St. Patrick's Day; Or, The Scheming Lieutenant: A Farce in One ActSheridan, Richard Brinsley
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St. Patrick's Day; Or, The Scheming Lieutenant: A Farce in One Act
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley
Comedy plays; English drama -- 18th century
JUSTICE CREDULOUS.
Honest Humphrey, be advised. Ay, miss, this way, if you please.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Nay, sir, but hear me——
JUSTICE CREDULOUS.
I’ll shoot.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
And you’ll be convinced——
JUSTICE CREDULOUS.
I’ll shoot.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
How injurious——
JUSTICE CREDULOUS.
I’ll shoot—and so your very humble servant, honest Humphrey Hum.
[_Exeunt separately_.]
SCENE III.—_A Walk_.
_Enter_ DOCTOR ROSY.
DR. ROSY.
Well, I think my friend is now in a fair way of succeeding. Ah! I
warrant he is full of hope and fear, doubt and anxiety; truly he has
the fever of love strong upon him: faint, peevish, languishing all day,
with burning, restless nights. Ah! just my case when I pined for my
poor dear Dolly! when she used to have her daily colics, and her little
doctor be sent for. Then would I interpret the language of her
pulse—declare my own sufferings in my receipt for her—send her a pearl
necklace in a pill-box, or a cordial draught with an acrostic on the
label. Well, those days are over: no happiness lasting: all is
vanity—now sunshine, now cloudy—we are, as it were, king and
beggar—then what avails——
_Enter_ LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
O doctor! ruined and undone.
DR. ROSY.
The pride of beauty——
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
I am discovered, and——
DR. ROSY.
The gaudy palace——
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
The justice is——
DR. ROSY.
The pompous wig——
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Is more enraged than ever.
DR. ROSY.
The gilded cane——
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Why, doctor! [_Slapping him on the shoulder_.]
DR. ROSY.
Hey!
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Confound your morals! I tell you I am discovered, discomfited,
disappointed.
DR. ROSY.
Indeed! Good lack, good lack, to think of the instability of human
affairs! Nothing certain in this world—most deceived when most
confident—fools of fortune all.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
My dear doctor, I want at present a little practical wisdom. I am
resolved this instant to try the scheme we were going to put into
execution last week. I have the letter ready, and only want your
assistance to recover my ground.
DR. ROSY.
With all my heart—I’ll warrant you I’ll bear a part in it: but how the
deuce were you discovered?
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
I’ll tell you as we go; there’s not a moment to be lost.
DR. ROSY.
Heaven send we succeed better!—but there’s no knowing.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Very true.
DR. ROSY.
We may and we may not.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Right.
DR. ROSY.
Time must show.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Certainly.
DR. ROSY.
We are but blind guessers.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Nothing more.
DR. ROSY.
Thick-sighted mortals.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Remarkably.
DR. ROSY.
Wandering in error.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
Even so.
DR. ROSY.
Futurity is dark.
LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR.
As a cellar.
DR. ROSY.
Men are moles.
[_Exeunt_ LIEUTENANT O’CONNOR _forcing out_ ROSY.]
SCENE IV.—_A Room in_ JUSTICE CREDULOUS’ _House_.
_Enter_ JUSTICE CREDULOUS _and_ MRS. BRIDGET CREDULOUS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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