Aim. She consented after to the match; and still I dare believe she will be just.

Arch. To herself, I warrant her, as you should have been.

Aim. By all my hopes, she comes, and smiling comes !

Enter DORINDA, mighty gay.

Dor. Come, my dear lord-I fly with impapatience to your arms- -The minutes of my absence were a tedious year. Where's this priest? Enter FOIGARD.

Arch. Oons, a brave girl!

Dor. I suppose, my lord, this gentleman is privy to our affairs?

Arch. Yes, yes, madam, I'm to be your father. Dor. Come, priest, do your office.

Arch. Make haste, make haste; couple them any way. [Takes AIMWELL'S hand.] Come, madam, I'm to give you

Dor. My mind's altered; I won't.

Arch. Eh

Aim. I confounded.

Foig. Upon my shoul, and so is myshelf. Arch. What's the matter now, madam? Dor. Look'e, sir, one generous action deserves another- -This gentleman's honour obliged him to hide nothing from me; my justice engages me to conceal nothing from him; in short, sir, you are the person that you thought you counterfeited; you are the true lord viscount Aimwell, and I wish your lordship joy. Now, priest, you may be gone; if my lord is now pleased with the match, let his lordship marry me in the face of the world.

Aim. Archer, what does she mean?
Dor. Here's a witness for my truth.

Enter SIR CHARLES and MRS SULLEN. Sir Cha. My dear lord Aimwell, I wish you joy.

Aim. Of what?

Sir Cha. Of your honour and estate. Your brother died the day before I left London; and all your friends have writ after you to Brussels; among the rest I did myself the honour.

Arch. Hark'e, sir knight, don't you banter now?

Sir Cha. Tis truth, upon my honour.

Aim. Thanks to the pregnant stars that formed this accident.

Arch. Thanks to the womb of time that brought it forth; away with it!

Aim. Thanks to my guardian angel that led me to the prize [Taking DORINDA's hand. Arch. And double thanks to the noble sir Charles Freeman. My lord, I wish you joyMy lady, I wish you joy- 'Sdeath, I'm grown strangely airy upon this matter-My lord, how d'ye?-A word, my lord. Don't you remember something of a previous agreement that

entitles me to the moiety of this lady's fortune, which, I think, will amount to ten thousand pounds!

Aim. Not a penny, Archer. You would have cut my throat just now, because I would not deceive this lady.

Arch. Ay, and I'll cut your throat still, if you should deceive her now.

Aim. That's what I expect; and, to end the dispute, the lady's fortune is twenty thousand pounds; we'll divide stakes; take the twenty thousand pounds, or the lady!.

Dor. How! Is your lordship so indifferent? Arch. No, no, madam; his lordship knows very well that I'll take the money; I leave you to his lordship, and so we're both provided for.

Enter FOIGARD.

Foig. Arra fait, de people do say you be all robbed, joy.

Aim. The ladies have been in some danger, sir, as you saw.

Foig. Upon my shoul, our inn be robbed, too. Aim. Our inn! By whom?

Foig. Upon my shalvation, our landlord has robbed himself, and run away wid de money. Arch. Robbed himself?

Foig. Ay, fait! and me, too, of a hundred pounds!

Arch. Robbed you of a hundred pounds!
Forg. Yes, fait, honey! that I did owe to him.
Aim. Our money's gone, Frank.

Arch. Rot the money, my wench is gone-
Sçavez vous quelquechose de Mademoiselle Cherry?
Enter a fellow, with a strong bor and letter.
Fel. Is there one Martin here!
Arch. Ay, ay-who wants him?

Fel. I have a box here, and a letter, for him. Arch. [Taking the box.] Ha, ha, ha! what's here? Legerdemain! By this light, my lord, our money again! But this unfolds the riddle. [Opening the letter, reads.] Hum, hum, hum'tis for the public good, and must be communicated to the company.

MR MARTIN,

-0,

My father, being afraid of an impeachment by the rogues that are taken to-night, is gone off; but if you can procure him a pardon, he'll 'make great discoveries, that may be useful to the country. Could I have met you, instead of your master, to-night, I would have delivered myself into your hands, with a sum that much 'exceeds that in your strong box, which I have 'sent you, with an assurance to my dear Martin, 'that I shall ever be his most faithful friend, till ' death, CHERRY BONIFACE. There's a billet-doux for you!As for the father, I think he ought to be encouraged; and for the daughter-pray, my lord, persuade your bride to take her into her service instead of Gipsey.

Aim. I can assure you, madam, your deliverance was owing to her discovery.

Dor. Your command, my lord, will do without the obligation. I'll take care of her.

Sir Cha. This good company meets opportunely in favour of a design I have in behalf of my unfortunate sister. I intend to part her from her husband-Gentlemen, will you assist me? Arch. Assist you! 'Sdeath, who would not? Foig. Ay; upon my shoul, we'll all ashist,

Enter SULLEN.

Sul. What's all this? They tell me, spouse, that you had like to have been robbed.

Mrs Sul. Truly, spouse, I was pretty near it, had not these two gentlemen interposed.

Sul. How came these gentlemen here? Mrs Sul. That's his way of returning thanks, you must know.

Foig. Ay; but upon my conscience, de question be a-propos for all dat.

Sir Cha. You promised last night, sir, that you would deliver your lady to me this morning. Sul. Humph.

Arch. Humph! What do you mean by humph? ---Sir, you shall deliver her—In short, sir, we have saved you and your family; and, if you are not civil, we'll unbind the rogues, join with them, and set fire to your house-What does the man mean? Not part with his wife! Foig. Arra, not part wid your wife! Upon my shoul, de man dosh not understand common shivility.

Mrs Sul. Hold, gentlemen; all things here must move by consent. Compulsion would spoil us. Let my dear and I talk the matter over, and you shall judge it between us,

Sul. Let me know first, who are to be our judges.—Pray, sir, who are you?

Sir Cha. I am sir Charles Freeman, come to

take away your wife.

Sul. And you, good sir?

Arch. The condition fails of his side—Pray, madam, what did you marry for?

Mrs Sul. To support the weakness of my sex, by the strength of his, and to enjoy the pleasures of an agreeable society.

Sir Cha. Are your expectations answered?
Mrs Sul. No.

Foig. Arra, honeys! a clear cause, a clear cause!

Sir Cha. What are the bars to your mutual contentment?

Mrs Sul. In the first place, I can't drink ale with him.

Sul. Nor can I drink tea with her.
Mrs Sul. I can't hunt with you.
Sul. Nor can I dance with you.
Mrs Sul. I hate cocking and racing.
Sul. I abhor ombre and piquet.
Mrs Sul. Your silence is intolerable.
Sul. Your prating is worse.

Mrs Sul. Have we not been a perpetual of fence to each other--a gnawing vulture at the heart?

Sul. A frightful goblin to the sight? Mrs Sul. A porcupine to the feeling? Sul. Perpetual wormwood to the taste? Mrs Sul. Is there on earth a thing we can agree in ?

us

Sul. Yes

-to part.

Mrs Sul. With all my heart. Sul. Your hand.

Mrs Sul. Here.

Sul. These hands joined us, these shall part

-Away

Mrs Sul. East.

Sul. West.

Mrs Sul. North.

Sul. And you, pray, sir?

Arch. Francis Archer, esq. come

Sul. To take away my mother, I hope-Gentlemen, you're heartily welcome. I never met with three more obliging people since I was born -And now, my dear, if you please, you shall have the first word.

Arch. And the last, for five pounds.
Mrs Sul. Spouse.

Sul. Rib.

[Aside.

Sul. Sir Charles, you love your sister, and I love her fortune: every one to his fancy. Arch. Then you won't refund? Sul. Not a stiver.

Arch. What is her portion?

Sir Cha. Twenty thousand pounds, sir.

Arch. I'll pay it. My lord, I thank him, has enabled me, and, if the lady pleases, she shall go home with me. This night's adventure has proved strangely lucky to us all-For captain Gibbet, in his walk, has made bold, Mr Sullen, with your study and escritore, and has taken out all the writings of your estate, all the articles of marriage with your lady, bills, bonds, leases, receipts to an infinite value; I took them from him, and will deliver them to sir Charles.

[Gives him a parcel of papers and parchments. Sul. How, my writings! my head aches consumedly. Well, gentlemen, you shall have her 3 T

fortune, but I can't talk. If you have a mind, sir Charles, to be merry, and celebrate my sister's wedding, and my divorce, you may command my house; but my head aches consumedly! Scrub, bring me a dram.

Arch. Twould be hard to guess which of these parties is the better pleased, the couple joined, or the couple parted; the one rejoicing in hopes

of an untasted happiness, and the other in their deliverance from an experienced misery.

'Both happy in their several states we find; 'These parted by consent, and those conjoined.

'Consent, if mutual, saves the lawyer's fee; Consent is law enough to set you free.'