Dr. Dofe. No, to be fure; therefore cannot this confultation be held to-morrow morning?

Justice. Yes, it may, at no greater inconvenience than feveral English fubjects being kept in prifon for twenty hours, when, by the mild prefumption of our law, we muft as yet believe them innocent.

Sir Edward. Cruel! this must not be: Constable, bring in your prifoners.

Enter Conftable.

Conftable. Sir, here's the fea officers.

Enter Lieutenant FENWICK, and FREDERIC ORLOP. Sir Edward. I take it exceedingly ill, gentlemen, that you did not fend this card before dinner; por will I hear a word of excufe until you give me your honour, that you will make this houfe your own during your leave of abfence, which I hope will last all the holydays.

Lieutenant. My friend and felf, Sir Edward, are extremely fenfible of your politenefs; and, as far as our duty will permit, fhall certainly avail ourselves of your kind invitation.

Juftice. Well, Mr. Conftable, who have you got for us?

Conftable. Why, and please your worship, a parcel of errant vagroms; two of them I think are devils incardinal-the worst that ever wore petticoats. They have bewitched Sufan the dairy-maid fince they have been here.

Sir Edward. The devil they have?

Confable. Ay, while my back was turned: but that's not the worst of it; they have no refpect for perfons or dignity-difliked my drefs-found fault with iny Christmas wig, and have been laughing at me all the way from fhore.

Justice. Well, bring them in.

Enter

Enter the First, Second, and feveral other Gypfies, SUSAN, Sailors, TOBY, Officers, and Servants.

Sir Edward. Why, they are muffled like the Egyp tian Zingara, or the Vestal Virgins.

Juice. Entre nous, Sir Edward, I don't believe that there's much virginity among them. Well, who ac cufes these prifoners?

Conftable. I excufe them, your worship, ay, and more I comprehended them, thefe two I mean, in the very fact with thefe gentlemen.

Sir Edward. The deuce you did? I fuppofe thefe youths are two bits of touchwood floated on fhore. Afide.) Well, we were all young once, Mr. Justice. Justice. The fact! What fact?

Confable. Nay, I know nothing of it; I mean the a&t.

I

Sir Edward. Here's a fpecial officer. fpecial officer. What act,

blockhead?

Conftable. Why, the act of vagromcy, your honour -telling fortunes.

Sir Edward. Oh, 't is well it's no worse.
Juftice. Telling fortunes! How!

Conftable. Nay, indeed I know not: by the black art, I fuppofe; or, faving your worship's reverence, by dealing with the devil!

Juftice. Upon whom did they practise?

Conftable. Upon these gentlemen: I faw them palming with my own eyes.

Juftice. Then, gentlemen, it is your turn to speak. ift Gypfey. I think, with humble fubmiffion to your worship, it rather is ours, fince we mean to confefs the fact, and to throw ourselves upon your mercy. Juftice. Then you admit that you are fortune-tellers 2d Gypfey. That is indeed one of our profeffions. Juftice. Well faid! I do not doubt but that you have many however, confeffion is the highest evidence

that

that we know of, therefore I have nothing to do but to commit you.

Dr. Dofe. The fooner that they are put under a regimen the better: light food, wholesome exercise, and a hem-hem—

Capftan, advancing. Nay, your worship's honour, don't commit them to mouldy biscuits and bilge-water let us take them in tow: here's Tom Taffrel, myself, and meffmates, will be glad to prefs the whole gang. Sir Edward. The laws, my good fellow, muft be obeyed.

ft Gypfey. They have not been broken by us.

Justice. How not broken? Have you not confeffed that you are fortune-tellers, dealers in paliniftry, and what not?

2d Gypfey We have, Mr. Juftice, heard you called a fortune-teller, and what not, before now.

Justice. Take them away; they grow impertinent. Lieutenant. Let me anfwer for them.

Juftice. Impoffible! theirs is not a bailable offence. The ftatute feventeenth

Lieutenant. Never mind the ftatute, Mr. Juftice: I did not mean to appeal to law, but to compaffion. The characters of thefe young women are unquestionably fufpicious; their profeffion ftill more fo, and their appearance most of all: yet they have this day difclofed to my friend Frederic and myself, circumftances that have astonished us.

Taffrel. So they have to us about our Peg, and the whistle that our old boatfwain loft.

Sufan. So they have to me about my silver spoon,

and

ift Gypfcy. Mum, Sufan, and you, Sir, who take us for two crocodiles of the Nile; and you, my worthy friend, ceafe to importune his worship, for he does not dare to commit us!

Justice. Not dare!

2d

2d Gypfey. No, Sir, for

your life

we fhall make fuch discoveries

you dare not; for

Sir Edward. Ah, ha! Mr. Juftice: to be fure we were all young once, as I faid before; but thisDr. Dofe. Ah, ha! friend Surety; I think that there has been fome clinical practice here.

The Company. Ha! ha ha!

Justice. Nonfenfe! You shall see, my fine madams, whether I dare, or not, commit you. Tell my clerk to make out the warrants of commitment, and take their examinations as rogues and vagabonds.

Toby. How the plague can women be rogues? Capftan. Why, by ftealing hearts, to be fure, old Toby.

Juftice. Thefe two huffies appear to be most notorious impoftors, therefore we fhall order them a month each in the houfe of correction. The others, who have at least the merit of being filent

Toby. And that's a great merit in women.

Juftice. Thofe we fhall confine for seven days.

ift and 2d Gypfies. We confefs that we are impoftors. Juftice. Oh, you do, do you? I thought the house of correction would bring you to. One month each, 1 fay!

Frederic. Let me entreat you, Sir, to foften the rigour of, indeed to rescind, your harth sentence: confider their tender frames.

Capftan. Blefs you, young Captain, you are just like your father: look'ee, your honour and worship, here's I and my meffmate Tom Taffrel, as good a feaman as ever ftepped betwixt but no matter for that. Here's our Lieutenant, who I know will speak to our commander: befides I know there's not one of our officers but what loves a pretty girl too well to blame us ; therefore do you fee, let us take a fpell in the bilboes

instead

inftead of thefe dear wenches: I am fure we deferve i for bringing them out of their way this morning. Sir Edward. My friend, it cannot be.

Taffrel. Do, your honour : it's like a Frenchman t refufe to exchange prifoners upon equal terms: let u be tied up instead of them.

Juftice. It is impoffible.

ift Gypfey. Generous fellows, I adore you for you humanity. It is now our parts to fhow you that w are in fome degree worthy of your concern.

[They throw off their Gypfey dreffes.]

Sir Edward. Hey day! What the plague are th girls about? One would think that they were undreffing for the affembly. What's all this? My coufinsAgnes, Caroline-are you really what you feem? or enchantreffes?

Justice. Agnes, Caroline, my nieces, where came you from?

Agnes. The next town, my dear uncle, where we have been a few days on a vifit.

Lieutenant. Agnes, Caroline!-the very girls, Frederic, to whom we furrendered our hearts at Bath. Frederic. The very fame, Fenwick, and as lovely as

ever.

Sir Edward. Spirited girls, faith! why, huffies, this is mumming.

Caroline. So it is, Sir.

Juftice. This is a Chriftmas gambol with a venge

ance.

Agnes. Which had like to have terminated in the houfe of correction.

Dr. Dofe. I think, if I were their uncle, I should prescribe that yet: I don't like lenitives in thefe cafes. Sir Edward. What could induce you to undertake this frolic?

Agnes.