I speak to you particularly, you shall most heartily repent it.

Plume. Lookye, young spark, say but one word more, and I'll build a horse for you as high as the ceiling, and make you ride the most tiresome journey that ever you made in your life.

Syl. You have made a fiue speech, good Captain Huff-cap! but you had better be quiet; I shall find a way to cool your courage.

Plume. Pray, gentlemen, don't mind him, he's distracted.

Syl. 'Tis false! I am descended of as good a family as any in your county; my father is as good a man as any upon your bench, and I am heir to twelve hundred pounds a-year.

Bal He's certainly mad.-Pray, captain, read the articles of war.

Syl. Hold, once more.— -Pray, Mr Balance, to you I speak; suppose I were your child, would you use me at this rate?

Bal. No, 'faith were you mine, I would send you to Bedlam first, and into the army afterwards.

Syl. But consider my father, sir; he's as good, as generous, as brave, as just a man as ever served his country; I'm his only child; perhaps the loss of me may break his heart.

Bal. He's a very great fool if it does.-Captain, if you don't list him this minute, I'll leave the court. Plume. Kite, do you distribute the levy money to the men, while I read.

Kite. Ay, sir.-Silence, gentlemen!

[PLUME reads the Articles of Wan Bal. Very well; now, captain, let me beg the favour of you not to discharge this fellow upon any account whatsoever.-Bring in the rest.

Const. There are no more, an't please your worship.

Bal. No more! There were five, two hours ago. Syl. 'Tis true, sir; but this rogue of a constable let the rest escape, for a bribe of eleven shillings a man, because he said the act allowed him but ten, so the odd shilling was clear gains.

All Just. How!

Syl. Gentlemen, he offered to let me go away for two guineas, but I had not so much about me: this is truth, and I am ready to swear it.

Kite. And I'll swear it: give me the book-'tis for the good of the service.

Mob. May it please your worship, I gave him half a crown, to say that I was an honest man; but now since that your worships have made me a rogue, I hope I shall have my money again.

Bal. 'Tis my opinion, that this constable be put into the captain's hands, and if his friends don't bring four good men for his ransom by to-morrow night, captain, you shall carry him to Flanders.

Scale. Scrup. Agreed, agreed.

your

Plume, Mr Kite, take the constable into custody. Kite. Ay, ay, sir.-[To the CONSTABLE.] Will you please to have your office taken from you? or will staff as your you handsomely lay down betters have done before you ? [CONSTABLE drops his Staff. Bal. Come, gentlemen, there needs no great ceremony in adjourning this court.-Captain, you shall dine with me.

Kite. Come, Mr Militia Serjeant, I shall silence you now, I believe, without your taking the law of

me.

[Exeunt.

H3

SCENE IV.

A Room in BALANCE'S House.

Enter BALANCE and Steward.

Stew. We did not miss her till the evening, sir; and then, searching for her in the chamber that was my young master's, we found her clothes there; but the suit that your son left in the press, when he went to London, was gone.

Bal. The white, trimm'd with silver?

Stew. The same.

Bal. You ha'n't told that circumstance to any body?

Stew. To none but your worship.

Bal. And be sure you don't. Go into the diningroom, and tell Captain Plume that I beg to speak with him.

Stew. I shall.

[Exit

Bal. Was ever man so imposed upon! I had her promise, indeed, that she would never dispose of herself without my consent-I have consented with a witness, given her away as my act and my deed-and this, I warrant, the captain thinks will pass. No, I shall never pardon him the villainy, first, of robbing me of my daughter, and then the mean opinion he must have of me, to think that I could be so wretchedly imposed upon her extravagant passion might encourage her in the attempt, but the contrivance must be his. I'll know the truth presently.

<

Enter PLUME.

Pray, captain, what have you done with our young gentleman soldier?

Plume. He's at my quarters, I suppose, with the rest of my men.

Bal. Does he keep company with the common soldiers?

Plume. No, he's generally with me.

Bal. He lies with you, I presume?

Plume. No, 'faith; the young rogue fell in love with Rose, and has lain with her, I think, since she came to town.

Bal. So that between you both, Rose has been finely managed.

Plume. Upon my honour, sir, she had no harm from me.

Bal. All's safe, I find-Now, captain, you must know, that the young fellow's impudence in court was well grounded; he said I should heartily repent his being listed, and so I do, from soul. my Plume. Ay! for what reason?

Bal. Because he is no less than what he said he was-born of as good a family as any in this county, and he is heir to twelve hundred pounds a-year.

Plume. I'm very glad to hear it for I wanted but a man of that quality to make my company a perfect representative of the whole commons of England. Bal. Won't you discharge him?

Plume. Not under a hundred pounds sterling. Bal. You shall have it, for his father is intimate my friend.

Plume. Then you shall have him for nothing.
Bal. Nay, sir, you shall have your price.

Plume. Not a penny, sir; I value an obligation to you much above an hundred pounds.

Bal. Perhaps, sir, you sha'n't repent your genero

sity-Will you please to write his discharge in my pocket-book? [Gives his Book.] In. the mean time, we'll send for the gentleman.-Who waits there?

Enter SERVANT.

Go to the captain's lodging, and enquire for Mr Wilful; tell him his captain wants him here immediately.

Sero. Sir, the gentleman's below at the door, enquiring for the captain.

sir.

Plume. Bid him come up.-Here's the discharge,

Bal. Sir, I thank you 'Tis plain he had no hand [Aside.

in't.

Enter SYLVIA.

Syl. I think, captain, you might have used me better, than to leave me yonder among your swearing, drunken crew; and you, Mr Justice, might have been so civil as to have invited me to dinner, for I have eaten with as good a man as your worship.

Plume. Sir, you must charge our want of respect upon our ignorance of your quality-but now you are at liberty; I have discharged you.

Syl. Discharged me !

Bal. Yes, sir, and you must once more go home to your father.

Syl. My father! then I am discovered[Kneeling.] I expect no pardon.

Oh sir!

Bal. Pardon! no, no, child; your crime shall be your punishment. Here, captain, I deliver her over to the conjugal power, for her chastisement. Since she will be a wife, be you a husband, a very husband -When she tells you of her love, upbraid her with her folly; be modishly ungrateful, because she has