_Mrs M_. And I'll have you know, the women's wants shall be considered, as well as yours. I think my lord and the colonel do you too much honour in offering to represent such a set of clownish, dirty, beggarly animals--Ah! I wish we women were to choose. _May_. Ay, we should have a fine set of members then, indeed. _Mrs M_. Yes, sir, you would have none but pretty gentlemen--there should not be one man in the House of Commons without a laced coat. _Miss M_. O la! what a delicate, fine, charming sight that would be! Well, I like a laced coat; and if ever I am taken into keeping, it shall be by a man in a laced coat. _May_. What's that you say, minx? What's that you say? _Mrs M_. What's that to you, sir? _May_. Why, madam, must not I speak to my own daughter? _Mrs M_. You have the greater obligation to me, sir, if she is: I am sure, if I had thought you would have endeavoured to ruin your family, I would have seen you hanged before you should have had any by me. _May_. I ruin my family! _Mrs M_. Yes, I have been making your fortune for you with my lord; I have got a place for you, but you won't accept on't. _Miss M_. You shall accept on't. _Mrs M_. You shall vote for my lord and the colonel. _Miss M_. They are the finest men-- _Mrs M_. The prettiest men-- _Miss M_. The sweetest men-- _Mrs M_. And you shall vote for them. _May_. I won't be bribed. _Mrs M_. A place is no bribe--ask the parson of the parish if a place is a bribe. _May_. What is the place? _Mrs M_. I don't know what the place is, nor my lord does not know what it is, but it is a great swingeing place. _May_. I will have the place first. I won't take a bribe, I will have the place first; liberty and property! I'll have the place first. [_Exit_. _Mrs M_. Come, my dear, follow me; I'll see whether he shall vote according to his conscience or mine. I'll teach mankind, while policy they boast, They bear the name of power, we rule the roast. _Trap_. There ends act the second. [_Exeunt_ Mrs _and_ Miss Mayoress.] Mr Fustian, I inculcate a particular moral at the end of every act; and therefore, might have put a particular motto before every one, as the author of Caesar in Egypt has done: thus, sir, my first act sweetly sings, Bribe all; bribe all; and the second gives you to Understand that we are all under petticoat-government; and my third will--but you shall see. Enter my lord Place, colonel Promise, and several voters. My lord, you begin the third act. _Enter_ Lord PLACE, Col. PROMISE, and _several_ Voters. _Place_. Gentlemen, be assured I will take care of you all; you shall all be provided for as fast as possible; the customs and the excise afford a great number of places. 1 _Voter_. Could not your lordship provide for me at court? _Place_. Nothing easier: what sort of a place would you like?