Loves. Mr. Pendulum tells me, you had some thoughts of entering into the army. Flour. The army! All in my eye. No fuch matter. Sleep in a whole fkin, that's my temper; and yet I be. lieve I have as much courage as any of them, but I pretend nothing. Lovef. So I think. This will make a moft excellent ftory. (Afide) Flour. The army indeed! what are their new levies? a parcel of Babies. If fome of them were taken prifoners, they wou'd do well enough to carry up-ftaire fome French Madamoifelle's tea kettle. Love. Egad! Mr. Flourish, you understand fome. thing. Flour. Yea, but I pretend nothing. Love. What do you think of our Volunteers? Flour. Why, I'll tell you in one word, Mr. Lovefory, let other people fay what they will, I pretend nothing. Lovef. We have fome fine Regiments at home, and we had an excellent army on the Continent. Flour. True; and what bave they done? for my part, I meddle with nobody's affairs but my own, that's my temper; but had I been with the army, damn me! I wou'd have done more than all their Officers put together. Love The devil you wou'd! Flour. Yes, but mind you, I pretend nothing. Love. That may be, but you feem to forget my Girl. Flour. By my honour that's true, Mr. Loveftory; I beg your pardon. I'll only adjuft my drefs, and then wait upon her. What do you think of that for a dress ? Lovef. Well enough,-what's the matter with your throat? Flour. The matter with my throat! Lovef. Yes, have you not got a poultis in your neck. cloth? Flour. A poultis! Ha, ha, ha, this is what comes up to the tip-top of the fashion. Love. Yes, and it comes up to the tip-top of your chin, ha, ha, ha, Flour. So it does, but I pretend nothing. [Exit with Thomas. and pick up fomething that may make a moft excellent Lory. Enter SOPHIA and JENNY. Jen. Sophy, my dear Mr. Flourish is arriv'd. Lovef. How fo? forry to fee the man you are to marry? Sophy. No, indeed, Papa, if ever I marry I'il be a Volunteer. Love A Volunteer! Sophy. Yes, indeed; I'll never be preft into the fervice. Love Ha, ha, ha, a Female Volunteer, that wou'd make a most excellent ftory. Jenny. To be fure it won'd. By and by you'll fee Lovef. Then it will be time enough to provide.- "Shut the fiable door when the fteed is ftolen" Now, I'll fing a Song, to cheer up your honeft old heart. S ONG. Mr Dadie bade me take the Laird, Tho' he was faxty years and ten, But feint a bit I wadna do't, 1 Chor. His heart is true, his coat is blue, Let furly loons, wha wish na weel To fhew their spleen and foolifb hate ; Chor. Their hearts are true, &c. Frae Johny Groats, to Solway Frith, Chor. His heart is true, &c. Love. Nonfenfe! nonfenfe! I know what your antipathy to the match proceeds from ; your Volunteer Captain is in the Village; your Secretary, Nimble, told me all about it. But I'll go and bring Mr. Flourish, and this night you shall marry him. [Exit. Sophy. Indeed, my dear Papa, you'il find yourfeif mistaken. Jenny, you must affift me to impofe upon this dear tender hearted Parent of mine Jenny. To be fure, my dear, if Parents will facrifice their children's happinefs to their own caprice, have not children as good a right to facrifice their Parents' caprice to their own happiness? Sophy. Undoubtedly. And will you marry your C tain when he returns, ་ Jenny. To be fure. Let us act like Volunteera: fear nothing while we have a good cause in hand. Enter NIMBLE and CAPTAIN disguised. Nimble. I'm here again. Jenny. You need not tell us that, we fee you. Sophy. Yes, and we've heard how he told my Father of the Captain. Nimble. How cou'd I help it, when he bestow'd upon me fo many marks of his favour. Sophy. Mercenary wretch! had you been faithful I wou'd have given you ten times more than my Father did. Nimble. Wou'd you, faith! I'm much oblig'd to you, but I thought I had enough. Sophy. And where is the Captain? Nimb. Here's a friend of Mr. Cleekim's, perhaps he can tell you. Sophy. A friend of Cleekim's! has he any meffage for me?-Mercy on me! Jenny, it's the Captain himself. Oh. you cunning creature! how did you venture here ? Capt. Ladies, take care, for I affure you, I'm no lesa a perfonage than Mr. Cleekim, the Conftable's Locumtenans. But apropos. Mr. Flourish is arriv'd, you muft feem willing to marry him. Sophy. What reafon can I affiga for changing my mind fo fuddenly? Nimb. What reafon can he ask? if he's very inqui fitive, tell him you're a woman; if that does not fatisfy him, he's no great Philofopher. Capt. My Love, I'll tell you our plan. I've perfuaded Cleckim, that General Dumourier is in this Country. Sophy. And what's that to the purpose ? Capt. More than you're aware of. When you and my rival are in converfation, Cleekim and I will come and feize him Sophy. Oh fie! Cleekim will never believe fuch an abfurdity. Capt. Pardon me, my Love, there are greater abfurdities believ'd every day. But when we come back, you must not seem to know me. Sophy. Oh! never fear, I'll confine my tongue here, but I'll give my eyes full liberty to look at you. Jenny. Indeed, I don't like to look at him in that drefs. I wou'd rather fee him in his Volunteer Uniforms, Dear me when I faw them in their blue coats and red necks, they employed all my thoughts by day; but when they broke in upon my fight, in their fearlet and gold, like fo many new-blown Carnations, they engroffed all my dreams by night. Sophy. Oh! no doubt, other people have had their dreams too; but, Jenny, my dear, let us entertain the Captain with the New Volunteer Song we male. Jenny. Oh fie! Coufin! you know the words are very trifling. Sophy. Oh! never mind that, the subject will excufe any deficiency in the Compofition. Jenny. Come then, you must join your bad voice with mine. Sophy Oh dear! that wou'd be too bad; but, come, begia. SONG. AIR, WITHIN A MILE OF EDINBURGH. IT was about the time when our danger appear'd, That the flowers of the land, tho' most tenderly rear'd, With hearts both ftout and bold, For their Country fought the invading Danes, For they were valiant, gallant, conq'ring, Scottifa (Volunteers It was not the love of vain fhew, or worldly gear, That the firelock appear'd with a charm, But it was to preferve what they valu'd more dear, Their King and their Country from harm. ̧ So have Heroes of old, With hearts both ftout and bold, For their freedom fought the intruding foe, B |