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deroon, aboard the-what d'ye call the vessel-the Sea-horse, I take it.

Bridge. What who?—It is not Aubrey.

Colin. Gude faith, I wou'd it was-the mon is dead. Bridge. which man is dead :-the passenger or Aubrey?

Colin. Hoot! cann't you think 'tis Aubrey?-By your leave, Truth, awhile, you will na' take it much to heart, an I make use of falsehood to detect itsall. [Aside.

Bridge. I'll go to Mr. Mortimer's; I'll go with all my heart.-Give me your hand; I ask your pardon heartily, my honest friend.-And so he is dead, you Say you're sure he is dead-pray, what distemper did he die of?

Colin. When a mon's in his grave, what matters which distemper laid him there.

Bridge. That's true, that's true enough. Pray you sit down; I'll just run up and tell my wife and daughterZooks suppose I brought them with me; will they meet a welcome, think you?

Colin. Ay, sic a one as you don't look for, take my word.

Bridge. I'm a new man; I walk upon the air. [Exit. Colin. Ecod the project takes; I drew for the cock bird, and have taken the whole covey.

Enter NAPTHALI hastily.

Napth. Odds my life, Mr. Bridgemore, I forgot Who's there that devil Scotchman.

Colin. Hold, hold, friend Napthali; you and I mun. na part; you must keep pace wi' me to Maister Mortimer's.

Napth. To Mr. Mortimer's? Impossible: why I must be at Bank, sir, I must be at Jonathan's: I've forty bargains to settle. I shall have half the coffeehouse on my back. Would you make me a lame duck? Colin. Duck, or no duck, ecod, sir, you must travel. [Exit dragging Napth. out.

Enter LUCINDA.

Luc. Hey-day! I never saw the like before; I cann't think what possesses my father; he's intoxicated: quite beside himself with this comfirmation of Mr. Aubrey's death: for my part, I derive no particular gratification from it; so that Augusta had but one lover less, I care not if she had forty fathers living: Tyrrel's the man of her heart, and in truth he is an object worthy of any woman's preference; if I could draw him from her 'twould be full retaliation for Lord Abberville

-I'll go to Morti

mer's 'tis an untoward visit; but I'll :

Enter BRIDGEMORE.

go there.

Bridge. Come, bustle, daughter, bustle; get your cloak on, the coach will be here immediately: but where's my Scotchman } I forgot to ask the stranger's name,

G

[Exit hastily.

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Enter Mrs. BRIDGEMORE.

Mrs. Bridge. Where have you hid yourself, my dear? Come, are you ready? Your father's frantic with impatience.

Luc. I follow you

Now, Aubrey, 'tis my turn.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Changes to MORTIMER'S Library. Enter MORTIMER and TYRREL.

Mort. Never tell me, you've acted like a giddy hot young man; put a few hear-say circumstances together, shook them in an empty noddle, and so produced a compound of nonsense and suspicion.

Tr. I plainly see I've judged too hastily.

Mort. Judged! pooh, I would not give a rush for such a judge: a magpye in a cage, that chatters out whore to every woman that goes by, will be as often right as you, and judge as wisely: never talk to me of judging others, till you've condemned yourself.

Tyr. I do condemn myself; and if Miss Aubrey does not sign my pardon, I am disposed not only to condemn, but exécute.

Mort. Away then, and throw yourself upon the mercy of the court; it is the fate of bunglers to be asking pardon. [Exit Tyr.

I

Enter COLIN.

Colin. Bless you, good Maister Mortimer, I hanna' slept in your commission; yon fat fellow upon FishStreet-Hill is on his march with bag and baggage. Mort. What mean you? Does he bring his wife

with him.

Colin. Troth does he, and his daughter too; the plot is thick'ning you mun know apace, and yon same buzzard canna spy it out.

Mort. What plot is thick'ning?

Colin. Zooks, mon, you shall behold as pretty a discovery, come the time, as ever your eyes looked upon; but aw things in their course; I mun' gang home the while, but I'll be quickly bock again, d'ye

see.

Mort. Do so, my friend; and hark'e, tell your lord, I beg half an hours conversation with him, when and where he pleases.

Colin. I shall do that; but you mun know, while I was on my way, I cross'd upon a gentleman of no vulgar presence, and considering he has sojourned for a pretty many years with none but such as we denominate barbarians, as courteous in his manners as your heart could wish.

Mort. Why that accounts for it. Well, what of him?

Colin. With your leave, Maister Mortimer, he'll tell you his own errand: troth, he wull'd me introduce him to you: he's without.

Mort. Admit him.

Colin. Gude faith, he has done that for himsall; he's not habituated to our ceremonies. Maister Mortimer, I pray Heaven take you to its holy keeping till see you again. [Exit.

Enter AUBREY.

Aub. Sir, your most humble servant. forgive the intrusion of a stranger?

Can you

Mort. A stranger, sir, is welcome; I cannot always say as much to an acquaintance.

Aub. I plainly see your experience of mankind by the value you set upon them.

Mort. True, sir; I've visited the world from arctic to ecliptic, as a surgeon does an hospital, and find all men sick of some distemper: the impertinent part of mankind are so busy, the busy so impertinent, and both so incurably addicted to lying, cheating and betraying, that their case is desperate: no corrosive can eat deep enough to bottom the corruption.

Aub. Well, sir, with such good store of mental provison about you, you may stand out a siege against society; your books are companions you never can be tired of.

Mort. Why truly their company is more tolerable than that of their authors would be; I can bear them on my shelves, though I should be sorry to see the impertinent puppies who wrote them: however, sir, I can quarrel with my books too, when they offend my virtue or my reason.-But I'm taking up your

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