Fun. Mad! John, fetch me the foils; I'll carte and tierce you, you scoundrel!

Enter Ifaac Fungus and Jenny.

I. Fun. Where's brother? it a'n't over; you be'n't marry'd, I hope?

Z. Fun. No, I believe not; why, what is the

I. Fun. Pretty hands you are got into! Your fervant, good Madam; what, this is the perfon, I warrant; ay, how pretty the puppet is painted! Do you know who the is?

Z. Fun. Who fhe is? without doubt.

I. Fun. No, you don't, brother Zac; only the spawn of that devil incarnate, drefs'd out as

Z. Fun. But hark ye, Ifaac, are-don't be in a hurry are you fure

Z. Fun. Sure-the girl of the house, abhorring their fcandalous project, has freely confeffed the whole scheme. Jenny, ftand forth, and anfwer boldly to what I fhall ask: Is not this wench the woman's niece of the house? Jen. I fancy fhe will hardly deny it.

1. Fun. And is not this mistress of your's a most pro. Aigate

Mrs Mech. Come, come, Mafter Ifaac, I will fave you the trouble, and cut this matter short in an instant. -Well then, this girl, this Dolly, is my niece; and what then?

Z. Fun. And arʼn't you asham'd?

Y. Lov. She asham'd! I wou'd have told you, but I cou'd not get you to liften; why fhe brought me here to marry my mother.

Z. Fun. Marry your mother! Lord have mercy on us, what a monster! to draw a young man in to be guilty of incenfe. But hark ye, brother Ifaac.

[They retire. Dr Cat. Gads my life, what a sweet project I have help'd to destroy! But come, Dolly, I'll piece thy broken fortunes again: thou haft a good pretty voice; I'll teach thee a thrill and a shake, perch thee amongst the boughs at one of the gardens; and then as a miftrefs, which, as the world goes, is a much better station than that of a wife, not the proudeft of them all→

Mrs

Mrs Mech. Miftrefs! No, no, we have not manag'd our matters fo badly. Hark ye, Mr Commiffary? Z. Fun. Well, what do you want?

Mrs Mech. Do you propose to confummate your nuptials?

Z. Fun. That's a pretty queftion, indeed!

Mrs Mech. You have no objection then to paying the penalty, the contract here that Mr Harpy has drawn.

Z. Fun. The contract! hey, brother Ifaac!

I. Fun. Let me fee it.

Mrs Mech. Soft you there, my maker of candles, it is as well where it is: but you need not doubt of its goodness; I promise you, the beft advice has been ta>

ken.

Z. Fun. What a damn'd fiend! what a harpy!

Mrs Mech. And why fo, my good Mafter Fungus; is it because I have practis'd that trade by retail which you have carried on in the grofs? What injury do I do the world? I feed on their follies, 'tis true; and the game, the plunder, is fair: but the fangs of you and your tribe,

A whole people have felt, and for ages will feel.
To their candour and juftice I make my appeal;
Tho' a poor humble scourge in a national cause,
As I truft I deferve, I demand your applause.

EDGAR

Mr Kennedy. Maft. Hitchcock.

Elfina, a fairy.
Grotilla, a fairy. Mifs Rogers. Mifs Hitchcock.
Other Fairies, Servants, &c.

Mrs Mills.
Mrs Tannet.

SCENE, Windsor Castle, and the parts adjacent.

A C T I.

SCENE, A dark part of Windsor Foreft. Enter GROTILLA meeting ELFINA. Several Fairies enter, moving to light music, and at length 'forming a ring and dancing. Enter another Fairy.

" RECITATIVE.

OW no more in dells we fleep;

'N° Here our revels now we keep:

· By the moon, our filver funSee, our sports are now begun! VOL. IV.

I

AIR.

AIR.

• Welcome, with the lambent light, ." Welcome, lovely queen of night! To thy gentle reign belong

Love, and mirth, and dance, and fong. • War, and strife, and toil, and care,

Now their works of wo forbear:

Night fhall now for day atone;

Give the night to joy alone!

[The Fairy mixes with thofe that dance.
Enter Elfina, an old fairy.

Elf. Hift-break off!-My charge receive;
Then renew the sports ye leave.

They leave off dancing: the mufic ceafes; and
Elfina beckons firft one, then another, fpeaking
to them feparately

When the midnight-hour is nigh,
Duteous to your tasks apply.

You, the mifer's haunts be near,
• Break his reft with causeless fear;
Creak his doors, his windows shake,
Till his iron heart shall quake.

You, as gouty humours flow,
Pinch the glutton by the toe.

You, with boding dreams moleft • Proud ambition's anxious breast.

You, with fancied ghofts, affright
• Atheists in their own defpight:
Bold by day, the bluft'ring fpark
Turns believer in the dark

• Hence

of vice to work the wo,

And the weal of virtue, go!

[The Fairies go out at one door; and as Elfina 'is going out at the other,

• Enter Grotilla, another old Fairy.'

Grot. Sifter! fifter!

Elf. Whence com'st thou?

Grot. I come far.

Elf. What to do? Tell me

Grot. To confer with you.

Elf. Yonder

Grot. What!

[Pointing to the cafile.

Elf.

Elf. The caftle there

Grot. Well

Elf. Contains my present care.

Grot. Briefly, then, thy care unfold.

Elf. Mark! it fhall be briefly told.

Edgar, Emmeline, you knew.

Grot. Youthful both, and fair and true.
Elf. Thus their destiny was read,

While the fifters fpun their thread:

"This youth a maid, this maid a youth must find,
"The best, the fairest, both in form and mind;
"Each, as a friend, must each efteem, admire;
"Yet catch no fpark of amorous defire!

"Till this be done, no chance fhall blifs beftow;

"When this is done, no chance fhall work them wo!".

Grot. This was publish'd at their birth.

Elf. Right; and well 'tis known on earth.

Grot. Bleft I wish them.

Elf. So do I.

Grot. Can you help them?

Elf. Certainly

Grot. Search the island round and round,

None like either can be found.

Elf. Each by each must then be seens

But not lov'd

Grot. Hard task, I ween!

Elf. Hard the task; I know it well.
Grot. How perform it?

Elf. I can tell.

Here the king purfues the chace;.
All his nobles crowd the place:
Emm'line here a youth appears,
Gondibert the name fhe bears;
Edgar is a maid in drefs,
Call'd Elfrida-

Got. Now I guess.

Elf To the youth, the virgin feems Like himfelf, a youth; and deems, Like herfelf, the youth a maid;

Neither thus to love betray'd.

Grot. You contriv'd

Elf. I did.

I 2

Grot

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