ur wives and daughters;
but not for us. Why now, here I stand that know nothing of
books. I say, madam, I know nothing of books; and yet, I
believe, upon a land-carriage fishery, a stamp act, or a
jag-hire, I can talk my two hours without feeling the want
of them.

_Mrs. Cro._ The world is no stranger to Mr. Lofty's eminence
in every capacity.

_Lof._ I vow to gad, madam, you make me blush. I'm nothing,
nothing, nothing in the world; a mere obscure gentleman. To
be sure, indeed, one or two of the present ministers are
pleased to represent me as a formidable man. I know they are
pleased to bespatter me at all their little dirty levees.
Yet, upon my soul, I wonder what they see in me to treat me
so! Measures, not men, have always been my mark; and I vow,
by all that's honourable, my resentment has never done the
men, as mere men, any manner of harm--that is, as mere men.

_Mrs. Cro._ What importance, and yet what modesty!

_Lof._ Oh, if you talk of modesty, madam, there, I own, I'm
accessible to praise: modesty is my foible: it was so the
Duke of Brentford used to say of me. 'I love Jack Lofty,' he
used to say: 'no man has a finer knowledge of things; quite
a man of information; and when he speaks upon his legs, by
the Lord he's prodigious, he scouts them; and yet all men
have their faults; too much modesty is his,' says his grace.

_Mrs. Cro._ And yet, I dare say, you don't want assurance
when you come to solicit for your friends.

_Lof._ Oh, there indeed I'm in bronze. Apropos! I have just
been mentioning Miss Richland's case to a certain personage;
we must name no names. When I ask, I am not to be put off,
madam. No, no, I take my friend by the button. A fine girl,
sir; great justice in her case. A friend of mine--borough
interest--business must be done, Mr. Secretary.--I say, Mr.
Secretary, her business must be done, sir. That's my way,
madam.

_Mrs. Cro._ Bless me! you said all this to the Secretary of
State, did you?

_Lof._ I did not say the Secretary, did I? Well, curse it,
since you have found me out, I will not deny it. It was to
the Secretary."

Strangely enough, what may now seem to some of us the very best scene
in the _Good-natured Man_--the scene, that is, in which young
Honeywood, suddenly finding Mis