Miss Wal. And is he really impatient for our marriage? Capt. 'Tis incredible how earnest he is. Miss Wal. What! did he tell you of his interview with me this evening, when he brought Mr. Torrington? Capt. He did. Miss Wal. O, then I can have no doubt. Capt. If a shadow of doubt remains, here he comes to remove it. Joy, my dear Sir, joy a thousand times! [Enter General Savage and Torrington.] Gen. What, my dear boy have you carried the day? Miss Wal. I have been weak enough to indulge him with a victory, indeed, General. Gen. Fortune favors the brave, Torrington, Tor. I congratulate you heartily on this decree, General. Gen. This had nearly proved a day of disappointment, But the stars have fortunately turned it in my favor, and now I reap the rich roward of my victory. Capt. And here I take her from you as the greatest good which heaven can send me. Miss Wal. O captain! Gen. You take her as the greatest good which heaven can send you, Sirrah! I take her as the greatest good which heaven can send me; and now what have you to say to her? Miss Wal. General Savage! Tor. Here will be a fresh injunction to stop proceedings. Miss Wal. Are we never to have done with mistakes? Gen. What mistakes can have happened now, sweetest, you delivered up your dear hand this moment. Miss Wal. True, Sir; but I thought you were going to bestow my dear hand upon this dear gentleman. Gen. How that dear gentleman? Capt. I am thunderstruck! Tor. Fortune favors the brave, General, none but the brave Laughingly. Gen. So the covert way is cleared at last; and you have all along imagined that I was negociating for this fellow, when I was gravely soliciting for myself. Miss Wal. No other idea, Sir, ever entered my imagina tion. Tor. General, noble minds should never despair. [Laughingly. Gen. Well, my hopes are all blown up to the moon at once, and I shall be the laughing stock of the whole town. Scene between Mrs. BELVILLE, Miss WALSINGHAM, and Lady RACHEL MILDEW.-On DUELLING. Mrs. Belu. W sense, where is the shame of men, to HERE is the generosity, where is the [alone.] find pleasure in pursuits which they cannot remember without the deepest horror; which they cannot follow without the meanest fraud; and which they cannot effect without consequences the most dreadful? The greatest triumphs which a libertin can ever experience, is too despicable to be envied; 'tis at best but a victory over humanity; and if he is a husband, he must be doubly tortured on the wheel of recollection. [Enter Miss Walsingham, and Lady Rachel Mildew.] Miss Wat. My dear Mrs. Belville, I am extremely unhappy to see you so distressed. Lady Rach. Now I am extremely glad to see her so ;for if she were not greatly distressed, it would be monstrously unnatural. Mrs. Bel. O Matilda! my husband! my children! Miss Wal. Don't weep, my dear, don't weep! pray be comforted, all may end happily. Lady Rachel, beg of her not to cry so. Lady Rach. Why, you are crying yourself, Miss Walsingham. And though I think it out of character toencourage her tears, I cannot help keeping you company. Mrs. Bel. O, why is not some effectual method contrived to prevent this horrible practice of duelling. Lady Rach. I'll expose it on the stage, since the law. now a-days kindly leaves the whole cognizance of it to the theatre. Miss Wal. And yet if the laws against it were as well enforced as the laws against destroying the game, perhaps. it would be equally for the benefit of the kingdom. Mrs. Bel. No law will ever be effectual till the custom is rendered infamous. Wives must shriek! Mothers must agonize! orphans must be multiplied! unless some blessed hand strip the fascinating glare from honorable murder, and bravely expose the idol who is worshipped thus. in blood. While it is disreputable to obey the laws, we cannot look for reformation. But if the duellist is once banished from the presence of his sovereign; if he is for life excluded the confidence of his country; if a mark of indelible disgrace is stamped upon him, the sword of public justice will be the sole chastiser of wrongs: trifles will not be punished with death, and offences really meriting such punishment, will be reserved for the only proper revenge, the common executioner. Lady Rach. I could not have expressed myself better on this subject, my dear: but till such a hand as you talk of, is found, the best will fall into the error of the times. Miss Wal. Yes, and butcher each other like mad men, for fear their courage should be suspected by fools. Col. RIVERS and Sir HARRY. Sir Har. Co OLONEL, your most obedient: I am I am allowed to entertain hopes of Miss Rivers, I shall be the most miserable of all human beings. Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you personally, I cannot listen to your proposals. Sir Har. No, Sir? Riv. No, Sir; I have promised my daughter to Mr. Sidney: do you know that, Sir? Sir Har. I do but what then? Engagements of this kind you know— Riv. So then, you know I have promised her to Mr. Sidney? Sir Har. I do, but also know that matters are not finally settled between Mr. Sidney and you; and I moreover know, that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, therefore-Riv. Sir Harry, let me ask you one question before you make your consequence. Sir Har: A thousand if you please, Sir. Riv. Why then, Sir, let me ask you, what you have ever observed in me, or my conduct, that you desire me so familiarly to break my word? I thought, sir, you considered me as a man of honor. Sir Har. And so I do, sir, a man of the nicest honor. Riv. And yet sir, you ask me to violate the sanctity of my word; and tell me directly, that it is my interest to be a rascal.. Sir Har. I really don't understand you, Colonel; I tho't I was talking to a man who knew the world; and as you have not signed Riv. Why this is mending matters with a witness And so you think because I am not legally bound, I am under no necessity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honor; they want no bond but the rectitude of their own sentiments; and laws are of no use but to bind the villains of society. Sir Har. Well! But my dear Colonel, if you have no regard for me, shew some little regard for your daughter. Riv. I show the greatest regard for my daughter by giving her to a man of honor, and I must not be insulted with any further repetition of your proposals. Sir Har. Insult you, Colonel! Is the offer of my alliance an insult? Is my readiness to make what settlements you think proper Riv. Sir Harry, I should consider the offer of a kingdom an insult, if it was to be purchased by the violation of my word. Besides, though my daughter shall never go a beggar to the arms of her husband, I would rather see her happy than rich; and if she has enough to provide handsomely for a young family, and something to spare for the exigencies of a worthy friend, I shall think heras affluent as if she was mistress of Mexico. Sir Har. Well, Colonel, we have done; but I believe-Riv. Well, Sir Harry, and as our conference is done, we will, if you please, retire to the ladies. I shall be always glad of your acquaintance, though I cannot receive you as son-in-law; for a union of interest I look upon as a union of dishonor, and consider marriage for money, at best bu a legal prostitution. Scene between SHYLOCK and TUBAL.† Shy. daughter? H OW now, Tubal! What news from Genoa ? Tub. I often came where I heard of her, but could not find her. Shy. Why, there, there, there, a diamond gone that cost me two thousand ducats at Frankfort! The curse never fell upon a nation till now! I never felt it before! Two thousand ducats in that and other precious jewels! I wish she lay dead at my feet! No news of them! And I know not what spent in the search. Loss upon loss. The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no + Shylock had sent Tubal after his daughter, who had eloped, from his house. Antonio was a merchant hated by Shylock. satisfaction, no revenge; no H luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders. Tub. O yes, other men have ill luck too; Antonio, as I heard in Genoa Shy. (interrupting him) What, has he had ill luck? Tub. Has had a ship cast away coming from Tripoli, Shy. Thank fortune! Is it true? is it true? Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped from the wreck. Shy. I thank you, good Tubal Good news! good news!. What in Genoa, you spoke with them. Tub. Your daughter, as I heard, spent twenty ducats in one night. Shy. You stick a dagger in me Tubal. Inever shall see my gold again. Twenty ducats in one night! Twenty ducats! O father Abraham. Tub. There came several of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, who say he cannot but break. Shy. I'm glad on't. I'll plague him; I'll torture him; I am glad on't. Tub. One of them shewed me a ring he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her; you torture me, Tubal! It was my Ruby. I would not have given it for as many monkies ascould stand together upon the Rialta. Tub. Antonio is certainly undone. Shy. Ay, ay, there is some comfort in that.. Go, Tubal,. engage an officer. Tell him to be ready: I'll be revenged on. Antonio : I'll wash my hands to the elbows in his heart's blood. Jub. Ι JUBA AND SYPHAX. YPHAX, I joy to meet thee thus alone. Then tell me, Syphax, I conjure thee, tell me Syph. 'Tis not my talent to conceal my thoughts, Jub. Why dost thou cast out such ungenerous terms |