Moth. Oh, dear sir, your honour's pleased to compliment.

Sir Fran. No, no, I see you know how to value people of consequence.

Moth. Good lack! here's company, sir; will you give me leave to get you a little something 'till the ladies come home, sir?

Sir Fran. Why, troth, I don't think it would be amiss.

Moth. It shall be done in a moment, sir.

[Exit.

Enter MANLY.

Man. Sir Francis, your servant.

Sir Fran. Cousin Manly.

Man. I am come to see how the family goes on here. Sir Fran. Troth! all as busy as bees; I have been upon the wing ever since eight o'clock this morning. Man. By your early hour, then, I suppose you have been making your court to some of the great men. Sir Fran. Why, faith! you have hit it, sir

I was advised to lose no time: so I e'en went straight forward to one great màn I had never seen in my life before.

Man. Right! that was doing business: but who had you got to introduce you?

Sir Fran. Why, nobody-I remember I had heard a wise man say-My son, be bold-so troth! I introduced myself.

Man. As how, pray?

Sir Fran. Why, thus-Look ye

K

-Please your

lordship, says I, I am Sir Francis Wronghead, of Bumper-hall, and member of parliament for the borough of Guzzledown- -Sir, your humble servant, says my lord; thof I have not the honour to know your person, I have heard you are a very honest gentleman, and I am glad your borough has made choice of so worthy a representative; and so, says he, Sir Francis, have you any service to command me? Naw, cousin, those last words, you may be sure, gave me no small encouragement. And thof I know, sir, you have no extraordinary opinion of my parts, yet I believe, you won't say I mist it naw!

Man. Well, I hope I shall have no cause.

Sir Fran. So, when I found him so courteousMy lord, says I, I did not think to ha' troubled your lordship with business upon my first visit: but, since your lordship is pleased not to stand upon ceremony, -why truly, says I, I think naw is as good as another time.

Man. Right! there you pushed him home.

Sir Fran. Ay, ay, I had a mind to let him see that I was none of your mealy-mouthed ones.

Man. Very good.

Sir Fran. So, in short, my lord, says I, I have a good estate- -but-a-it's a little awt at elbows: and, as I desire to serve my king as well as my country, I shall be very willing to accept of a place at

court.

Man. So, this was making short work on't.

Sir Fran. I'cod! I shot him flying, cousin: some

of you hawf-witted ones, naw, would ha' hummed and

hawed, and dangled a month or two after him, before they durst open their mouths about a place, and, mayhap, not ha' got it at last neither.

Sir Francis,

Man. Oh, I'm glad you're so sure on'tSir Fran. You shall hear, cousin says my lord, pray what sort of a place may you ha’ turned your thoughts upon? My lord, says I, beggars must not be chusers; but ony place, says I, about a thousand a-year, will be well enough. to be doing with, 'till something better falls in-for I thowght it would not look well to stond haggling with him at first.

Man. No, no, your business was to get footing any way.

Sir Fran. Right! there's it! ay, cousin, I see you know the world.

Man. Yes, yes, one sees more of it every dayWell, but what said my lord to all this?

Sir Fran. Sir Francis, says he, I shall be glad to serve you any way that lies in my power; so he gave me a squeeze by the hand, as much as to say, give yourself no trouble—I'll do your business; with that he turned him abawt to somebody with a coloured ribbon across here, that looked, in my thowghts, as if he came for a place too.

Man. Ha! so, upon these hopes, you are to make your fortune!

Sir Fran. Why, do you think there's any doubt of it, sir?

Man. Oh, no, I have not the least doubt about itfor just as you have done, I made my fortune ten

years ago.

Sir Fran. Why, I never knew you had a place, cousin.

But

Man. Nor I neither, upon my faith, cousin. you, perhaps, may have better fortune: for I suppose my lord has heard of what importance you were in the debate to-day-You have been since down at the house, I presume.

Sir Fran. Oh, yes! I would not neglect the house for ever so much.

Man. Well, and pray what have they done there? Sir Fran. Why, troth! I cann't well tell you what they have done, but I can tell you what I did: and I think pretty well in the main; only I happened to make a little mistake at last, indeed.

Man. How was that?

Sir Fran. Why, they were all got there into a sort of a puzzling debate about the good of the nationand I were always for that, you know-but, in short, the arguments were so long-winded o' both sides, that, waunds! I did not well understand 'um: hawsomever, I was convinced, and so resolved to vote right, according to my conscience--so when they came to put the question, as they call it,——I don't know haw 'twas-but I doubt I cried ay! when I should ha' cried no!

Man. How came that about?

Sir Fran. Why, by a mistake, as I tell you—for

there was a good-humoured sort of a gentleman, one Mr. Totherside, I think they call him, that sat next me, as soon as I had cried ay! gives me a hearty shake by the hand. Sir, says he, you are a man of honour, and a true Englishman! and I should be proud to be better acquainted with you—and so, with that he takes me by the sleeve, along with the crowd into the lobby-so, I knew nowght--but, ods flesh! I was got o' the wrung side the post—— for I were told, afterwards, I should have staid where I was.

Man. And so, if you had not quite made your fortune before, you have clinched it now!-Ah, thou head of the Wrongheads. [Aside. Sir Fran. Odso! here's my lady come home at last -I hope, cousin, you will be so kind as to take a family supper with us?

Man. Another time, Sir Francis; but to-night I am engaged.

Enter Lady WRONGHEAD, Miss JENNY, and Count

BASSET.

Lady Wrong. Cousin, your servant; I hope you will pardon my rudeness; but we have really been in such a continual hurry here, that we have not had a leisure moment to return your last visit.

Man. Oh, madam, I am a man of no ceremony; you see that has not hindered my coming again. Lady Wrong. You are infinitely obliging; but I'll redeem my credit with you.