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. Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow : Struck o'er with titles and hang round with ftrings, From Macedonia's madman to the Swede. Not one looks backward : onward ftill he goes; All fly, flow things, with circumfpective eyes: Who wickedly is wife, or madly brave, 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... In parts fuperior what advantage lies; Bring then thefe bleffings to a strict account; i |