Have you not 4007. a year of your own, and do you not receive 2001. a year from them, as a consideration for the stock you have given over to them.

Husb. That is all nothing,-1 will have no sons be masters of my business, while I sit still, and am looked upon as one incapable,-I will reduce them to their first beginning.

Wife. My dear, do nothing unadvised; do not ruin your children without cause; have they offended you? Husb. Is it not an offence to see myself set aside, and my sons made the heads of my business?

1

Wife. My dear, consider your sons are men grown, and past being treated as children.

Husb. They are not past being taught to know themselves, they want to be instructed that way; I will make you all know yourselves before I have done.

[He goes out of the room in a great rage.]

Now it is to be observed here, that the wife had acted with such prudence, in the transferring the trade and stock to her sons, as above, that she had reserved the whole stock with all the improvements to be their father's, and to be given up to him whenever he demanded it; and though all went in their names, yet they were obliged by writing to surrender it all into their father's hand and only to be allowed such expences, and charges, and allowances, as had been settled between them, not letting the father know one word of it but he having conveyed and made over every thing to them, she, without telling him of it, took a declaration of trust back again from her sons, expressing the reasons of the trust also. And as she had done this, be cause she knew his changeable disposition and fiery temper so she was not so much concerned at the consequence of his present passion, because she knew her sons would behave as became them, when their father came to them, whatever want of temper he might shew to them,-however, she immediately sent them word of what had

passed, and what they were to expect, that they might not be surprised.

It was but a few minutes afterwards, but he came himself, and entering the warehouse, he found his sons both there, but very busy with customers, so he went into the compting-house, and sat still awhile; but his passion was too hot to be kept within bounds, and his eldest son, who saw by his countenance that his father was very much disturbed, made all the dispatch possible to get clear of the people he was engaged with, lest his father should call, and should break out into a passion that might expose him.

It was not long before his father, who could hold no longer, calls him, and he comes immediately. The dialogue was very short, but very warm on one side,—and had not all possible occasion been taken away by the conduct of both his sons, the temper he was in at that time would have made an uproar even in the street. He began with the eldest son as soon as he came to the compting-house, thus

Fath. Call your brother, I must speak with you both. Eld. Son. Sir, he is busy with a customer, but he will have done presently.

Fath. I must speak with him, let him be busy with whom he will.

Eld. Son. Then I will call him, sir.

[He calls him, and sends a servant to tend the customer, upon which the youngest son comes also, and their father begins with them both thus, speaking in an angry tone, and a great deal of apparent passion in his looks.

Fath. You go on here (sons) very boldly, and push the trade forward with a great deal of authority; pray what is it you intend to do with me?

Eld. Son. Sir, we go on by no authority but yours, we hope you are not displeased that we follow the business with as much diligence as we can.

Fath. That is no answer to my question.

Eld. Son. It is very difficult, sir, to answer that question, but by asking another, sir; that is, what you would please to have us do ?

Fath. My question is plain,-you have put a juggle here upon your father (you and your mother in confederacy) and set yourselves at the head of my business, I would be glad to know how long you think I must bear it?

Eld. Son. Not a moment, sir, longer than you please,— your resigning the business to us, and putting us into it, was your own proposal to us; it was your gift to us, and we were put in by yourself; my mother had no hand in it that we know of, but what you gave her power to have.

Fath. Well, well, if my authority put you in, by the same authority I shall put you out; every power that can give life can take it away, my right to the last is derived from my right to the first.

Eld. Son. Whatever right we may have by your gift, we will make no use of it without your good will, and therefore, sir, if it be your pleasure to suppose you have set us: up too soon, we will return all back into your hands whenever you demand it.

Fath. Then I demand it just now.

Eld. Son. If my brother is of my mind, you shall be obeyed this minute, sir.

Y. Son. With all my heart, for I will be nothing but what my father desires me to be,-we had all by your gift, sir, and if you think it too soon, I am very willing to wait till you think it more seasonable; I hope my father will let us be his servants as we were before.

Fath. I shall consider of that.

Neigh. Well, what think you now? Have I given you the picture of a passionate father to your purpose,

or no?

Fath. Yes; but you bave blest him with better children than ever mine would be.

Neigh. You do not know what yours might have been,

if they had had such a mother to have managed them in their infancy.

Fath. Well but pray go on with the story; what could he say to his sons, who answered him, as I suppose, so contrary to his expectations?

Neigh. He was not touched with it at all at first,-but taking his sons, as it were, at their words, he immediately took possession of the books and cash, and the sons, with the greatest calmness and apparent satisfaction, threw off their hats, and put themselves into the posture of servants : his greatest dissatisfaction was, that he could not have the Jeast occasion to be angry.

After be had chaft his mind as much, and indeed more than the case would bear, and had thus embarrassed himself into the hurry of the world again, so that he saw himself, in a few moments, a man removed from a pleasant agreeable retreat, engaged again in a vast crowd of incumbrances; the prospect began to appear less agreeable to him than he thought it before and full of discontent he comes away, having been perfectly disappointed of the quarrel which he expected to have with his two sons.

Being come home, he thinks to gratify the fury of his temper upon his wife, his spirits were in agitation, and nature required to give them a vent somewhere; the submissive respectful conduct of his sons had effectually disappointed him, and even for want of an object, he resolves to fall upon his wife, so he begins with her, very hot and angy, thus:

Husb. Well, I have blown you all up, I have broke all your measures.

Wife. My dear, it is unkind to speak of measures of mine,-if you have done no injury to youself you can have done none to me,-I have no interest but yours, nor any measures but what you have been all along acquainted with, unless it has been to prevent your hurting yourself.

Husb. Have you not had private projects to erect your sons on the ruin of their father?

Wife. No indeed, my dear, nor can I be capable of such a thing: can a husband be ruined without his wife?

Husb. Whatever you have been capable of, thank God, I am capable of disappointing you.

Wife. You will speak kindlier when your passion is over: your charge is very heavy, and it is a sad case, where the judge has not temper to hear the prisoner.

Husb. I your judge! I am none of your judge; there is One above will judge you all.

Wife. If you condemn me, you make yourself my judge, and I ought to be calmly heard.

Husb. Well, what have you to say, if I should hear you calmly?"

Wife. I desire you would take time till to-morrow morning; you are too warm for it to day.

Husb. O, oh! you want to talk with your counsellors, I have dispossessed them of their authority, and I will take care to keep them from caballing with you.

Wife. If we had caballed against you, as we did for you, you could not have dispossessed them,-you treat me your enemy, my dear, but you will find I have been your friend, and a faithful friend too, even in this very thing.

Husb. I value neither your friendship or your enmity ; I am master of my business again once more, and I will be so as long as I live.

Wife. I wish my dear, you were master of yourself, as much as we all desire you should be master of every thing in your family.

Husb. That is to myself, and the hurt is my own.

Wife. My dear, you can do nothing to hurt yourself, but we are all hurt by it too,-we have but one bottom,we cannot swim if you sink.