en compell'd to stand confess'd.
Let not light Censure on your faults offend,
Which aims not to expose them, but amend.
Thus does our Author to your candour trust;
Conscious, the _free_ are generous, as just.

CHARACTERS

_New-York._ _Maryland._

COL. MANLY, Mr. Henry. Mr. Hallam.
DIMPLE, Mr. Hallam. Mr. Harper.
VAN ROUGH, Mr. Morris. Mr. Morris.
JESSAMY, Mr. Harper. Mr. Biddle.
JONATHAN, Mr. Wignell. Mr. Wignell.

CHARLOTTE, Mrs. Morris. Mrs. Morris.
MARIA, Mrs. Harper. Mrs. Harper.
LETITIA, Mrs. Kenna. Mrs. Williamson.
JENNY, Miss Tuke. Miss W. Tuke.

SERVANTS.

SCENE, New-York.

N.B. The lines marked with inverted commas, "thus", are omitted in the
representation.

THE CONTRAST

ACT I.

SCENE I. _An Apartment at CHARLOTTE'S._

_CHARLOTTE and LETITIA discovered._

LETITIA. And so, Charlotte, you really think the pocket-hoop unbecoming.

CHARLOTTE. No, I don't say so: It may be very becoming to saunter round
the house of a rainy day; to visit my grand-mamma, or to go to Quakers'
meeting: but to swim in a minuet, with the eyes of fifty well-dressed
beaux upon me, to trip it in the Mall, or walk on the Battery give me
the luxurious, jaunty, flowing bell-hoop. It would have delighted you to
have seen me the last evening, my charming girl! I was dangling o'er the
battery with Billy Dimple; a knot of young fellows were upon the
platform; as I passed them I faltered with one of the most bewitching
false steps you ever saw, and then recovered myself with such a pretty
confusion, flirting my hoop to discover a jet black shoe and brilliant
buckle. Gad! how my little heart thrilled to hear the confused raptures
of--"_Demme, Jack, what a delicate foot!_" "_Ha! General, what a
well-turned--_"

LETITIA. Fie! fie! Charlotte [_Stopping her mouth._]. I protest you are
quite a libertine.

CHARLOTTE. Why, my dear little prude, are we not all such libertines? Do
you think, when I sat tortured two hours under the hands of my friseur,
and an hour more at my toilet, that I had any thoughts of my aunt Susan,
or my cousin Betsey? though they are both allowed to be critical judges
of dress.

LETITIA. Why, who should we dress to please, but those who are judges of
its merits?

CHARLOTTE. Why, a crea