and many other circumftances, which affect me on this occa fion, oblige me, without ceremony or conference, to defire, that you will comply with the request in my letter, of which you have already acknowledged the receipt.

Bev. Sir, I have received a letter from you in a very unu fual ftyle. But as I am confcious of the integrity of my beha vior with respect to you, and intend that every thing in this matter fhall be your own feeking. I fhall understand nothing but what you are pleafed to confirm face to face. You are therefore to take if for granted, that I have forgot the con. tents of your epiftle.

Myrt. Your cool behavior, Mr. Bevil, is agreeable to the unworthy ufe you have made of my fimplicity and frank nefs to you. And I fee your moderation tends to your own ad vantage, not mine; to your own fafety, not to justice for the wrongs you have done your friend.

Bero. My own fafety! Mr, Myrtle.

Myst. Your own safety, Mr. Bevil.

Bag Mr. Myrtle, there is no difguifing any longer that I understand what you would force me to. You know my prin ciple upon that point; and you have often heard me exprefs my difapprobation of the favage manner of deciding quarrels, which tyrannical cuftom has introduced, to the breach of all laws, both divine and human.

Myrt. Mr. Bevil Mr. Bevil! It would be a good firk principle, in thofe who have fo tender a confcience that way, to have as much abhorrence at doing injuries, as--Turns away abruptly.]

Bev. As what?

Myrt. As fear of anfvering them.

Bes. Mr. Myrtle, I have no fear of anfwering any injury I have done you: because I have meant you none; for the truth of which I am ready to appeal to any indifferent perfon, even of your own choofing. But I own I am afraid of doing a wick ed action: I mean of hedding your blood, or giving you an opportunity of hedding mine, cold. I am not afraid of you Mr. Myrtle, But I own I am afraid of Him, who gave me this life in truft, on other conditions and with other designs than that I fhould hazard, or throw it away, because a rafh inconfiderate man is pleafed to be offended, without knowing whether he is injured or not. No, I will not for you or any man's humor, commit a known crime; a crime which I can

not repair, or which may in the very act, cut me off from all poffibility of repentance.

Myrt. Mr. Bevil, I must tell you, this coolnefs, this moralizing, fhall not cheat me of my love. You may wish to pre ferve your life, that you my poffefs Lucinda. And I have reafon to be indifferent about it, if I am to lofe all that from which I expect any joy in life. But I fall first try one mean towards recoveting her, I mean, by fhewing her what a dauntlefs here he has chofen for her protector.

Bev. Shew me but the leaft glimpse of argument, that I am authorized to contend with you at the peril of the life of one of us, and I am ready upon your own terms. If this will not fatisfy you, and you will make a lawlefs affault upon me, I will defend myfelf as against a ruffian. There is no fuch terror, Mr. Myrtle, in the anger of those who are quickly hot and quickly cold again, they know not how or why. I defy you to fhew wherein I have wrong'd you.

Myrt. Mr. Bevil, it is eafy for you to talk coolly on this occafion. You know not, I fuppofe, what it is to love, and from your large fortune, and your fpecious outward carriage, have it in your power to come, without any trouble or anxiety, to the poffeffion of a woman of honor; you know nothing of what it is to be alarmed, distracted with the terror of lofing what is dearer than life. You are happy; your marriage goes on like common bufinefs; and in the interim, you have for your foft moments of dalliance, your rambling captive, your Indian princefs, your convenient, your ready Indiana.

Bev. You have touched me beyond the patience of a man; and the defence of fpotlefs innocence, will, I hope, excufe my accepting your challenge, or at least obliging you to retract your infamous afperfions. 1 will not if I can avoid it, fhed your blood, nor fhall you mine. But Indiana's purity. I will defend. Who waits ?

Servt. Did you call, Sir?

Bev. Yes, go call a coach.

Servt. Sir-Mr. Myrtle-gentlemen-you are friends-E

am but a fervant-but

Bev. Call a coach.

[Exit Servant. [A long pause. They walk fullenly about the room.] [Afide] Sall I (though provoked beyond fufferance) recov er myself at the entrance of a third perfon, and that my fervant too; and shall I not have a due refpect for the diaates

of my own confcience; for what I owe to the best of fathers, and to the defenceless innocence for my lovely Indiana, whofe very life depends on mine?

[To Mr. Myrtle.] I have, thank Heaven, had time to recol lect myself, and have determined to convince you, by means I would willingly have avoided, but which yet are preferable, to murderous duelling, that I am more innocent of nothing than of rivalling you in the affections of Lucinda. Read this letter and confider what effect it would have had upon you, to have found it about the man you had murdered.

Myrtle [reads.]" I hope it is confiftent with the laws a wo. man ought to impofe upon herself, to acknowledge, that your manner of declining what has been propofed, of a treaty of marriage in our family and defiring that the refufal might come from me, is more engaging than the Smithfield court hip of him whofe arms I am in danger of being thrown into, ualefs your friend exerts himself for our common fafety and happiness."-O, I want no more, to clear your innocence, my injured worthy friend-1 fee her dear name at the bottom,

I fee that you have been far enough from defigning any obftacle of my happiness, while I have been treating my benefactor as my betrayer-O Bevil, with what words fhall I-

Bev. There is no need of words. To convince is more than to conquer. If you are but satisfied, that I meant you no wrong, all is as it fhould be.

Myrt. But can you-forgive-fach madness?

Bev. Have not I myself offended.? I had almost been as guilty, as you tho I had the advantage of you, by knowing what you did not know.

Myrt. That I fhould be fuch a precipitate wretch.

Ben. Prithe no more.

Myrt. How many friends have died by the hands of friends, merely for want of temper! what do I not owe to your fupe riority of understanding! what a precipice have I efcaped ! O, my friend !-Can you ever-forgive-can you ever again Jook upon me with an eye of favor?

Bev. Why fhould I not? Any man may mistake. Any man may be violent, where his love is concerned. I was my. felf.

Myrt. O, Bevil! you are capable of all that is great, all that is heroic.

POETRY.

CONTEMPT of the common OBJECTS of PURSUIT.

HONOR and fhame from no condition rife

;

A&t well your part; there all the honor lies.
Fortune in men has fome fmall difference made;
One flaunts in rags; one flutters in brocade;
The cobler apron'd and the parfon gown'd;
The friar hooded, and the monarch crown'd.
"What differ more (you cry) than crown and cowl ?”
I'll tell you friend! A wife man and a fool.
You'll find, if once the wife man acts the monk,
Or cobler-like, the parfon 'will be drunk ;

Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow :
The reft is all but leather or prunella.

Struck o'er with titles and hang round with ftrings,
That thou mayft be by kings; or ws of kings;
Boat the pure blood of an illustrious race
In quiet flow from Lucrece to Lucrece ;
But by your father's worth, if your's you rate,
Count me thofe only who were good and great.
Go! if your ancient, but ignoble blood,
Has crept thro fcoundrels ever fince the flood;
Go! and pretend your family is young;
Nor own your fathers have been fools fo long.
What can enpoble fots, or flaves, or cowards;
Alas! not all the blood of all the Howards.
Look next on greatnefs. Say where greatness lies?
Where, but among the heroes and the wile,
Heroes are all the fame it is agreed,

From Macedonia's madman to the Swede.
The whole ftrange purpose of their lives, to find,
Or make an enemy of all mankind.

Not one looks backward : onward ftill he goes;
Yet ne'er looks forward farther than his nofe.
No lefs alike the politic and wife;

All fly, flow things, with circumfpective eyes:
Men in their loofe unguarded hours they take ;-
Not that themfelves are wife; but others weak.
But grant that thofe can conquer; these can cheat
Tis phrafe abfurd to call a villain great.

Who wickedly is wife, or madly brave,
Is but the more a fool, the more a knave.
Who noble ends by noble means obtains,
Or, falling, fmiles in exile, or in chains,
Like good Aurelius let him reign; or bleed
Like Socrates: that man is great indeed!
What's fame? a fancy'd life in others' breath;
A thing beyond us, e'en before our death.
Juft what you hear's your own; and what's unknown,
The fame (my lord) if Tully's or your own.
All that we feel of it, begins and ends
In the fmall circle of our foes and friends;
To all befides as much an empty fhade.
An Eugene living, as a Cæfar dead;

Alike, or when or where they fhone, or thine,

Or on the Rubicon, or on the Rhine.

A wit's a feather, and a chief's a rod :

An honeft man's the nobleft work of God...
Fame, but from death a villain's name can fave,
As juftice tears his body from the grave;
When what t' oblivion better were confign'd,
1. hung on high, to poifon half mankind.
All fame is foreign, but of true defert ;
Plays round the head; but comes not to the heart.
One felf approving hour, whole years outweighs
Of Atupid ftarers, and of loud huzzas;
And more true joy. Marcellus exil'd feels,
Than Cæfar with a fesate at his heels.

In parts fuperior what advantage lies;
Tell (for you can) what is it to be wife?
'Tis but to know, how little can be known;
To fee all others faults and feel our own;
Condemn'd in bufiness or in arts to drudge,
Without a fecond, and without a judge.
Truths-would you teach, to fave a finking land,
All fear; none aid you and few understand.
Painful pre eminence yourfelf to view
Above life's weakness, and its comforts too.

Bring then thefe bleffings to a strict account;
Make fair deductions; fee to what they mount.
How much of other each is fure to ceft
How each for other oft is wholly loft;
How inconfiftent greater goods with thefe

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