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Sir WILLIAM.

He might have reafon, perhaps. His place is pretty confiderable, I'm told.

LOFTY.

A trifle, a mere trifle, among us men of bufinefs. The truth is, he wanted dignity to fill up a greater. Sir WILLIAM.

Dignity of perfon, do you mean, Sir? I'm told he's much about my fize and figure, Sir.

LOFTY,

Ay, tall enough for a marching regiment; but then he wanted a fomething-a confequence of form- —a kind of a—I believe the lady perceives my meaning.

Mifs RICHLAND.

O, perfectly: you courtiers can do any thing, I fee.

LOFTY.

My dear madam, all this is but a meer exchange: we do greater things for one another every day. Why, as thus, now: let me fuppose you the first lord of the treasury; you have an employment in you that I want; I have a place in me that you want! do me here, do you there: intereft of both fides, few words, flat, done and done, and its over,

Sir WILLIAM.

A thought strikes me. (Afide.) Now you mention Sir William Honeywood, madam; and as he seems, Sir, an acquaintance of yours; you'll be glad to hear he's arrived from Italy; I had it from a friend

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who knows him as well as he does me, and you may depend on my information.

LOFTY.

The devil he is! If I had known that, we should not have been quite fo well acquainted. (Afide.) Sir WILLIAM.

He is certainly return'd; and, as this gentleman is a friend of yours, he can be of fignal fervice to us, by introducing me to him; there are fome papers relative to your affairs, that require difpatch and his infpection.

Mifs RICHLAND.

This gentleman, Mr. Lofty, is a perfon employed in my affairs: I know you'll ferve us.

LOFTY.

My dear madam, I live but to ferve you. Sir William shall even wait upon him, if you think proper to command it.

Sir WILLIAM.

That would be quite unneceffary,

LOFTY.

Well, we must introduce you then, Call upon me-let me fee-ay, in two days.

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Sir WILLIAM.

Now, or the opportunity will be loft for ever.

LOFTY,

Well, if it must be now, now let it be. But damn it, that's unfortunate; my lord Grig's curfed Pen

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facola business comes on this very hour, and I'm engaged to attend-another time

Sir WILLIAM.

A fhort letter to Sir William will do.

LOFTY.

You shall have it; yet, in my opinion, a letter is a very bad way of going to work; face to face, that's my way.

'Sir WILLIAM.

The letter, Sir, will do quite as well.

LOFTY.

Zounds! Sir, do you pretend to direct me; direct me in the bufinefs of office? Do you know me, Sir? who am I?

Mifs RICHLAND.

Dear Mr. Lofty, this request is not fo much his as mine; if my commands-but you defpife my power.

LOFTY.

Delicate creature! your commands could even controul a debate at midnight: to a power fo conftitutional, I am all obedience and tranquillity. He fhall have a letter; where is my fecretary! Dubardieu! And yet, I protest I don't like this way of doing business. I think if I fpoke first to Sir William-But you will have it fo.

[Exit with Mifs Richland.

Sir WILLIAM, alone.

Ha, ha, ha! This too is one of my nephew's hopeful affociates. O vanity, thou conftant deceiver,

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how do all thy efforts to exalt, ferve but to fink us! Thy falfe colourings, like thofe employed, to heighten beauty, only feem to mend that bloom which they contribute to deftroy. I'm not difpleafed at this interview: expofing this fellow's impudence to the contempt it deferves, may be of use to my defign; at least, if he can reflect, it will be of ufe to himself.

Enter JARVIS.

Sir WILLIAM.

How now, Jarvis, where's your mafter, my nephew?

JARVIS.

At his wit's end, I believe: he's fcarce gotten out of one scrape, but he's running his head into another.

Sir WILLIAM.

How fo?

JARVIS.

The house has but juft been cleared of the bailiffs, and now he's again engaging tooth and nail in affifting old Croaker's fon to patch up a clandeftine match with the young lady that paffes in the house for his fifter.

Sir WILLIAM,

Ever busy to ferve others,

JARVIS,

JARVIS.

Aye, any body but himself. The young couple, it feems, are juft setting out for Scotland; and he fupplies them with money for the journey.

Sir WILLIAM.

Money! how is he able to fupply others, who has scarce any for himself?

JARVIS.

Why, there it is: he has no money, that's true; but then, as he never said no to any request in his life, he has given them a bill, drawn by a friend of his upon a merchant in the city, which I am to get changed; for you must know that I am to go with them to Scotland myself.

How!

Sir WILLIAM.

JARVIS.

It seems the young gentleman is obliged to take a different road from his mistress, as he is to call upon an uncle of his that lives out of the way, in order to prepare a place for their reception, when they return; fo they have borrowed me from my master, as the propereft perfon to attend the young lady down.

Sir WILLIAM.

To the land of matrimony! A pleasant journey, Jarvis.

JARVIS.

Ay, but I'm only to have all the fatigues on't.

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