A garden with statues, fountains, and' flowcY-poti. Several Arbours appear in the side scenes: Rossetta and LuciNDA are discovered at worh, seated upon ttvo garden-chairs.

AIR.

Ros. Hope / thou nurse of young desire,
Fairy promiser of joy,.
Painted vapour, glew-worm fire,

Temp'rate sweet, that ne'er can cloy:

Luc. Hope I thou earnest of delight,
Softest soother of the mind,
Balmy cordial, prospetl bright,
Surest friend the wretchedfind:

Both. Kind deceiver, flatter still,

Deal out pleasures unpossest, 10
With thy dreams my fancy fill,
And in wishes make me blest.

Luc. Heigho t—Rossetta?

Ras Well, child, what do you say?

Luc. .'Tis a devilish thing to live in a village a hundred miles from the capital, with a preposterous gouty father, and a super-annuated maiden aunt.—1 am heartily sick of my situation.

Ros. And with reason—But 'tis in a great measure your own fault: here is this Mr. Eustace, a man of character and family; he likes you, you like him; you know one another's minds, and yet you will not resolve to make yourself happy with him. »3

AIR.

Whence can you inherit

So slavish a spirit?
Confin d thus, and chain'd to a log)

Now fondled, now chid,

Permitted, forbid:
'Tis leading the life of a dog.

For shame, you a lover J , 30
More firmness discover; \
Tahe courage, nor here longer mope;

Resist and be free,
Run riot tihe me,
And, to perfcH the piBure, elope.

Luc. And is this your advice?
Ros. Positively.

Luc. Here's my hand; positively I'll follow it—I have already sent to my gentleman, who is now in the country, to let him know he may come hither this day; we will make use of the opportunity to settle all preliminaries—And then—But take notice, whenever Wt decamp, you march off along with us.

Ros. Oh! madam, your servant; I have no inclination to be left behind, I assure you—But you say you got acquainted with this spark, while you were with your mother during her last illness at Bath, so that your father has never seen him?

Luc. Never in his life, my dear; and, I am confident, he entertains not the least suspicion of my having any such connection: my aunt, indeed, has her doubts and surmises; but, besides that mv father will not allow any one to be wiser than himself, it is an established maxim between these affectionate relations, never to agree in any thing.

Ros. Except being absurd; you must allow they sympathize perfectly in that—But, now we are on the subject, I desire to know, what I am to do with this wicked old justice of peace, this libidinous father of yours? He follows me about the house like a tame goat.

Luc. Nay, I'll assure you he hathAjeen a wag in his time—you must have a care of yourself.

Ros. Wretched me! to fall into such hands, who have been just forced to run away from my parents to

avoid an odious marriage You smile at that now;

and I know you think me whimsical, as you have often told me; but you must excuse my being a little over-delicate in this particular.

AIR.

My heart's my own, my will is free,

And so shall be my voice; 70

No mortal man shall wed with me,
Till first he's made my choice.

Let parent''s rule, cry nature's laws;

And children still obey;
And is there then no saving clause,

Against tyrannic sway?

Luc. Well, but my dear mad girl

Ros. Lucinda, don't talk to me—Was your father to go to London; meet there by accident with an old fellow as wrong-headed as himself; and in a fit of absurd friendship, agree to marry you to that old fellow's son, whom you had never seen, without consulting your inclinations, or allowing you a negative,

in case he should not prove agreeable

Luc. Why I should think it a little hard, I confess