too great an affiduity to please! How have I overtaxed all my abilities, left the approbation of a fingle fool fhould escape me! But all is now over; I have furvived my reputation, my fortune, my friendfhips, and nothing remains henceforward for me but folitude and repentance.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Is it true, Mr. Honeywood, that you are setting off, without taking leave of your friends? The report is, that you are quitting England. Can it

be?

HONEYWOOD.

Yes, madam; and though I am fo unhappy as to have fallen under your displeasure, yet, thank Heaven, I leave you to happiness; to one who loves you, and deferves your love; to one who has power to procure you affluence, and generofity to improve your enjoyment of it.

Mifs RICHLAND.

And are you fure, Sir, that the gentleman you mean is what you describe him?

HONEYWOOD.

I have the best affurances of it, his ferving me. He does indeed deserve the highest happiness, and that is in your power to confer. As for me, weak and wavering as I have been, obliged by all, and incapable of ferving any, what happiness can I find but in folitude? What hope but in being forgotten?

Mifs RICHLAND.

A thousand! to live among friends that esteem you, whofe happiness it will be to be permitted to oblige you.

HONEYWOOD.

No, madam; my refolution is fixed. Inferiority among ftrangers is eafy; but among those that once were equals, infupportable. Nay, to fhew you how far my resolution can go, I can now, speak with calmness of my former follies, my vanity, my diffipation, my weakness. I will even confefs, that, among the number of my other presumptions, I had the infolence to think of loving you. Yes, madam, while I was pleading the paffion of another, my heart was tortur'd with its own. But it is over, it was unworthy our friendship, and let it be forgotten.

Mifs RICHLAND.

You amaze me!

HONEYWOOD.

But you'll forgive it, I know you will; fince the confeffion fhould not have come from me even now, but to convince you of the fincerity of my intention of-never mentioning it more.

Mifs RICHLAND.

Stay, Sir, one moment-Ha! he here

[Going.

Enter LOFTY.

LOFTY.

Is the coaft clear? None but friends. I have followed you here with a trifling piece of intelligence: but it goes no farther, things are not yet ripe for a discovery. I have spirits working at a certain board; your affair at the treasury will be done in lefs thana thousand years. Mum!

Mifs RICHLAND.

Sooner, Sir, I fhould hope.

LOFTY.

Why, yes, I believe it may, if it falls into proper hands, that know where to push and where to parry; that know how the land lies-ch, Honeywood.

Mifs RICHLAND.

It has fallen into yours.

LOFTY.

Well, to keep you no longer in fufpenfe, your thing is done. It is done, I fay-that's all. I have just had affurances from Lord Neverout, that the claim has been examined, and found admiffible. Quietus is the word, madam.

HONEYWOOD.

But how! his lordship has been at Newmarket thefe ten days.

LOFTY.

Indeed! Then Sir Gilbert Goose must have been moft damnably mistaken. I had it of him.

Mifs RICHLAND.

He! why Sir Gilbert and his family have been in the country this month.

LOFTY.

This month! It must certainly be fo-Sir Gilbert's letter did come to me from Newmarket, fo that he must have met his lordship there; and fo it came about. I have his letter about me; I'll read it to you. (Taking out a large bundle.) That's from Paoli of Corfica, that from the marquis of Squilachi. Have you a mind to see a letter from count Poniatowski, now king of Poland-Honeft Pon(Searching.) O, Sir, what are you here too? I'll tell you what, honeft friend, if you have not abfolutely delivered my letter to Sir William Honeywood, you may return it. The thing will do without him.

Sir WILLIAM.

Sir, I have delivered it; and muft inform you, it was received with the moft mortifying contempt. CROAKER.

Contempt! Mr. Lofty, what can that mean?

LOFTY.

Let him go on, let him go on, I fay. You'll find it come to fomething presently.

Sir WILLIAM.

Yes, Sir, I believe you'll be amazed, if, after waiting fome time in the anti-chamber, after being furveyed with infolent curiofity by the paffing fer

vants, I was at laft affured, that Sir William Honeywood knew no such person, and I must certainly have been impofed upon.

LOFTY.

Good; let me die; very good. Ha! ha! ha! CROAKER.

Now, for my life, I can't find out half the goodnefs of it.

LOFTY.

You can't. Ha! ha!

CROAKER.

No, for the foul of me! I think it was as confounded a bad anfwer, as ever was fent from one private gentleman to another.

LOFTY.

And fo you can't find out the force of the meffage? Why, I was in the houfe at that very time. Ha ha! It was I that fent that very answer to my own letter. Ha! ha!

CROAKER.

Indeed! How! why!

LOFTY.

In one word, things between Sir William and me must be behind the curtain. A party has many eyes. He fides with lord Buzzard, I fide with Sir Gilbert Goose. So that unriddles the mystery.

CROAKER.

And fo it does, indeed; and all my fufpicions are

over.

LOFTY.