you

eat?

Lurch. By no means, Sir John.

Upon my word, a noble estate. what with taxes,

you have a fine country round you, Sir John. No, no, no, my Lord; repairs, bad tenants, parish charges, and so forth; a poor pittance---a poor pittance !---Will your grace have a Seville orange squeez'd into a glass of noble racy old canary? What does your grace think of that? Aye, I believe that---or a glass of your right Southam cyder, sweetened with a little old mead, and a hard toast?

Lurch. Not one drop before I eat, tho' you could treat me with liquid gold. Why you live here as if all things were in common without labour or money, like Adam in Paradise.

Sir John. Yes, an it please your grace, with all my beasts about me. I have a heart, that is all I can boast; I have a heart. Well, well-what news? What news at London? I have a nephew there-I have not seen the profligate these ten years. I beg your grace not to intreat for him, his father served me scurvily; no, no; what o' that? what o' that?

Enter a Servant with sack and toast on a salver.

Your grace must taste one glass of sack, 'tis the custom o' the place; it will warm your stomach. Come, come-Ah, this nephew of mine has been a wild lad, very wild.

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