Tenants. Hurrah! [They thrust their sticks under his chair, lift him up, and carry him off on their shoulders.

SCENE III.-Gallery, with three doors in the Flat, and one door on the Right.

Enter LADY LEECH and MARY.

Mary. [Opening the door on the right.] This be your room, my lady.

Lady L. For to-day, child. To-morrow I shall make a circuit of the house, and choose the pleasantest. Call me in an hour.

Mary. Yes, my lady.

Lady L. Bless my heart! how very extraordinary, that the nobody of yesterday should turn out to be the owner of this estate-and what's more, the man seems struck with me! How delightful! He certainly is a superior person to the captain he has a taste, a wit, and a manor. I really don't know how to act, if he should declare himself! Well, well-I'll compose myself for half an hour, and then reflect.

Enter ASPEN.

[Exit.

Asp. I begin to fear I have been too sanguine in my ideas of the country. I don't think that all the rogues are confined to London. Can't remember I was ever more badgered about on a market day in town, than I have been during the six hours I have enjoyed retirement. Another such a six days' repose will send me to sleep for ever! I'll be bound I shall not complain next week. What shall I do-go back to town, or cleanse this Augean stable? Can't with my own hand! my brain whirls! I must go to bed-an hour's rest may give me energy! [Tries the first door. Servant opens it.

Serv. Master's not here!

Asp. Ha, ha! my good friend, I want his room, not his

company.

Serv. Beg pardon, sir-but this room is Lord Lounge'sa pertickler friend of the new gentleman. [Shuts the door. Asp. Well I suppose I mustn't offend my friends till I have the pleasure of kicking them out!

[Tries the middle door.

Enter another SERVANT, with a trunk.

Serv. Hollo, sir! what are you doing at that door?

Asp. I-I only meant-Good sir, is this engaged too? Serv. Don't you see it is? [Opening it with a key.] You look like a gentleman, but you don't hact as sich.

[Goes in. Asp. Now, I dare say he imagines I wanted to pick the lock and rob my own room! I've no great choice.

[Tries the last door-Servant puts his head out of

middle one.

Serv. Hollo! what are you at now? That's the captain's

room.

Asp. Are they all engaged?

Serv. All in this gallery. There's a closet yonder, with a turn-up in it. I advise you to take that, for there's a dozen ladies down stairs to be provided for. Asp. Well?

Serv. And they talk of sleeping three in a bed!

[Shuts the door. Asp. Three in a bed, on the twenty-first of June! I have paid one hundred thousand pounds for this estate, and I can't get a room to myself! This is quiet and seclusion! [Opens the door on the right.] Empty, I declare! This shall be my asylum-my sanctuary. No key! Never mind-let me get in, and I'll take care neither man nor woman shall invade my territory. [Goes in-Servants open the doors.

1st Serv. Tom!

2d Serv. Well

1st Serv. Is that old buffer gone!

2d Serv. Why?

1st Serv. Because if he had come here again-blow me, but I'd have shown him master's fowling-piece!

[They shut their doors-Lady Leech screams within hers. Lady L. Yah! Help-help!

Asp. [Coming out.] But, ma'am-ma'am !

Lady L. [Following.] How dare you, sir, enter here in that way?

Asp. But will you hear me, madam ?

Lady L. No, sir, I will not hear you.-Help

Asp. You will alarm the house.

Lady L. I mean to do it, sir.-Help!

Enter BURNISH.

Bur. Dear Lady L.-what has happened?

Lady L. A chair !—a chair!

[Servant brings one.

Bur. Will you explain?

Lady L. Salts !-salts!

Enter McSHANE and MERTON.

McS. Ladies and gentlemen, what the divil is the matter ?

Asp. An unfortunate mistake-which this lady's fears have magnified.

Lady L. Oh! my gracious!

McS. Madam, as you seem to have all the secret to yourself, perhaps you would not object to let us into it?

Lady L. As quickly as I can, sir; but really the shock has deprived me of my utterance! Briefly, then: oppressed by a headache, I retired to that room to lie down-I didn't take the precaution of turning the key, being in full confidence of no intrusion; when suddenly I heard the door open—and in walks this person-this friend of yours―

McS. [To Aspen.] 'Pon my soul, you're at your old tricks.

sion;

Asp. [in a rage.] You are mad!-you are all mad! and want to make me so. I bought this house for quiet and secluand since I have been here, bless me if you haven't all been killing me by inches! [Runs off. Lady L. Bought this house, captain! My lord, it would be very awkward, if we have made a mistake here.

Lounge. Va-ary.

Lady L. Ah! I see how it is-these Citizens are always trying to get into our society; and then are never tired till they have thoroughly disgusted us! Come, my lord, let us leave them to the wretched obscurity for which they are only intended-and yet, captain, this is a horrid bore!

Bur. Decidedly

Lady L. My lord

Loun. Vaary! [Exit Lady L., Burnish, and Lord L. McS. There, they are all gone again, and unless something turns up I feel mighty sure I will have soon to follow.Would it not be a pity though; it is such a nice place here, and I began to feel quite at home.-Now, then, if I could hit upon some mode of..... Eh? murder-the bailiffs! Keep off! Whose suit is it?

Enter MCNAB, and a follower.

McN. I beg pardon, sir-but I am the superintendent of an asylum for gentlemen who are disordered in their intellects.

McS. Does he mane me?

McN. I was conveying a patient home, when he contrived to make his escape from the carriage—and, I think, has taken refuge in this house.

McS. Phew!-I have it-you have him! We're all right at last. Run down those stairs ready to break your neck! the madman, you spake of, is laving the house-seize him by the skirts, and hold him till I tell you to be quiet! [They run after Aspen.] Pilliloo! there's a chase-now, they're up to him-now, they're down upon him; there goes the bannister!-down they go.-But look at that fellowfights like a tiger.-By the powers! licks them both.-Halloa! there is the other-Eh! murder, they come

Enter ASPEN, followed by VIVIAN, his coat and neckcloth torn, grasping a fragment of a bannister-he paces the room furiously.

Asp. London!-talk of the plagues of London-why, London is a grove—a solitude-a paradise to such a Tartarus place as this!

Viv. Aspen!

Asp. Bob-do you know me ?-don't you perceive a change in my appearance ?-a flushing of the cheeks?-a stif fening of the joints ?-nerves becoming wires ?-bones, bolts ? -blood boiling up to ninety? Nervous-poh! I'd runjump-box-drive-pitch, or carry, with any man in England; and take pleasure in the sport.

Viv. A revolution!

Asp. And a reformation, sir! Talk of the plagues of London-will any one dare to tell me there are such harpies as these in London, or more than one outrageous impostor like my best friend here! [Pointing to McShane.

McS. Come, come, come, Mr. Aspen-don't call names. I don't pretend to defend what I've done-but, I mean to say, that if my deeds had been twice as ill looking, my aim would make them beautiful!

Asp. Mr. McShane, I have one proposition to make to I'll purchase you a commission in India, if you will promise to set sail the day you return to London.

you.

McS. It's a bargain! I've long wanted to go abroad. [Aside.] I dare say, there are nervous men in India!

Viv. But, Aspen-these resolutions are too precipitate; a few weeks' residence among us will compose you, and—

Asp. My dear Bob-if I sleep here to night, 'tis the limit of my acquaintance with the country at present: if I would recover the composure of my nerves, I must return to London. London, dear calumniated London-hereafter I'm a reasonable, contented being. I have to-day been taught a useful lesson-that, as the evils of life are only discovered by comparison, it is necessary we should now and then change our residence, in order to amend our opinions!

[The curtain falls.

XCV.-SCENE FROM THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

SHAKESPEARE.

CHARACTER S.

SHYLOCK, a Jew.

ANTONIO, Merchant of Venice.

BASSANIO, his friend.

Shy. Three thousand ducats,-well.

Bass. Ay, sir, for three months.

Shy. For three months,-well.

Bass. For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.

Shy. Antonio shall become bound,-well.

Bass. May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer?

Shy. Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Antonio bound.

Bass. Your answer to that.

Shy. Antonio is a good man.

Bass. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no;-my meaning, in saying he is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he is sufficient: yet his means are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies: I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, -and other ventures he hath, squandered abroad: but ships are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats, and water-rats, water-thieves, and land-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then, there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks: the man is notwithstanding, sufficient;-three thousand ducats; I think, I may take his bond.

Bass. Be assured you may.

Shy. I will be assured I may: and, that I may be assured, I will bethink me: may I speak with Antonio?