danger of lofing. Now these girls, as my friend the juftice ufed to fay, are liable Taffrel. So the conftable told them, and pleafe your honour; faid he, "You huffies, I'll take you under the vagrom act, and fend you to the house of correction." Capfan. So he did, Tom; fo I told him that he was a fool. Lieutenant. You did! that was very polite, Jack.` Capftan. Yes, your honour; and very true too. Send fuch fine girls to the house of correction!-I wish we had him on board, I'd ge an a pickled eel. ift Gypfey. You, my good friend, interfered most humanely in our favour, to rescue us out of the clutches of that barbarian Taffrel. With a wig like the neft of a tom-tit. if Gypfey. We are obliged to you: but humanity is the characteristic of a British failor. Lieutenant. There is fomething interesting in the fe girls, Frederic: What are you? ft Gypfey. Lord, why we have told you. (Sings.) Egyptians we, from burning fand We hail with joy this happy land, Taffrel. They faid, they knew us in Egypt、 to believe them. Capftan. Why, your honour, when a pretty girl fays, that he comes from the banks of the Nile, and the eyes of the rest with tears confirm it, what are we to believe? Lieutenant. What are you to believe, Jack? Why, that they are crocodiles, to be fure, ift Gypfey. Well, if we are, good Sir, we do not value you enough to betray you. Frederic. Do not be too harsh with them, Fenwick. Lieutenant. Lieutenant. I fhall never reduce my men to difcipline again, at leaft till we get fight of an enemy's thip. These fellows indeed to talk about eyes, except it were the dead eyes of the shrouds ! If Gypfey. Why should they not, Lieutenant Morofe? It only thews that they have more fenfibility than their officers. Come now, I'll try you. Lieutenant. Try me? 2d Gypfey. Ay, and your friend too, and by a fe male court martial. We'll tell you your fortunes, if you'll give us your hands. Lieutenant. Our fortunes? Ridiculous!-What shall we do, Frederic? Frederic, Hold out our hands to them, to be fure. Taffrel. That's right, your honour: if you once grapple, you'll prefently come to close quarters. Lieutenant. Well, if I must be abfurd.-Here's filver. 1ft Gypsey. Silver, indeed! Keep it for Plymouth Poll. Capfian. How the devil thould the know any thing about Plymouth Poll? Taffrel. Avaft! coil your jaw-rope; they know every thing. Lieutenant. Not take filver? ift Gypfey. No, Sir; in this refpect I am as haughty and as avaricious as Cleopatra. Lieutenant, I thought how it would be: I fancy, Frederic, we shall have Cleopatra in the cage; however, here's a piece of gold. Frederic, to the 2d Gypfey. And here, as I fuppofe you are Berenice, is another. 1ft Gypfey. Now let me examine your hand, while my fifter reads that of your friend.-I find by my skill in palmistry, that you are the youngest fon of Sig John Fenwick, and a Lieutenant of the Intrepid. Lieutenant. Who knows not this? Any of my boat's crew would have been better fortune-tellers than you in this refpect. B5 fea. 1ft Gypfey. You have been more than feven years at Lieutenant. This is trifling! Tell me any circumstance of my life, that you could not have learned from my failors, and I fhall have some opinion of your prescience. 1ft Gypfey. About two years fince your fhip anchored in King Road, and you had leave to go on fhore with your friend the midshipman: you landed at Bristol; and as you had both more money than prudence, you wifely determined to render your pockets as light as your heads, by a trip to Bath. Lieutenant. How the devil, Frederic, should she know this? Capfan. Ah, your honour, don't talk of the devil; he may be nearer than you think for. She told me fuch things about our Peg Lieutenant. Peace, lubber! Capftan. I hope we fhall have no peacé till we've given the French a few more dreffings." 1ft Gypfey. One Thursday morning you met on the South Parade Frederic. Two of the lovelieft girls our eyes ever beheld. 2d Gypfey. Certainly! They were infulted by fome of the idlers of the place, who would peep under their bonnets. You, like two knights errant, interfered, protected the ladies, and drubbed the heroes most heartily. Taffrel. Well, this is fo like our Lieutenant, and our young Captain, as we call him, that I am fure it is true. Lieutenant. Wonderful! How the plague could you know this? ift Gypfey. I know a great deal more. From this event an acquaintance commenced Lieutenant. Still more extraordinary! You must have obtained your intelligence by fupernatural means. Frederic. Frederic. So must you! 2d Gypfey. That we deny. The means we ufed were natural enough. I will now tell you the names of thofe ladies. Enter Conftable, Officers, &c. Conftable. Will you, Madam? not here. If you have any thing to confefs, it must be before his worship. He is now at the manfion, will have done dinner by the time we get there, and therefore he will be at leifure to take your examinations: you flipped through my fingers this morning: but we'il take better care, and have got better evidence: now the act of vagromcy is clear! Taffrel. So fhall this place be of your whole convoy in a few minutes; therefore, cut your cables and theer off, or we'll pour in fuch a broadfide-hey, Jack! Capfian. Ay, they shall taste the best end of our boarding-pikes. Taffrel. Let the girls drop aftern, and we 'll knock off the brush that the commanding officer carries on his mast-head, that looks as if the veffel was to be fold: fo fall to, my hearts. Sailors. Huzza! these pirates (han't take our prizes in tow. Conftable. Advance if you dare. Here's my authority. [Showing his ftaff] 1 reprefent His Majefty, God bless him-and in the King's name call upon you all to aid and affist. Taffrel. So we will against an enemy; but these girls feem to have most need of affiftance, and as I may be bold to fay, there's no treafon in petticoats, therefore we will protect them; fo pour a broadfide, my hearts. [Lieutenant and FREDERIC interpofing.] Lieutenant. Hold! reftrain your paffions, and liften It is my duty, as bearing His Majefty's miliB 6 to me. tary tary commiffion, to fee that his laws are obeyed, and his officers of juftice protected, as much as if I were in the commiffion of the peace. It is unbecoming a British failor to war with the civil power; therefore, shipmates, inftantly defift, and deliver up the girls. This I know your humanity occafions you to do with reluctance. However, it must be done.-In the mean time we will all go to the mansion. I hardly know what the charge is against them, but am fure it is not to be repelled by force; therefore, Mr. Constable, take your prisoners, and we will endeavour to liberate them by other means.. Frederic. This, my fhipmates, you fee, is right. No man, you are well affured, loves fighting in a good caufe better than our Lieutenant: but his own countrymen are not exactly the fort of enemies that he would wish to encounter. [Exit with the Gypfies, Sailors, &r. He END OF ACT I. ACT II. SCENE-The Hall of Sir Edward Thornhaw's Man Conftable. There, get along, Madam! your companions could march like Chriftians, though I believe you are all inducers; but you are fo fractory, that I am obliged to drive you before-get along, I say. 1ft Gypfey. Paws off, Cæfar! Conftable. Paws!-a pretty way of speaking of the hands of authority-paws! 2d Gypfey. Yes, buffalo! you have no right to touch the hem of our garments. Conftable. |