Ser, But then, to turn the scale child, against A, in favour of B, they produce the circumstance D, viz. B's watch, found in the pocket of A; upon which the testimony of C being contradicted by B-no, by D-why then, A, that is to say, Cimputed to Sir Luke Limp as a faultno,Djoining B, they convict C—no, no, A— against the affidavit of C. So, this being pretty clear, child, I leave the application to you.

Char. I own, sir, age procures honour, but I believe it is very rarely productive of love. Ser. Mighty well!

Char. And though the loss of a leg can't be

Char. Very obliging, sir. But suppose now, sir, it should appear, that the attention of Sir Luke Limp is directed to some other object, would not that induce you to

Ser. Other object! Where?
Char. In this very house.

Ser. Here! why, the girl is non compos; there's nobody here, child, but a parcel of Abigails.

Char. No, sir!

Ser. No.

Char. Yes, sir, one person else.

Ser. Who is that?

Ser. How!

Char. I hope, sir, at least, you will allow it a misfortune?

Ser. Indeed!

Char. A pretty thing truly, for a girl, at my time of life, to be tied to a man with one foot in the grave.

Ser. One foot in the grave! the rest of his body is not a whit the nearer for that. There has been only an execution issued against part of his personals; his real estate is unincumbered and free-besides, you see he does not mind it a whit, but is as alert, and as merry, as a defendant after non-suiting a plaintiff for omitting an S.

Char. O, sir! I know how proud Sir Luke is

Char. But remember, sir, my accusation is of his leg, and have often heard him declare, confined to Sir Luke.

Ser, Well, well.

Char. Suppose then, sir, those powerful charms which made a conquest of you, may have extended their empire over the heart of Sir Luke? Ser. Why, hussy, you don't hint at your mother-in-law?

Char, Indeed, sir, but I do.

Ser. Ay! why this is point blank treason against my sovereign authority! but can you, Charlotte, bring proof of any overt acts?

Char. Overt acts!

Ser. Ay; that is, any declaration by writing, or even word of mouth, is sufficient; then let them demur if they dare.

Char, I can't say that, sir; but another organ has been pretty explicit. Ser. Which?

Char. In those cases a very infallible onethe eye.

Ser. Pshaw! nonsense aud stuff!-The eye! The has

eyc no authority in a court of law. Char. Perhaps not, sir; but it is a decisive evidence in a court of love.

Ser. Hark you, hussy? why you would not file an information against the virtue of madam your mother? you would not insinuate that she has been guilty of crim. con.?

Char. Sir, you mistake me; it is not the lady, but the gentleman, I am about to impeach. Ser. Have a care, Charlotte! I see on what ground your action is founded-jealousy. Char. You were never more deceived in life; for it is impossible, my dear sir, that jealousy can subsist without love.

Ser. Well?

your

that he would not change his bit of timber for
the best flesh and bone in the kingdom.
Ser. There's a hero for you!

Char. To be sure, sustaining unavoidable evils with constancy, is a certain sign of greatness of mind.

Ser. Doubtless.

Char. The paltry ambition of levying and following titles.

Ser. Titles! I don't understand you.

Char. I mean the poverty of fastening in μblic upon men of distinction, for no other reason but because of their rank; adhering to Sir John, till the baronet is superseded by my lord; quiting the puny peer for an earl; and sacrificing all three to a duke.

Ser. Keeping good company! a laudable ambition!

Char. True, sir, if the virtues, that procured the father a peerage, could with that be entailed the son.

on

Ser. Have a care, hussy!—there are severe laws against speaking evil of dignities—— Char. Sir!

Ser. Scandalum magnatum is a statute must not be trifled with: why, you are not one of those vulgar sluts, that think a man the worse

Char. A sweet object to excite tender desire! for being a lord?
Ser. And why not, hussy?

Char. First, as to his years.

Ser. What then?

Char. No, sir; I am contented with only not thinking him the better.

Ser. For all this, I believe, hussy, a right ho- | the echo of Signora Florenza, his lordship's misnourable proposal would soon make you alter tress, and an opera singer. your mind.

Char. Not unless the proposer had other qualities than what he possesses by patent. Besides, sir, you know sir Luke is a devotee to the bottle.

Ser. Not a whit the less honest for that. Char. It occasions one evil at least; that when under its influence, he generally reveals all,

sometimes more than he knows.

Ser. Proofs of an open temper, you baggage! but, come, come, all these are but trifling objections.

Char. You mean, sir, they prove the object a trifle?

Ser. Why, you pert jade, do you play on my words? I say sir Luke is

Char. Nobody.

Ser. Mercy upon us! at what a rate the jade

runs!

Char. In short, sir, I define every individual, who, ceasing to act for himself, becomes the tool, the mere engine, of another man's will, to be nothing more than a cypher.

Ser. At this rate the jade will half unpeople the world; but what is all this to sir Luke? to him not one of your cases apply.

Char. Every one-sir Luke has not a first principle in his whole composition; not only his pleasures, but even his passions, are prompted by others; and he is as much directed to the objects of his love and his hatred, as in his eating, drinking, and sleeping. Nay, though he is active, and eternally busy, yet his own private affairs are neglected; and he would not scruple Ser. Nobody! how the deuce do you make to break an appointment that was to determine a that out? He is neither person attainted or out- considerable part of his property, in order to exlawed; may, in any of his majesty's courts, sue change a couple of hounds for a lord, or to buy or be sued, appear by attorney, or in propria a pad-nag for a lady. In a word—but he's at persona: can acquire, buy, procure, purchase, hand, and will explain himself best; I hear his possess, and inherit, not only personalities, such stump on the stairs. as goods and chattels, but even realities, as all lands, tenements, and hereditaments, whatsoever and wheresoever.

Ser. Hey?

Char. There is your next-door neighbour, sir Harry Hen, an absolute blank.

Ser. How so, Mrs. Pert?

Char. What, sir! a man who is not suffered to hear, see, smell, or, in short, to enjoy the free use of any one of his senses; who, instead of having a positive will of his own, is denied even a paltry negative; who can neither resolve or reply, consent or deny, without first obtaining the leave of his lady: an absolute monarch to sink into the sneaking state of being a slave to one of his subjects-Oh fye!

Ser. Why, to be sure, sir Harry Hen is, as I

may say

Char. Nobody, sir, in the fullest sense of the word-Then your client, Lord Solo.

Ser. Heyday! Why, you would not annihilate A peer of the realm, with a prodigious estate, and an allowed judge, too, of the elegant arts ?

Char. O yes, sir, I am no stranger to that nobleman's attributes; but then, sir, please to consider, his power as a peer he gives up to a proxy; the direction of his estate to a rapacious, artful attorney and as to his skill in the elegant arts, I presume you confine them to painting and music. He is directed, in the first, by Mynheer Van Eisel, a Dutch dauber; and, in the last, is but

:

Ser. I hope you will preserve a little decency before your lover at least? Char. Lover! ha, ha, ha!

Enter SIR LUKE LIMP.

Sir Luke. Mr. Serjeant, your slave!—Ah! are you there, my little-O Lord! Miss, let me tell you something for fear of forgetting-Do you know that you are new-christened, and have had me for a gossip?

Char. Christened! I don't understand you.

Sir Luke. Then lend me your ear-Why, last night, as colonel Kill'em, sir William Weezy, lord Frederick Foretop and I, were carelesly sliding the Ranelagh round, picking our teeth, after a damned muzzy dinner at Boodle's, who should trip by but an abbess, well known about town, with a smart little nun in her suit. Says Weezy (who, between ourselves, is as husky as hell) Who is that? odds flesh, she's a delicate wench! Zounds! cried lord Frederick, where can Weezy have been, not to have seen the Harrietta before? for you must know Frederick is a bit of a Macaroni, and adores the soft Italian terniination in a.

Char. He does?

Sir Luke. Yes, a dilletanti all over. Before! replied Weezy; crush me if ever I saw any thing half so handsome before !-No! replied I in an instant; colonel, what will Weezy say when be sees the Charlotta ?—Hey! you little

Char. Meaning me, I presume?

Sir Luke. Without doubt; and you have been toasted by that name ever since.

Ser. What a vast fund of spirits he has ! Sir Luke. And why not, my old splitter of causes?

Ser. I was just telling Charlotte, that you was not a whit the worse for the loss.

Sir Luke. What, d'ye think I would change with Bill Spindle for one of his drumsticks, or chop with Lord Lumber for both of his logs? Ser. No!

Sir Luke. Mine, you may imagine, was easily done-but when it came to the baronSer. Ay, ay?

Sir Luke. Our modern Cato soon lost his coolness and courage, screwed his nose up to his foretop, rapped out a dozen oaths in High Dutch Sir Luke. No, damn it, I am much better-limped away to his lodgings, and was laid up Look there-Ha!-What is there I am not able for a month-Ha, ha, ha! to do! To be sure I am a little aukward at running; but then, to make me amends, I'll hop with any man in town for his sum.

Ser. Ay, and I'll go his halves.

Sir Luke. Then as to your dancing, I am cut out at Madam Cornelly's, I grant, because of the crowd; but as far as a private set of six couple, or moving a chair-minuet, match me who can! Char. A chair-minuet! I don't understand you.

Sir Luke. Why, child, all grace is confined to the motion of the head, arms, and chest, which may, sitting, be as fully displayed as if one had as many legs as a polypus-As thus-tol de roldon't you see?

Ser. Very plain.

Sir Luke. A leg! a redundancy! a mere nothing at all. Man is from nature an extravagant creature. In my opinion, we might all be full as well as we are with but half the things that we have.

Char. Ay, sir Luke? how do you prove that? Sir Luke. By constant experience. You must have seen the man who makes and uses pens

without hands?

Ser. I have.

Sir Luke. And not a twelve-month agone, I lost my way in a fog, at Mile-end, and was conducted to my house in May-fair by a man as bliud as a beetle.

Sir Luke. If you doubt it, I will introduce you to a whole family, dumb as oysters, and deaf as the dead, who chatter from morning till night by only the help of their fingers.

Enter a Servant, and delivers a card to SIR
LUKE.

Sir Luke. [Reads.]-Sir Gregory Goose des sires the honour of sir Luke Limp's company to dine. An answer is desired. Gadso! a little unlucky; I have been engaged for these three weeks.

Ser. What, I find sir Gregory is returned for the corporation of Fleesum.

Sir Luke. Is he so? Oh, oh!-That alters the case-George, give my compliments to sir Gregory, and I'll certainly come and dine there. Order Joe to run to alderman Inkle's in Threadneedle-street; sorry can't wait upon him, but confined to bed two days with the new influenza. Char. You make light, sir Luke, of these sort of engagements?

Sir Luke. What can a man do? These damned fellows (when one has the misfortune to meet them) take scandalous advantages-teaze- when will you do me the honour, pray, sir Luke, to take a bit of mutton with me? do you name the day-They are as bad as a beggar who attacks your coach at the mounting of a hill; there is no getting rid of them, without a penny to one and a promise to t'other.

Ser. True; and then for such a time, too— three weeks! I wonder they expect folks to remember. It is like a retainer in Michaelmas

term for the summer assizes.

Sir Luke. Not but upon these occasions, no man in England is more punctual than

Enter a Servant, who gives SIR LUKE a letter. From whom?

Serv. Earl of Brentford. The servant waits for an answer.

Ser. Why, Charlotte, these are cases in point. Sir Luke. Answer!-By your leave, Mr. Ser Sir Luke. Oh! clear as a trout-stream; and jeant and Charlotte [Reads.] Taste for music it is not only, my little Charlotte, that this piece-Mons. Duport-fail-Dinner upon table at of timber answers every purpose, but it has pro-five-Gadso! I hope sir Gregory's servant a'n't cured me many a bit of fun in my time.

Ser. Ay!

Sir Luke. Why, it was but last summer at Tunbridge, we were plagued the whole season with a bullet-headed Swiss from the canton of Berne, who was always boasting what and how much he dare do; and then, as to pain, no Stoic, not Diogenes, held it in more contempt. By gods, be vas ne more minds it dan nothings at all -So, foregad, I gave my German a challenge.

gone?

Serv. Immediately upon receiving the answer. Sir Luke. Run after him as fast as you cantell him, quite in despair-recollect an engage. ment that can't in nature be missed-and return in an instant.

Char. You see, sir, the knight must give way
my lord.

for
Sir Luke. No, faith, it is not that my dear
Charlotte; you saw that was quite an extempore