WELL, well, that may be ; but ftill I fay that a French

man

Claf. Is a fop; it is their national difeafe; not one of the qualities for which you celebrate them, but owes its origin to a foible; their tafte is trifling, their gaiety grimace, and their politenefs pride.

Mr.

Mr. Sub. Hey-day! Why, what the deuce brings you

to Paris then?

Claff. A debt to friendship; not but I think a fhort refidence here a very neceffary part in every man of fafhion's education.

Mr. Sub. Where's the ufe?
Claff. In giving them

true relish for their own do. meftic happiness; a proper veneration for their national liberties; a contempt for adulation; and an honour for the extended generous commerce of their country.

Mr. Sub. Why there, indeed, you have the preference, Mr. Claffic: the traders here are a tharp-fet, cozening people; foreigners are their food; civilities with a-ay! ay! a congee for a crown, and a fhrug for a fhilling: devilish dear, Mafter Claffic, devilish dear.

Claff. To avoid their exactions, we are, Mr. Subtle, recommended to your protection.

Mr. Sub. Ay and wifely they did who recommended you Puy nothing but on mine or my lady's recommendation, and you are fafe. But where was your charge? Where was Mr. Buck laft night? My lady made a party at cards on purpose for him, and my ward Lucinda is mightily taken with him; fhe longs to fee him again.

Claff. I am afraid with the fame fet his father fent him hither to avoid; but we must endeavour to infpire him with a tafte for the gallantries of this court, and his paffion for the lower amufement of ours will diminish of course.

Mr. Sub. All the fraternity of men-makers are for that purpose without; taylors, peruquieurs, hatters, lo-fiers Is not that Mr. Buck's English fervant ?

Enter Roger.

Claff. Oh! ay honeft Roger. So, the old doings, Roger; what time did your mafter come home?

Rog. Between five and fix, pummell'd to a jelly : here: been two of his old comrades follow'd un already; I count we shall ha' the whole gang in a fe'nnight. Claff. Comrades, who?

Rog. Dick Daylight and Bob Breadbasket, the bruifers they all went to the fhow together, where they had the devil to pay; belike they had been fent to Bridewell, hadn't a great gentleman in a blue ftring come by

D. S

and

and releas'd them.I hear master's bell; do, Mafter Claffic, ftep up and talk to un; he's now fober, and may hearken to reafon.

Claff. I attend him. Mr. Subtle, you won't be out of the way. [Exit Claffic. Mr. Sub. I fhall talk a little with the tradesman. A fmoky fellow this Claffic; but if Lucinda plays her cards well, we have not much to fear from that quarter: contradiction feems to be the life and foul of young Buck -A tolerable expedition this, if it fucceeds.-Fleece the younker!—Piha, that's a thing of course!—but by his means to get rid of Lucinda, and fecurely pocket her patrimony; ay! that indeed

Enter Mrs Subtle.

Oh! wife! Have you open'd the plot? Does the girl come into it greedily, hey?

Mrs. Sub. A little fqueamish at first ; but I have open'd her eyes. Never fear, my dear, fooner or later women. will attend to their interest..

Mr. Sub. Their intereft! ay, that's true; but confi der, my dear, how deeply our own intereft is concern'd, and let that quicken your zeal.

Mrs. Sub. D'ye think I am blind? But the girl has got fuch whimsical notions of honour, and is withal fo decent and modeft: I wonder where the deuce the got it; I am fure it was not in my house.

Mr. Sub. How does the like Buck's perfon?

Mrs. Sub. Well enough! But prithee, husband, leave her to my management, and confider we have more irons. in the fire than one. Here is the Marquis de Soleil to

meet Madame de Farde to-night,-And where to put ''em, unless we can have Buck's apartment.' Oh! bythe-bye. has Count Cog fent you your share out of Mr. Puntwell's lofings a-Thursday.

Mr. Sub. I intend calling on him this morning.

Mrs. Sub. Don't fail; he's a flippery chap, you know. Mr. Sub. There's no fear. Well, but our pretty coun try-woman lays about her handfomely, ha!Hearts by hundreds! hum!

Mrs. Sub. Ay! that's a noble prize, if we could but manage her; but fhe's fo indifcreet, that she'll be blown before we have made half our market, I am this morn

ing to give audience, on her score, to two counts and a foreign minifter.

Mr. Sub. Then ftrike whilst the iron's hot : but they'll be here before I can talk to my people; fend 'em in, prithee. [Exit Mrs. Subtle.

Enter Tradefmen."

So, gentlemen, Oh! hufh! we are interrupted: If they ask for your bills, you have left them at home.

Enter Buck, Claffic, and Roger.

Buck. Ecod, I don't know how it ended, but I remember how it begun. Oh! Mafter Subtle, how do'st, old buck, hey? Give's thy paw! And little Lucy, how fares it with fhe? Ham!

Mr. Sub. What has been the matter, fquire? Your face feems a little in dishabille.

Buck. A touch of the times, old buy! a small skirmith; after I was down, tho', a fet of cowardly fons of—; there's George and I will box any five for their fum.

Mr. Sub. But how happen'd it! The French are ge nerally civil to ftrangers.

Buck. Oh damn'd civil! to fall feven or eight upon three: Seven or eight! ecod, we had the whole house upon us at last.

Mr. Sub. But what had you done?

Buck. Done! why, nothing at all. But, wounds! how the powder flew about, and the Monfieurs fcour'd!

Mr. Sub. But what offence had either they or you committed?

Buck. Why, I was telling Domine. Laft night, Dick. Daylight, Bob Breadbasket, and I, were walking through one of their rues, I think they call them here: they are ftreets in London; but they have fuch devilish out-ofthe-way names for things, that there is no remembering them; fo we fee crowds of people going into a house, and comedy pafted over the door: in we troop'd with the reft, paid our cash, and fat down on the stage. Prefently they had a dance; and one of the young women with long hair trailing behind her, ftood with her back to a rail, juft by me: Ecod, what does me! for nothing in the world but a joke, as I hope for mercy, but ties her locks to the rail; fo, when 'twas her turn to figure out, fouse she flapp'd on her back; 'twas devilish comi-

D 6

oal,,

up fuch an uproar.

cal, but they fet One whey-fac'd fon of a bitch, that came to loofe the woman, turn'd up his nofe, and call'd me bete: ecod, I lent him a lick in his lanthorn jaws, that will make him remember the spawn of old Marlborough, I warrant him. Another came up to fecond him; but I let drive at the mark, made the foup-maigre rumble in his bread basket, and laid him fprawling. Then in pour'd a million of them; I was knocked down in a trice; and what happened after, I know no more than you. But where's Lucy? I'll go

fee her.

Claff. Oh fie! ladies are treated here with a little more ceremony:: Mr. Subtle too has collected these people, who are to equip you for the converfation of the ladies. Buck. Wounds! all these? What, Mr. Subtle, these are Monfeers too, I fuppofe?

Mr. Sub. No, Squire, they are Englishmen fashion. has ordain'd, that as you employ none but foreigners at home, you must take up with your own countrymen here.

Claff. It is not in this infiance alone we are particular, Mr. Subtle; I have obferved many of our pretty gentlemen, who condefcend to ufe entirely their native language here, fputter nothing but bad French in the fideboxes at home.

Buck. Look you, Sir, as to you, and your wife, and Mifs Lucy, I like you all well enough; but the devil a good thing elfe have I feen fince I loft fight of Dover. The men are all puppies, mincing and dancing, and chattering, and grinning: the women are a parcel of painted dolls; their food's fit for hogs; and as for their language, let them learn it that like it, I'll none on't; no, nor their frippery neither: So here you may all march to the place from whence you-Harkee! What, are you an Englishman ?

Barb. Yes, Sir.

Buck. Domine! look here, what a monfter the monkey has made of himfelf?-Sirrah, if your ftring was long enough, I'd do your bufinefs myfelf, you dog, to fink a bold Briton into fuch a fneaking, fhivelling. the rafcal looks as he had not had a piece of beef and pudding in his paunch these twenty years; I'll be hang'd

if