plexing converfation fhe has with the colonel, who quits her as foon as he can with decency, in order to avoid a discovery; fhe wreaks all the violence of her spleen upon her fifter, and with the view of difcovering what connection there is between them, gives the maid orders to bring her any letters that may be directed for Mifs Richly.

This unfriendly scene is fucceeded by one of a more pathetic kind, between lady Flutter and lady Medway, who having difcovered (as before observed) at the end of act zd, her lord's defigns upon lady Flutter, and the affignation that had been made between them, tells lady Flutter of it, and laying all the ill confequences of the profecution of fuch an affair before her eyes, with the good confequences that would attend lady Flutter's following her advice in regard to her own hufband, converts her, and has the fatisfaction of feeing her converfion followed by a happy re-union betwixt her and Sir Harry.

The old formal Sir Anthony next appears upon the ftage, and having affured lord Medway, that he is now entirely quit of Mrs. Knightly, is introduced by his lordship to Mifs Medway, who manages him fo artfully, as to gain an indeterminate time for the giving her hand to him. The great fervour of Sir Anthony's love in this fcene, with his pompous phrases and circumlocutive oratory, are very diverting. Here ends the third act.

The fourth act prefents us again with lord Medway reading, who throwing the book afide in a paffion, in the course of his comments upon what he had read, acquaints us with his own unhappiness in his

domeftic concerns, and the abortive schemes he had formed for retrieving them by the marriage of his fon and daughter, to which he adds an ill run at play the night before. This grave foliloquy is interrupted by a most unfeasonable vifit from Sir Harry and lady Flutter, who, after rallying his lordship for fome time, in fuch equivocal terms as embarrass him greatly, left lady Flutter should have acquainted her hufband with his attempts upon her honour, they leave him to purfue his meditations alone, and are succeeded by young Medway.

A most pathetic dialogue now ensues between the father and fon, on the fubject of his lordship's very diftreffed circumftances, in the upfhot of which colonel Medway agrees to make a facrifice of his paffion to filial duty; and confenting to abandon Mifs Richly, prepares to addrefs Mrs. Knightly. For this purpose, lord Medway takes upon him the office of a mediator, and writing to Mrs. Knightly to acquaint her with his fon's intended vifit, while the fair widow is reading this epiftle another letter is brought in, pursuant to the orders the had given before, directed for Mifs Richly, wherein the colonel acquaints her with the cause of his being obliged to refign all hopes of her, and of paying his addreffes to her fifter. On the perufal of this billet, the latter is thrown into the moft violent agitations, and poor Clara coming in at the fame time to take her leave of her fifter, with whom, to prevent all further uneafinefs, fhe had agreed to part, Mrs. Knightly bursts in indignation from her, and Clara thinking all further ceremony needlefs, fallies forth in

order to proceed to the friend who was to receive her, but at the door is unfortunately met by the colonel.

This unexpected rencounter greatly ftaggers the pious colonel's refolutions, but the lady behaving with uncommon heroifin, and exhorting him to remember his father, the leaves him in a fituation very ill adapted to addrefs the widow. In this fituation he is found by his father, who calling in accidentally with the view of learning how matters went, difmiffes his fon for that time, and undertakes to speak himself to Mrs. Knightly.

In the

A&t. V. is introduced by another foliloquy from lord Medway, on the ill fate that hangs over all his fchemes, during which, young Medway entering in order to fulfil his promife to his father, by addreffing Mrs. Knightly, a moft unexpected discovery is made to the audience, that the widow is his lordship's own daughter, and Clara is the rightful heiress to the great fortune the enjoys. The denouement now haftens on apace. midft of the embarrassment which his lordship is thrown into by this discovery, lady Medway enters, and informs him, that Mrs. Knightly, who is below, wants to speak with him. Permiffion being obtained, Mrs. Knightly walks up, and making an offer of refigning one half of her fortune to Mifs Richly, to promote her happiness with the coJonel, and make her "amends for the distress she had occafioned her on more accounts than one," the

propofal is accepted, and young Medway and Mifs Richly are introduced to each other.

Matters being now in this happy train, lady Medway next becomes a fuppliant for her daughter to relieve her from the perfecutions of Sir Anthony Branville's addreffes, and obtain his lordship's consent to her marriage with the nephew. This being likewife agreed to, provided that fome expedient can be found out to break off honourably with Sir Anthony, the management of that affair is left to Mrs. Knightly, who, on Sir Anthony's entrance, makes fuch a proper ufe of her power over him, that Sir Anthony not only reaffumes, with all the romantickness of his character, his former bondage, but likewife confents to his nephew's marriage with Louifa, and to give him a handsome fortune into the bargain.

Sir Harry and lady Flutter next enter, and being defirous of knowing what is going forward, their curiofity hurries them into their former petulance, and they are on the point of coming again to a downright quarrel, when they are reftrained by the feasonable admonitions of lord and lady Medway, who affure them that they shall know all at a proper opportunity. In the mean time, his lordship begs all their congratulations" on a double occafion; firft, on that of being perfectly bleffed in domestic joys; and next, that of seeing him a reformed man;" with which agreeable declaration the comedy ends.

A Genea

THIS

HIS nobleman is defcended from Robert, the youngest fon of the eminent statesman William Cecil, lord Burleigh, fecretary of ftate, and afterwards lord-trea furer of England, in the reign of queen Elizabeth. His fon Robert was alfo one of the ableft ftatefinen of his time, and from his youth highly favoured by the above princefs, who, in the 38th year of her reign, made him one of her principal fecretaries of ftate; and, three years after, mafter of the court of wards, and the fame year fent him into France, to conclude a peace between the French and Spaniards. He was likewife highly favoured by king James I. and was a principal inftrument in placing that monarch peaceably on the throne. It is therefore no wonder that he repofed an entire confidence in him; and soon after his acceffion, namely on the 3d of May, in the first year of his reign, created him lord Cecil of Effingden, in the county of Rutland; and on the 20th of Auguft, 1604, vifcount Cranborn, in the county of Dorfet, being the first viscount that bore On the 4th of May, 1605, being the 3d year of James I. he was created earl of Salisbury, in the county of Wilts. In the patent, among other expreffions equally honourable, are the following, relative to his abilities: "As alfo, for his faithfulness, circumfpection, ftoutnefs, wisdom, dexterity, providence, and care, not only in the February, 17638

great and weighty affairs of council, but generally, also, in all other expeditions of the realm."

He was, from the beginning of this reign, fole fecretary of state; and on the 4th of May, in the 6th year of James I. conftituted lord, high-treasurer of England; both which great offices he enjoyed till his death. He was chancellor of the university of Cambridge, and knight of the most noble order of the garter.

When he was fecretary of state, he kept fpies in all the courts of Europe, and liberally rewarded feveral of them out of his own purse. King James, when he wrote to him, ufed the appellation of his little beagle, perhaps from the fmallness of his ftature, and the intelligence he received from him. The celebrated Thomas Sackville, earl of Dorfet, whom he fucceeded in the office of lord-high-treafurer, has given great encomiums on his eminent parts and abilities, in his last will and teftament; wherein he bequeathed him a rich chain of gold, with a George fet with rubies and diamonds: a garter of purple-velvet, with two chains of gold on each fide, a large diamond in the middle of the buckle, and feveral other jewels: and concludes his character in the following manner: "Of whofe excelling virtues, and fweet conditions, fo well known to me, in refpect of our long communication, by fo many years, is most true love and friendship to

M

gether;