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Show The Recruiting Officer. t$ hundred Pounds indeed I might truft in his hands, and it might do the young Fellow a Kindnefs, but, ods m y Life, twelve hundred Pounds a Year wou'd ruin him, quite turn his Brain: A Captain of Foot worth twelve hundred Pounds a Year! 'Tis a Prodigy in Nature: Befidcs this, I have five or fix thoufand Pounds in Woods upon my Eftate; O h! That wou'd make him ftark m a d : For you muft know, that all Captains have a mighty Averfion to Timber, they can't endure to fee Trees ftanding. Then I fhou'd have fome Rogue of a Builder, by the help of his damn'd Magick Art, transform my noble Oaks and Elms into Coinilhes, Portalls, Safhes, Birds, Beafts and Devils, to adorn fome magotty, new-fa fhioned Bauble upon the Thames', and then you fhou'd have a Dog of a Gardner bring a Habeas Corpus for m y Terra firma, remove it to Chelfea, or Twittenham, and clap it into Grafs-Plats, and Gravel-Walks. Enter a Servant. Ser. Sir, Here is one with a Letter below for your Worfhip, but he will deliver it into no hands but your own. Ball. Come, fhew m e the MefTenger. (Exit with Servant. Sil. Make the Difpute between Love and Duty, and 1 a m Prince Prettyman exactly. If m y Brother dies, ah poor Brother! If he lives, ah poor Sifter! 'Tis bad both ways; III try it again, Follow m y own Inclinations, and break m y Father's Heart; or obey his Commands, and break my o w n ; worfe and worfe. Suppofe I take it thus ? A moderate Fortune, a pretty Fellow and a Pad ; or a fine Eftate, a Coach and Ciz, and an Afs That will never do neither. Enter Ballance and Servant. Ball. Put four Horfes into the Coach. (To a Servant, who goes out.) H o Silvia ! Sil. Sir. Ball. H o w old were you when your Mother dy'd ? Sil. So young, that I don't remember I ever had one; and you have been fo careful, fo indulgent to me fince, tbit indeed I never wanted one. Ball. Have I ever deny'd you any thing you askM of me? Sil. Never that I remember. Ball. Then, Silvia, I muft beg that once in your Life you wou'd grant m e a Favour. Sil. W h y fhou'd you queftiBobn it, Sir ? Mf |