A Will and No Will; or, A Bone for the Lawyers. (1746) The New Play Criticiz'd, or the Plague of Envy. (1747)Macklin, Charles
General
A Will and No Will; or, A Bone for the Lawyers. (1746) The New Play Criticiz'd, or the Plague of Envy. (1747)
Macklin, Charles
English drama -- 18th century
_Shar._ Then draw it up, and now Gentlemen, as to my Will--Inprimis,
let all my Debts be discharged.
_Doct._ That I believe, Sir Isaac, will be soon done; for I don't
suppose you owe any.
_Shar._ Yes I owe for the nursing of a Bastard Child at Wandsor.
_Doct._ Is it possible you ever had a Bastard?
_Shar._ Several, Doctor, but they were all dropt upon different
Parishes, except that One. Then there are some few dribbling Debts at
Alehouses and Taverns where I used to meet my Wenches--in all about
twenty Pounds.
_Doct._ I find, Mr. Littlewit, the old Gentleman has been a Cock of
the Game in his time, Good Blood.
_Little._ Really, Doctor Leatherhead, I think so.
_Shar._ Item, I do constitute my Nephew Bellair whole and sole
Executor of this my last Will and Testament.
_Bell._ O my dear Uncle, shall I lose you. (_Cries_)
_Shar._ Good natured Boy, how he weeps, disinheriting and cutting off
all other Persons whatsoever--saving those hereafter mentioned.
_Lucy._ O my dear generous Master. (_Cries_)
_Shar._ Poor Girl, she weeps too; I suppose for the same Reason, to
put me in Mind of her; never fear, Lucy. I'll not forget you; you have
been a good Girl and managed my Concerns with great Skill and Decency.
_Doct._ Proceed, Sir.
_Shar._ Unto Harriet Lovewealth my Niece that shall be, I do
give--(_Lucy, you know where they are_) a set of Diamond Bracelets
which were mortgaged to me and forfeited by the Welch Lady that used
to game so much.
_Lucy._ I have them in this Casket, Sir.
_Shar._ Give them to me--there--I give them Harriet, but first kiss
me, Hussy--I will have a Kiss for them. (_Kisses her and gives her the
bracelets_)
_Bell._ Impudent Rascal!
_Shar._ Item, to Lucy who for many years has served me faithfully--and
who used to flatter me in all my little Foibles.
_Lucy._ Sure never was so generous and grateful a Master. (_Cries_)
_Shar._ To her I bequeath, when she marries, one thousand pounds,
provided it be with that honest Lad Shark, not a Farthing else.
_Bell._ How Sir, a thousand Pounds; it is too much.
_Shar._ Not at all, Nephew.
_Bell._ Here's a Dog. (_Aside_) Consider, Sir, she's a low bred poor
Person.
_Shar._ Poor is she? Why then, Mr. Littlewit, if the Girl is poor, put
her down another Hundred, but with a Proviso still that she marries
Shark.
_Bell._ I presume, Sir, you have done now.
_Shar._ Done! The Gods of Gratitude and Generosity forbid; no I must
remember poor Shark. I must not forget him--Item, to that honest
Fellow Shark, auh, auh!
_Bell._ O the Rascal; he'll give half the Estate to himself and Lucy.
_Shar._ To Shark, I say, for his faithful Services.
_Bell._ Why, Sir, he's the most idle, drunken----
_Shar._ Hold your Tongue, Nephew, you are deceived in the young
Man--you don't know him so well as I. I have known him many Years; he
is a sober honest Fellow, and has a great Regard for you, and for that
Reason, I leave him two hundred pounds per Annum.
_Bell._ Two hundred pounds, Sir----
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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