675 than my ancestors, and had like to have been knocked down without being bid for. Sir Peter, my friend, and Rowley, look upon that elder nephew of mine; you both know what I have done for him, and bow gladly I would have looked upon half my fortune as held only in trust for him *). Judge, then, of my surprise and disappointment, at finding him destitute of truth, charity and gratitude!

Sir Pet. Sir Oliver, I should be as much surprised as you, if I did not already know him to be artful, selfish, and hypocritical.

L. Teaz. And if he pleads not guilty to all this **), let him call on me to finish his character.

Sir Pet. Then I believe we need not add more; for if he knows himself, it will be a sufficient punishment for him that he is known by the world.

Char. If they talk this way to Honesty, what will they say to me by and by ***). [Aside. ]

Sir Oliv. As for that profligate there

[Pointing to Charles. ] Char. Ay, now comes my turn; the damn'd family pictures will ruin me.

Jos. Sir Oliver, will you honour me with a hearing? Char. Now if Joseph would make one of his long speeches, I should have time to recollect myself. [Aside.] Sir Pet. I suppose you would undertake to justify yourself entirely.

Jos. I trust I could, Sir.

Sir Oliv. 'Pshaw! [turns away from him] and I suppose you could justify yourself too. [To Charles.]

Char. Not, that I know of, Sir. Sir Oliv. What, my little Premium was let too much into the secret!

Char. Why yes, Sir; but they were family secrets, and should go no further.

Rowl. Come, come, Sir Oliver, I am sure you cannot look upon Charles's follies with anger.

*) Der Sinn ist: ich würde die Hälfte meines Vermögens blofs so angesehen haben, als wenn ich dieselbe für ihn verwal tet. ** To plead guilty or not guilty, auf eine Klage antwor ten, ob man schuldig oder nicht schuldig sey. ***) By and by, bald, in kurzer Zeit.

676

Sir Oliv. No, nor with gravity neither. Do you know, Sir Peter, the young rogue has been selling me his ancestors; I have bought judges and staff-officers by the foot, and maiden aunts as cheap as old china.

[During this speech Charles laughs behind his hat. ]

Char. Why, that I have made free with the family canvass is true; my ancestors may rise in judgment against me, there's no denying it; but believe me when I tell you (and upon my soul I would not say it, if it was not so), if I don't appear mortified at the exposure of my follies, it is,

because I feel at this moment the warmest satisfaction, at seeing you, liberal benefactor. [Embraces him.]

my

Sir Oliv. Charles, I forgive you; give me your hand again; the little ill-looking fellow over the settee has made your peace you.

for

Char. Then, Sir, my gratitude to the original is still increased.

L. Teaz. Sir Oliver, here is another, with whom, I dare say, Charles is no less anxious to be reconciled.

Sir Oliv. I have heard of that attachment before, and with the Lady's leave if I construe right, that blush Sir Pet. Well, child, speak for yourself.

-

Mar. I have little more to say, than that I wish him happy, and for any influence I might once have had over his affections, I most willingly resign them to one who has a better claim to them.

While he was a

Sir Pet. Hey! what's the matter now? rake and profligate, you would hear of nobody else; and now that he is likely to reform, you won't have him. meaning of all this?

What's the

Mar. His own heart, and Lady Sneerwell, can best inform you.

Char. Lady Sneerwell!

Jos. I am verry sorry, brother, I am obliged to speak to this point, but justice demands it from me; and Lady Sneerwell's wrongs can no longer be concealed.

Enter Lady Sneerwell.

Sir Pet. Another French milliner!

one in every room in the house.

I believe he has

L. Sneer. Ungrateful Charles! well you may seem confounded and surprised at the indelicate situation to which your perfidy has reduced me.

I

Char. Pray, uncle, is this another of your plots? for, as

I live, this is the first I ever heard of it.

Jos. There is but one witness, I believe, necessary to the business.

Sir Pet. And that witness is Mr. Snake you were perfectly in the right in bringing him with you. Let him appear. Rawl. Desire Mr. Snake to walk in. It is rather unlucky, madam, that he should be brought to confront and not support your Ladyship.

Enter Snake.

L. Sneer. I am surprised! what, speak villain! have you too conspired against me?

Snake. I beg your Ladyship ten thousand pardons: I must own you paid me very liberally for the lying questions, but I have unfortunately been offered double for speaking the truth. Sir Pet. Plot and counter-plot I give your Ladyship much joy of your negociation.

L. Sneer. May the torments of despair aud disappointment light upon you all!

[Going.]

L. Teaz. Hold, Lady Sneerwell; before you go, give me leave to return you thanks, for the trouble you and this gentleman took, in writing letters in my name to Charles, and answering them yourself; and, at the same time, I must beg, you will present my compliments to the scandalous college, of which you are president, and inform them, that Lady Teazle, licentiate, returns the diploma they granted her, as she leaves off practice, and kills characters no longer *). L. Sneer. You too, madam! Provoking, Insolent! your husband live these fifty years.

self.

[Exit.]

L. Teaz. O Lord what a malicious creature it is.
Sir Pet. Not for her last wish I hope.

L. Teat. Oh, no, no.

Sir Pet. Well, Sir what have you to say for

[To Joseph. ]

may

your

Jos. Sir, I am so confounded that Lady Sneerwell should

*) Lady Teazle sagt im Scherz: sie wolle nicht mehr Mitglied des hässlichen Collegiums seyn, wo Lady Sneerwell den Vorsitz habe; sie gebe ihr Diplom als Licentiatin zurück, gebe die Praxis auf und wolle forthin keinen moralischen Todschlag mehr begehen. Die ganze feierliche Redensart ist, wie man leicht einsieht, von den Ärzten entlehnt und unter licentiate ist hier gleichfalls eine niedere akademische Würde der Ärzte zu verstehen.

impose upon us all, by suborning Mr. Snake, that I know lest her malice should prompt her I had better follow her.

not what to say but to injure my brother

Moral to the last.
Marry her, Joseph, marry
her if
you'll do very well together.

[Exit.]

Sir Pet.

Sir Oliv. and vinegar

you

Rowl. Mr. Snake, I believe we have no further occasion

for you.

Snake. Before I go, I must beg pardon of these good ladies and gentlemen, for whatever trouble I have been the humble instrument of causing.

Sir Pet.

You have made amends by your open confession. Snake. But I must beg it as a favour that it may never be spoke of.

Sir Pet. What! are you ashamed of having done one good action in your life?

Snake. Sir, I request you to consider that I live by the badness of my character, and if it was once known that I bad been betrayed into an honest action, I should loose every friend I have in the world.

[Exit. ]

Sir Oliv. Never fear, we shan't traduce you by saying any thing in your praise.

Sir Pet. There's a specious rogue for you.

L. Teaz. You see, Sir Oliver, it needed no great persua

sion to reconcile your nephew and Maria.

Sir Oliv. So much the better; I'll have the wedding tomorrow morning,

Sir Pet. What, before you ask the girl's consent. Char. I have done that a long time since above a minute ago and she look'd

I protest, Sir Peter, there has

Sir Oliv. Well, well, the less the better [joining their hands] there and may your love never know abatement.

Sir Pet. And may you live as happily together, as Lady Teazle and I - intend to do.

Char. I suspect, Rowley, I owe much to you.

Sir Oliv. You do, indeed.

Rowl. Sir, if I had failed in my endeavours to serve you, you would have been indebted to me for the attempt. But deserve to be happy, and you over-pay me.

Sir Pet. Ay, honest Rowley always said you would reform.

Char. Look ye, Sir Peter, as to reforming, I shall make no promises, and that I take to be the strongest proof that I intend setting about it *). But here shall be my monitor, my gentle guide can I leave the virtuous path those eyes il

lumine?

Though thou, dear maid, should'st wave thy beauty's sway, Thou still must rule, because I will obey;

An humble fugitive from folly view,

No sanctuary near but love

and you.

You can, indeed, each anxious fear remove,
For even scandal dies

if you approve.

BENJAM

BERESFORD.

ENJAMIN BERESFORD, geboren im Jahre 1750 zu Bewdley an den Ufern der Severn, war anfänglich zum Handel bestimmt, widmete sich aber nachmals den Studien, und brachte mehrere Jahre zu Oxford zu. Hierauf wurde er private tutor des (den 2ten März 1802 im 37sten Jahre seines Alters verstorbenen) Herzogs von Bedford, und erhielt von demselben zwei Predigerstellen zu Bedford. Eine unglückliche Ehe, deren besondere Umstände in seinem Vaterlande nur zu wohl bekannt sind, veranlafste ihn, dasselbe seit dem Jahre 1781 mehrere Male zu verlassen, und das Ausland zu besuchen. Auf diesen Reisen sah er Italien (Kalabrien und Sicilien nicht ausgenommen), Holland, die Schweiz und Frankreich. Sein Aufenthalt in dem letztern Lande fiel in die schreckliche Periode der Revolution, wo Robespierre herrschte und fiel. Seit dem Jahre 1796 besuchte Herr Beresford sein Vaterland nicht wieder (woraus man auf die Grösse der ihm wiederfahrnen Kränkungen schliessen kann), und wählte Berlin zu seinem gewöhnlichen Aufenthalt, wo er sich theils damit beschäftigte, Ihro Majestät der verewigten Königin und einigen andern Personen Unterricht in seiner Muttersprache zu ertheilen, theils scine Musse auf Übersetzungen aus dem Deutschen zu verwenden. Zu den

*) And that I take about it, und das sehe ich als den stärksten Beweis an, dafs ich wirklich die Absicht habe, daran (an meiner Besserung) zu arbeiten.