Hypocrite. than cutting off Charlotte, by a deed of settlement, with a fhilling, unless fhe marries him. It appears, that Seyward is fhocked at this knavery, and stimulated by a paffion he has conceived for the young lady, determines upon ufing his power to prevent the pernicious fettlement from being perfected. Sir John enters, and fends Seyward off to transcribe hymns for his fuppofed uncle, the pious Doctor. Upon Charlotte's speaking in favourable terms of Seyward's good breeding and neatness,her father upbraids her with not confidering a man's real merit ; from whence, after fome grave, preparatory speeches, he explains his intention, and proposes the Doctor, not by name, but defcriptively; the young lady rallies, her father's notions of life and matrimony in a fenfible and agreeable manner. At length, when he orders her to think no more of Darnley, and plumply names Cantwell, fhe bursts into a horse-laugh; then growing serious, suggests an objection which, as fhe rightly obferves, is with fathers in general a weighty one, the Doctor's want of fortune; however, Sir John intimates a defign of giving him one. The baronet being called by a mesfage from his fpiritual guide, Charlotte confeffes to her step-mother, young Lady Lambert, painful apprehenfion of her father's doing any thing that may impair the fortune of her brother, the Colonel, who, upon being informed that his fifter is deftined fo: Cantwell, is fo enraged, that he hints to Lady Lambert the Doctor's paffion for her, which, upon being preffed, fhe acknowledges to have perceived. What Colonel Lambert fays about the Turkey-cocks, might as well have been omitted; the characters VOL. II. A a are Hypocrite. are too ferious for joking here; befides, the idea conveyed is not very fuitable to modeft ladies. When the Colonel hears of his father's intention of fettling a fortune on his chaplain, he thinks it time to lay fome plan for the Hypocrite's deftruction, and this he throws upon Lady Lambert, requefting her to encourage the Doctor's addreffes, from which he will devise the means of overturning all his schemes and influence; this fhe promises to confider of. The Colonel then goes off upon an appointment to meet Darnley. Old Lady Lambert enters, and complains of Charlotte's wearing thin lace over her breaft, as Dr. Cantwell deems it indecent; Charlotte gives her opinion of the supposed faint in pretty tart terms, yet the old lady perseveres, and makes the following truly characteristical remark: "How has he weaned me from temporal connections; my heart is now fet upon nothing fublunary, and I thank heaven, I am now fo infenfible to every thing in this limbo of vanity, that I could fee you, my fon, my daughters, my brothers, my grand children, all expire before me, and mind it no more than the going out of fo many fnuffs of candle." There never was a better picture of methodistical philosophy, which annihilates every trace of focial feelings to a mistaken, ridiculous fpirituality. Sir John and Cantwell join the old lady, when the baronet, with much feeming anxiety of mind, begs of his mother to join in foliciting the Doctor to stay in his family, from whence the dear creature pretends to go, as thinking himself obnoxious to Sir John's children, confequently the cause of animofities and disturbances amongst the family this plaufible Hypocrite. upon, plaufible humiliation of mind, plays a deep game of policy, especially where he proposes to return Sir John his deed of fettlement, and feems to lament the Colonel's perilous, reprobate fituation. Charlotte being mentioned, Cantwell imputes her refufal to female modefty, and thinks she may be wrought but advises that the matter may reft awhile. Maw-worm, a new character, and one of the felect, is introduced; as laughable and well-drawn a perfonage as we know. This ignorant, melancholly fprig of enthufiafm, is moft exquifitely delineated, and calls powerfully on the rifible faculties; if it was not too great an infringement upon our due bounds, we would transcribe the whole of this excellent fcene; to give only a part would be injurious, for there is an admirable connection of pleafantries, the jokes and blunders happily arifing out of each other. It is much to be lamented that there are fo many Maw-worms in real life. After old Lady Lambert departs, Cantwell gives Seyward fome papers, with an obfervation to lay them where they may be foon found, as he fhall have occafion for them in the afternoon. This furnishes Seyward with an idea that matters are ripening faft, fo he determines to acquaint Charlotte; The appears, reading Pope's Homer, and afks fome queftions concerning the original, of which the knows two words. Upon repeating them, and defiring an explanation, Seyward applies them to his own purpose, speaking both the original and tranflation with fuch a glow of amorous emphafis, that Charlotte takes notice of it. In what follows, he difcovers to her, that Cantwell, though fuppofed his uncle, is not really fo; then pathetically tells his fituation, A a 2 Hypocrites fituation, lamenting that he has joined in any of the Doctor's vile schemes, even by connivance. Charlotte perceives in the progrefs of their interview, that Seyward loves her: when he has acquainted her with the deed of fettlement, containing a provifo of four thousand pounds for her in cafe fhe marries the Doctor, and a total difinheritance of her brother, her volatility vanishes; she feels seriously, and requesting the deed from Seyward, the concludes the act, with defiring him to meet her at a lawyer's in the Temple. At the beginning of the third act we are introduced into Charlotte's dreffing-room, where she is acquainted by Betty, her maid, that Mr. Darnley had been to enquire for her, and feemed uneafy at her not being at home, which fhe interprets into jealoufy, and refolves to teize him. At this unlucky moment he comes, and meets with fo whimsical a reception, that he remarks upon it; the collifion of converfation of two lovers is described here with spirit, a good deal of acid, as Lady Townly calls it, is mingled, and Charlotte very juftly mortifies the impatience of her gallant. At length the fubject is waved, and Darnley informs his mistress that he has heard from Colonel Lambert, Sir John's defign of espousing her to the Doctor; here the amantium iræ breaks out again, and poor Darnley is wound up to a pitiable pitch of uneafinefs; he makes an effort to shake off her power, but she plays him so very judiciously, that he turns soft, and almost melts her. When brought to a very critical point of feeling, Seyward's entrance gives Charlotte a very seasonable pause what fhe fays to that young man again alarms Darnley's jealousy, who questions him what bufinefs he has with the lady. Colonel Lambert enters, Hypocrite. enters, and finding his friend ftrongly agitated, kindly endeavours to talk him into a calm, promises his affistance, and appoints a meeting in the Park: Charlotte re-enters, and the Colonel affumes his friend's business directly, but cannot bring his fifter to any fatisfactory explanation. Young Lady Lambert appears, fays fhe has defired a conference with Cantwell, and mentions her determination to give a good account of him. At fight of the Doctor, Charlotte and her brother retire: after a well conducted tete-a-tete with the lady, wherein the lamblike wolf plainly fhews his iniquitous defign upon his patron's wife, the Colonel rufhes precipitately in, and menaces discovery to his father; Cantwell, with quick policy, turns his meaning to the love he has for Charlotte. During this confusion Sir John enters, and is told by his fon of the Doctor's paying addreffes to Lady Lam-, bert; this gives the factified knave an opportunity of working upon the baronet's credulity, with all the plausible addrefs of hypocrify, and so far triumphs, that Sir John in rage forbids the Colonel his houfe. Here Cantwell's Christian charity artfully interpofes in favour of his enemy, and he poses a reconciliation, which the Colonel very properly declines; this confirms Sir John in respect of the settlement, and gives the Doctor a plea for accepting it, which he declares is only as a trustee. pro Seyward and Charlotte begin the fourth act; by their converfation we are informed that a deed has been figned in prefence of the former, who, for his friendly interpofition, is promised favour with regard to his own circumstances; however, he hints that intereft was not his motive fo much as love: the |