Mar. (R. c.) Your worships are to sit on a commis

sion,

And, if you fail to come, you lose the cause.

Gree. Cause me no causes; I'll prove't, for such a dinner,

We may put off a commission: you shall find it
Henrici decimo quarto.

Sir G. Fie, Master Greedy!

Will you lose me a thousand pounds for a dinner?
No more, for shame! We must forget the belly,
When we think of profit.

Grec. Well, you shall o'er-rule me.

I could e'en cry now.

Do you hear, master Cook?

Send but a corner of that immortal pasty,

And I, in thankfulness, will, by your boy,

Send you a brace of three-pences.

Fur. Will you be so prodigal ?

[GREEDY and FURNACE converse apart, L. a lil

tle up.

Sir G. [To ORD.] Remember me to your lady.

Enter WELLBORN, L.

Whom have we here?

Well. You know me.

Sir G. I did once, but now I will not;

Thou art no blood of mine. [Crosses to L. followed by

MAR.] Avaunt, thou beggar!

If ever thou presume to cross me more,

I'll have thee cag'd and whipp'd.

Gree. (L.) I'll grant the warrant.

Think of pye-corner, Furnace !

[Exit SIR G. L.

[Exeunt GREE. and MAR. L. MAR. eyeing WELL. contemptuously.-WELL. takes a Chair, and sits down in the centre of the Stage.

Wat. Will you out, sir?

[Going towards WELL.

I wonder how you durst creep in.

Ord. This is rudeness,

And saucy impudence.

Amb. Cannot you stay

To be serv'd, among your fellows, from the basket,
But you must press into the hall?

Fur. 'Pr'ythee, vanish

Into some outhouse, though it be the pig-stye;
My scullion shall come to thee.

Well. This is rare:

Enter ALLWORTH, R.

[Crosses to L.

O, here's Tom Allworth. Tom!
Allm. We must be strangers ;
Nor would I have you seen here for a million. [Exit, L.
Well. Better and better:-He contemns me too!

Enter ABIGAIL and TABITHA, R. cross to L.

Abi. [Seeing WELL.] Mercy preserve my sight! What thing is this?

Tab. A wretched object, truly.

Let's hence, for heaven's sake, or I shall swoon.

[Crosses to L.

Abi. I begin to faint already.

[Crosses to L

[Exeunt ABIGAIL and TABITha, L.

Fur. Will you know your way, sir?

Amb. Or shall we teach it you,

By the head and shoulders?

Well. No I will not stir:

Do you mark? I will not. [Starts up.] Let me see the wretch

That dares attempt to force me. Why, you slaves,
Created only to make legs, and cringe;

To carry in a dish, and shift a trencher;

That have not souls only to hope a blessing
Beyond your master's leaving-who advances?

Who shews me the way?

[ Threatening them.

All the Servants. Help, fellows, help!-Within there! Ord. Here comes my lady.

Enter LADY ALLWORTH, R.

Lady A. How now? What noise is this?

Well. [Advancing to her.] Madam, my designs Bear me to you.

Lady A. (R.).To me?

Well. (L.) And, though I've met with

But ragged entertainment from your grooms here,
I hope from you to receive that noble usage,
As may become the true friend of your husband,
And then I shall forget these.

Lady A. I'm amaz'd,

To see and hear this rudeness.

Dar'st thou think,

Though sworn, that it can ever find belief

That I, who to the best men of this country

Denied my presence since my husband's death,
Can fall so low, as to exchange words with thee?

6

Well. Scorn me not, good lady;

But, as in form you are angelical,

Imitate the heavenly natures, and vouchsafe
At the least awhile to hear me. You will grant
The blood that runs in this arm is as noble
As that which fills your veins: your swelling titles,
Your ample fortune, with your men's observance
And women's flattery, are in you no virtues;
Nor these rags, with my poverty, in me vices.
You have a fair fame, and, I know, deserve it.
Yet, lady, I must say, in nothing more

Than in the pious sorrow you have shewn
For your late noble husband.

Ord. There he touch'd her.

[Aside.

Well. That husband, madam, was once in his fortune
Almost as low as I; want, debts, and quarrels,
Lay heavy on him: let it not be thought

A boast in me, though I say I relieved him.
"Twas I that gave him fashion; mine the sword
That did on all occasions second his ;

I brought him on and off with honour, lady;
And when in all men's judgments he was sunk,
And in his own hopes not to be buoy'd up,
I stepp'd unto him, took him by the hand,
And set him upright.

Fur. Are we not base rogues,

That could forget this?

Well. I confess you made him

[Aside to Servants.

Master of your estate; nor could your friends,

Tho' he brought no wealth with him, blame you for't:

For he'd a shape, and to that shape a mind

Made up of all parts, either great or noble;

So winning a behaviour, not to be

Resisted, madam.

Lady A. 'Tis most true, he had.

Well. For his sake, then, in that I was his friend,

Do not contemn me.

Lady A. For what's past excuse me :

I will redeem it.

[Offers him her Pocket-book.

Well. Madam, on no terms:

I will not beg nor borrow sixpence of you;

But be supplied elsewhere, or want thus ever.

One only suit I make; pray give me leave.

[LADY A. signs to the Servants, who retire to the top of Stage.

not tire your patience with relation

Of the bad arts my uncle Overreach

Still forg'd, to strip me of my fair possessions;
Nor how he now shuts door upon my want.
Would you but vouchsafe

To your dear husband's friend-as well you may,
Your honour still let free-but such feign'd grace,
As might beget opinion in Sir Giles

Of a true passion tow'rds me, you would see,

In the mere thought to prey on me again,

When all that's your's were mine, he'd turn my friend; And, that no rub might stay my course to you,

Quit all my owings, set me trimly forth,

And furnish'd well with gold :-which I should use,
I trust, to your no shame, lady; but live
Ever a grateful debtor to your gentleness.
Lady A. What! nothing else?

[Offers her Pocket-book again. Well. Nothing, unless you please to charge your

servants

To throw away a little respect upon me.

Lady A. All you demand is yours.

[She beckons the Servants, who advance a little, L. Respect this gentleman,

As 'twere myself. Adieu, dear Master Wellborn-
Pray let me see you with your oftenest means:
I am ever bound to you.

[Going, WELLBORN waiting on her. Well. Your honour's servant. [Kisses her hand. [Exit LADY A. R. All the Servants. [Coming up to WELL. with bows and cringes.] "Ah, sweet sirWell. (L. C.) Nay, all's forgiven, all forgotten, friends: And, for a lucky omen to my project,

--

Shake hands, and end all quarrels in the cellar.

All the Servants. Agreed, agreed! Still merry, Master Wellborn. [Exeunt all the Servants, L. Well. (c.) Faith, a right worthy and a liberal lady, Who can at once so kindly meet my purposes, And brave the flouts of censure, to redeem Her husband's friends !-When, by this honest plot, The world believes she means to heal my wants With her extensive wealth, each noisy creditor Will be struck mute; and I, thus left at large To practice on my uncle Overreach, May work, perhaps, the measure to redeem My mortgag'd fortune; which he stripp'd me of,

When headlong dissipation quell'd my reason.
The fancy pleases: if the plot succeed,

'Tis a New Way to Pay Old Debts, indeed. [Exit, L.

SCENE I.-The Skirts of Lady Allworth's Park.

Enter MARRALL and SIR GILES, R.

Sir G. (L.) He's gone, I warrant thee; this commission crush'd him.

Mar. (R.) Your worship has the way on't, and ne'er miss

To squeeze these unthrifts into air and yet
The chap-fall'n justice did his part, returning,
For your advantage, the certificate,

Against his conscience and his knowledge too,
To the utter ruin

Of the poor farmer.

Sir G. "Twas for these good ends

I made him a justice: he that bribes his belly,
Is certain to command his soul.

Mar. I wonder why, your worship having
The power to put this thin-gut in commission,
You are not in't yourself.

Sir G. Thou art a fool;

In being out of office, I am out of danger;
Where, if I were a justice, besides the trouble,
I might, or out of wilfulness, or error,

Run myself finely into a præmunire,

And so become a prey to the informer,
No, I'll have none on't: 'tis enough I keep
Greedy at my devotion: so he serve

My purposes, let him hang, or damn, I care not;
Friendship is but a word.

[Crosses to R.