THE

GOOD-NATUR'D

MAN.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE, an apartment in Young HONEY WOOD'S houfe.

Enter Sir WILLIAM HONEYWOOD, JARVIS.

Sir WILLIAM.

GOOD Jarvis, make no apologies for this ho

neft bluntnefs. Fidelity, like yours, is the best excufe for every freedom.

JARVIS.

I can't help being blunt, and being very angry too, when I hear you talk of difinheriting fo good, fo worthy a young gentleman as your nephew, my mafter. All the world loves him.

Sir WILLIAM.

Say rather, that he loves all the world; that is his fault.

JARVIS.

I am fure there is no part of it more dear to him than you are, though he has not feen you fince he was a child.

Sir WILLIAM.

What fignifies his affection to me; or how can I be proud of a place in a heart where every harper and coxcomb find an eafy entrance?

JARVIS.

I grant you that he is rather too good-natur'd; that he's too much every man's man; that he laughs this minute with one, and cries the next with another but whofe inftructions may he thank for all this?

Sir WILLIAM.

Not mine, fure? My letters to him during my employment in Italy, taught him only that philofophy which might prevent, not defend his errors.

JARVIS.

Faith, begging your honour's pardon, I'm forry they taught him any philofophy at all; it has only ferv'd to spoil him. This fame philofophy is a good horfe in the ftable, but an arrant jade on a journey. For my own part, whenever I hear him mention the name on't, I'm always fure he's going to play the fool.

Sir WILLIAM.

Don't let us afcribe his faults to his philosophy, I entreat you. No, Jarvis, his good nature arifes rather from his fears of offending the importunate, than his defire of making the deferving happy.

JARVIS.

What it rifes from, I don't know. But, to be

fure, every body has it, that afks it.

Sir WILLIAM.

Ay, or that does not ask it. I have been now for fome time a concealed spectator of his follies, and find them as boundless as his diffipation,

JARVIS.

And yet, faith, he has fome fine name or other for them all. He calls his extravagance, generofity; and his trusting every body, univerfal benevolence. It was but last week he went fecurity for a fellow whofe face he fcarce knew, and that he called an act of exalted mu-mu-munificence; ay, that was the name he gave it.

Sir WILLIAM.

And upon that I proceed, as my last effort, though with very little hopes to reclaim him. That very fellow has juft abfconded, and I have taken up the fecurity. Now, my intention is to involve him in fictitious diftrefs, before he has plunged himself into real calamity. To arreft him for that very debt, to clap an officer upon him, and then let him fee which of his friends will come to his relief.

JARVIS.

Well, if I could but any way fee him thoroughly vexed, every groan of his would be mufic to me; yet faith, I believe it impoffible. I have tried to fret him myself every morning these three years; but, instead of being angry, he fits as calmly to hear me fcold, as he does to his hair-dreffer.

Sir WILLIAM.

We must try him once more, however, and I'll go this inftant to put my scheme into execution; and I don't defpair of fucceeding, as, by your means, I can have frequent opportunities of being about him, without being known. What a pity it is, Jarvis, that any man's good-will to others fhould produce fo much neglect of himself, as to require correction? Yet, we must touch his weaknesses with a delicate hand. There are fome faults fo nearly allied to excellence, that we can fcarce weed out the vice without eradicating the virtue. [Exit.

JARVIS.

Well, go thy ways, Sir William Honeywood. It is not without reason that the world allows thee to be the best of men. But here comes his hopeful nephew; the ftrange good-natur'd, foolish, openhearted-And yet, all his faults are fuch that one loves him ftill the better for them.

Enter HONEYWOOD.

HONEYWOOD.

Well, Jarvis, what meffages from my friends this morning?

JARVIS.

You have no friends.

HONEYWOOD.

Well; from my acquaintance then?

JARVIS.

(Pulling out bills) A few of our ufual cards of compliment, that's all. This bill from your taylor; this from your mercer; and this from the little broker in Crooked-lane. He fays he has been at a great deal of trouble to get back the money you borrowed.

HONEYWOOD.

That I don't know; but I'm fure we were at a great deal of trouble in getting him to lend it.

JARVIS.

He has loft all patience.

HONEYWOOD.

Then he has loft a very good thing.

JARVIS.

There's that ten guineas you were fending to the poor gentleman and his children in the Fleet. I believe that would ftop his mouth, for a while at leaft.

HONEYWOOD.

Ay, Jarvis, but what will fill their mouths in the mean time? Muft I be cruel because he happens to be importunate; and, to relieve his avarice, leave them to infupportable diftrefs.

JARVIS,

'Sdeath! Sir, the question now is how to relieve yourself. Yourself-Hav'nt I reafon to be out of my fenfes, when I fee things going at fixes and fevens?