CROAKER.

Aye, verily, there he is! as close upon the heels of his own express, as an indorsement upon the back of a bill. Well, I'll leave you to receive him, whilst I go to chide my little Olivia for intending to steal a marriage without mine, or her aunt's consent. I must seem to be angry, or she too may begin to despise my authority.

Enter LOFTY, speaking to his Servant.

LOFTY.

[Exit.

"And if the Venetian Ambassador, or that teazing creature the Marquis, should call, I'm not at home. Dam'me, I'll be pack-horse to none of them." My dear madam, I have just snatched a moment-" And if the expresses to his Grace be ready, let them be sent off: they're of importance." Madam, I ask a thousand pardons.

Mrs. CROAKER.

Sir, this honour-

LOFTY.

"And, Dubardieu! if the person calls about the commission, let him know that it is made out. As for Lord Cumbercourt's stale request, it can keep cold: you understand me." Madam, I ask ten thousand pardons.

Mrs. CROAKER.

Sir! This honour

LOFTY.

And, Dubardieu! if the man comes from the Cornish borough, you must do him; you must do him I say." Madam, I ask ten thousand pardons. "And, if the Russian-ambassador calls: but he will scarce call to-day, I believe." And now, madam, I have just got time to express my happiness in having the honour of being permitted to profess myself your most obedient humble servant.

Mrs. CROAKER.

Sir, the happiness and honour are all mine; and yet, I'm only robbing the public while I detain

you.

LOFTY.

Sink the public, madam, when the fair are to be attended. Ah, could all my hours be so charmingly devoted! Sincerely, don't you pity us poor creatures in affairs? Thus it is eternally; solicited for placés here, teazed for pensions there, and courted every where. I know you pity me. Yes, I see

you do.

Mrs. CROAKER.

Excuse me, Sir. "Toils of empires pleasures are,' as Waller says.

LOFTY.

Waller, Waller; is he of the house?

Mrs. CROAKER.

The modern poet of that name, Sir.

LOFTY.

Oh, a modern! We men of business despise the moderns; and as for the ancients we have no time to read them. Poetry is a pretty thing enough for our wives and daughters; but not for us. Why now, here I stand that know nothing of books. I say, madam, I know nothing of books; and yet, I believe, upon a land carriage fishery, a stamp act, or a jag-hire, I can talk my two hours without feeling the want of them.

Mrs. CROAKER.

The world is no stranger to Mr. Lofty's eminence in every capacity.

LOFTY.

I vow to gad, madam, you make me blush. I'm nothing, nothing, nothing in the world; a mere obscure gentleman. To be sure, indeed, one or two of the present ministers are pleased to represent me as a formidable man. I know they are pleased to be-spatter me at all their little dirty levees. Yet upon my soul, I wonder what they see in me to treat me so! Measures, not men, have always been

.

my mark; and I vow, by all that's honourable, my resentment has never done the men, as mere men, any manner of harm-that is as mere men.

Mrs. CROAKER.

What importance, and yet what modesty!

LOFTY.

Oh, if you talk of modesty, madam! there I own, I'm accessible to praise: modesty is my foible: it was so, the Duke of Brentford used to say of me. "I love Jack Lofty," he used to say: "no man has a finer knowledge of things; quite a man of information; and when he speaks upon his legs, by the Lord he's prodigious, he scouts them; and yet all men have their faults; too much modesty is his," says his grace.

Mrs. CROAKER.

And yet, I dare say, you don't want assurance when you come to solicit for your friends.

LOFTY.

1

O, there indeed I'm in bronze. Apropos! I have just been mentioning Miss Richland's case to a certain personage; we must name no names. When I ask, I'm not to be put off, madam. No, no, I take my friend by the button. A fine girl, Sir; great justice in her case. A friend of mine. Borough interest. Business must be done, Mr. Secretary. I

say, Mr. Secretary, her business must be done, Sir. That's my way, madam.

Mrs. CROAKER.

Bless me! you said all this to the secretary of state, did you?

LOFTY.

I did not say the secretary, did I? Well, curse it, since you have found me out I will not deny it. It was to the secretary.

Mrs. CROAKER.

This was going to the fountain head at once, not applying to the understrappers, as Mr. Honeywood would have had us.

LOFTY.

Honeywood! he he! He was, indeed, a fine solicitor. I suppose you have heard what has just happened to him?

Mrs. CROAKER.

Poor dear man; no accident, I hope.

LOFTY.

Undone, madam, that's all. His creditors have taken him into custody. A prisoner in his own house.