BEL. I thank youheartily, good Mr. Stockwell; you and I have long conversed at a distance; now we are met, and the pleasure this meeting gives me, amply compenfates for the perils 1 have run through in accomplishing it.

STOCK. What perils, Mr. Belcour? I could not have thought you would have met a bad paffage at this time o'year.

BEL. Nor did we; courier like we came posting to your hores, upon the pinions of the fwifteft gales that ever blew; it is upon English ground all my difficulties have arisen? it is the paffage from the river-fide I complain of.

STOCK. Ay, indeed! What obftructions can you have met between this and the river fide?

BEL. Innumerable! Your town's as full of defiles as the island of Corfica; and, I believe, they are as obftinately defended; fo much hurry, buftle, and confufion, on your quays; fo many fugar-cafks, porter butts, and commoncouncil-men, in your ftreets; that unlessa man marched with artillery in his front, it is more than the labour of a Hercules can effect, to make any tolerable way through your

town.

STOCK. I am forry you have been fo incommoded.

BEL. Why, faith, it was all my own fault; accustomed to a land of flaves, and out of patience with the whole tribe of custom-house extortioners, boat-men, tide-waiters and water-bailiffs, that befet me on all fides, worse than a fwarm. of mufquetoes, I proceeded a little too roughly to brush them away with my rattan the turdy rogues took this in dudgeon, and beginning to rebel, the mob chofe different fides, and a furious fcuffle enfued; in the courfe of which, my perfon and apparel fuffered fo much, that I was obliged

to

to step into the first tavern to refit, before I could make my approaches in any decent trim.

STOCK. Well. Mr. Belcour, it is a rough fample you have had of my countrymen's spirit; but, I truft, you will not think the worse of them for it.

BEL. Not at all; not at all; I like them the better; was I only a vifitor, 1 might, perhaps, wifh them a little more tractable; but as a fellow-fubject, and a fharer in their freedom, I applaud their spirit, though I feel the effects of it in every bone of my fkin.-Well, Mr. Stockwell, for the first time in my life, here am I in England; at the fountain-head of pleasure, in the land of beauty, of arts and elegancies. My happy ftars have given me a good eftate, and the confpiring winds have blown me hither to spend it.

STOCK. To use it, not to wafte it, I fhould hope; to treat it, Mr. Belcour, not as a vaffal, over whom you have a wanton defpotic power, but as a subject, which you are bound to govern with a temperate and restrained authority.

BEL. True, Sir; most truly faid; mine's a commiffion not a right I am the offspring of diftrefs, and every child. of forrow is my brother; while I have hands to hold, therefore, I will hold them open to mankind, but, Sir, my pasfions are my mafters; they take me where they will; and oftentimes they leave to reafon and virtue nothing but my wifhes and my fighs.

STOCK. Come, come, the man who can accufe, corrects himself.

BEL. Ah! that is an office I am weary of; I wish a friend would take it up: I would to Heaven you had leisure for the employ ! but, did you drive a trade to the four corners of the world, you would not find the task fo toilfome as to keep me free from faults.

L 3

STOCK.

STOCK. Well, I am not difcouraged; this candour tells mel fhould not have the fault of felf-conceit to combat ; that, at least, is not amongst the number.

BEL. No; if I knew that man on earth who thought more humbly of me than I do of myfelf, I would take up his opinion and forego my own.

STOCK. And, was I to chufe a pupil, it should be one of your complexion; fo if you will come along with me, we will agree upon your admiffion, and enter upon a course of lectures directly.

FRAM. My Lord, for their rightful owners.

LD. EUST. As to the matter of property, Frampton, we will not dispute much about that. Neceffity, you know, may fometimes render a trespass excufable.

FRAM. I am not cafuift sufficient to answer you upon that fubject; but this I know, that you have already trefpaffed against the laws of hofpitality and honour, in your conduct towards Sir William Evans, and his daughter-And as your friend and counfellor, both, I would advise you to think ferioufly of repairing the injuries you have committed, and not increase your offence, by a farther violation.

LD. EUST. It is actually a pity you were not bred to the bar, Ned; but I have only a moment to ftay, and am all

impatience

impatience to know, if there be a letter from Langwood, and what he fays..

FRAM. I fhall never be able to afford you the leaft information upon that subject, my lord.

LD. EUST. Surely, I do not understand you. You faid you had fecured the letters-Have you not read them?

FRAM. You have a right, and none but you, to ask me fuch a queftion. My weak compliance with your first propofal relative to thefé letters, warrants your thinking fo meanly of me. But know, my lord, that though my per fonal affection for you, joined to my unhappy circumstances, may have betrayed me to actions unworthy of myfelf. I never can forget, that there is a barrier fixed before the extreme of baseness, which honour will not let me pass.

LD. EUST. You will give me leave to tell you, Mr. Frampton, that where I lead, I think you need not halt. FRAM. You will pardon me, my lord; the consciousness of another man's errors, can never be a juftification for our own ; and poor, indeed, muft that wretch be, who can be satisfied with the negative merit of not being the worst man he knows.

LD. EUST. If this difcourfe were uttered in a conventicle, it might have its effect; by setting the congregation to Пеер.

FRAM. It is rather meant to roufe, than lull fhip.

your lord.

LD. EUST. No matter what it is meant for ; give me the letters, Mr. Frampton,

FRAM. Yet, excufe me. I could as foon think of arming a madman's hand, against my own life, as fuffer you to be guilty of a crime that will, for ever, wound your

honour.

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Lo.

LD. EUST. I fhall not come to you, to heal the wound:

your medicines are too rough and courfe for me.

FRAM. The foft poifon of flattery might, perhaps, please you better.

LD. EUST. Your confcience may, probably, have as much need of palliatives, as mine, Mr. Frampton, as I am pretty well convinced, that your course of life, has not been more regular than my own.

FRAM. With true contrition, my lord, I confefs part of your sarcasm to be juft. Pleasure was the object of my purfuit, and pleasure I obtained, at the expence, both of health, and fortune: but yet, my lord, I broke not in upon the peace of others; the laws of hofpitality I never violated; nor did I ever seek to injure, or feduce, the wife or daughter of my friend.

LD. EUST. I care not what you did; give me the letters. FRAM. I have no right to keep, and therefore shall furrender them, though with the utmost reluctance ; but, by our former friendship, I entreat you not to open. them.

LD. EUST. That you have forfeited.

FRAM. Since it is not in my power to prevent your com. mitting an error, which you ought, for ever, to repent of, I will not be a witnefs of it. There are the letters.

LD. EUST. You may, perhaps, have cause to repent your prefent conduct, Mr. Frampton, as much I do our paft attachment.

FRAM. Rather than hold your friendship upon fuch terms I refign it for ever. Farewel, my lord.

Re-enter FRAMPTON.

FRAM. Il treated as I have been, my lord, I find it im-poffible to leave you surrounded by difficulties.

LD. EvST. That fentiment fhould have operated fooner,

Mr