that all come crying into the World when the whole World of Pleasures is before us The World it self had ne'r been glorious had it not first been a confused Chaos Vin. Well never did Knight Errants in all Adventures merit more of their Ladies then we Beggar-errants or errant Beggars do in ours Spr. The greater will be your Reward Think upon that And shew no manner of distaste to turn their hearts from you Y' are undone then Hill Are they ready to appear out of their privy Lodgings in the Pigs Palace of pleasure Are they coming forth Spr. I left 'em almost ready sitting on their Pads of straw helping to dress each others heads The ones eye is the tothers Looking-glass with the prettiest coyle they keep to fit their fancies in the most graceful way of wearing their new Dressings that you would admire Vin. I hope we are as gracefully set out Are we not Spr. Indifferent well But will you fall to practise Let me hear how you can Maund when you meet with Passengers Hill We do not look like men I hope too good to learn Spr. Suppose some Persons of Worth or Wealth passing by now Note me Good your good Worship your Charity to the Poor that will duly and truly pray for you day and night Vin. Away you idle Rogue you would be set to work and whipt Vin. That is lame and sick hungry and comfortless Vin. If you were well serv'd Spr. And even to bless you and reward you for it Hill Prethee hold thy peace here be doleful Notes indeed and leave us to our own Genius If we must beg let 's let it go as it comes by Inspiration I love not your set form of Begging Spr. Let me instruct ye tho' Enter Rachel and Meriel in Rags Ra. Have a care good Meriel what hearts or limbs soever we have and tho' never so feeble let us set our best faces on 't and laugh our last gasp out before we discover any dislike or weariness to them Let us bear it out till they complain first and beg to carry us home a pick pack Mer. I am sorely surbated with hoofing already tho' and so crupper-crampt with our hard lodging and so bumfidled with the straw that Ra. Think not on 't I am numm'd i' the bum and shoulders too a little And have found the difference between a hard floor with a little straw and a down Bed with a Quilt upon 't But no words nor a sowre look I prethee Hill O here they come now Madam Fewcloaths and my Lady Bonnyrag Vin. Peace they see us Ra. Mer. Ha ha ha Vin. We are glad the Object pleases ye Ra. So do's the Subject Now you appear the glories of the Spring Darlings of Phoebus and the Somers heirs Hill How fairer then faire Floras self appear To deck the Spring Diana's Darlings dear O let us not Acteon-like be strook With greedy eyes while we presume to look On your half nakedness since courteous rags Cover the rest into the shape of Stags Ra. Mer. Ha ha ha Wee are glad you are so merry Vin. Merry and lusty too This night will we lye togither as well as the proudest Couple in the Barn Hill And so will we I can hold out no longer Ra. Do's the straw stir up your flesh to 't Gentlemen Mer. Or do's your Provender prick you Spr. What! do we come for this laugh and lye down When your bellies are full Remember Ladies You have not beg'd yet to quit your Destiny But have liv'd hitherto on my endeavours Who got your suppers pray last night but I Of dainty Trencher-Fees from a Gentlemans house Such as the Serving-men themselves sometimes Would have been glad of And this morning now What comfortable Chippings and sweet Buttermilk Had you to Breakfast Ra. O 't was excellent I feel it good still here Mer. There was a brown Crust amongst it that has made my neck so white me thinks Is it not Rachel Ra. Yes You ga' me none on 't You ever covet to have all the Beauty 'T is the ambition of all younger Sisters Vin. They are pleas'd and never like to be weary Hill No more must we if wee 'l be theirs Spr. Peace Here come Passengers Forget not your Rules and quickly disperse your selves and fall to your Calling Enter two Gentlemen 1. Lead the Horses down the Hill The heat of our speed is over for we have lost our Journey 2. Had they taken this way we had overtaken 'em or heard of 'em at least 1. But some of our Scouts will light on 'em the whole Countrey being overspread with 'em 2. There was never such an escape else Vin. A search for us perhaps Yet I know not them nor they me I am sure I might the better beg of 'em But how to begin or set the worst leg forwards would I were whipt if I know now 1. That a young Gentlewoman of her breeding and Heire to such an Estate should flie from so great a Match and run away with her Uncles Cleark 2. The old Justice will run mad upon 't I fear Vin. If I were to be hang'd now I could not beg for my life Spr. Step forwards and beg handsomly I 'll set my Goad i' your breech else Vin. What shall I say Spr. Have I not told you now begin Vin. After you good Springlove Spr. Good your good Worships 1. Away you idle Vagabond Spr. Your Worships Charity to a poore Crytur welly starv'd Vin. That will duly and truly prea for yee 2. You counterfet Villains hence Spr. Good Masters sweet Worship for the tender mercy of Vin. Duly and truly prea for you 1. You would be well whipt and set to work if you were duly and truly serv'd Vin. Did not I say so before Spr. Good Worshipful Masters Worship to bestow your Charity and to maintaine your health and Limbs Vin. Duly and truly pray for you 2. Be gone I say you impudent lusty young Rascals 1. I 'll set you going else Switch 'em Spr. Ah the goodness of compassion to soften your hearts to the poor Vin. Oh the Devil must not we beat 'em now steth Spr. Nor shew an angry look for all the skin of our backs Ah the sweetness of that mercy that gives to all to move your compassion to the hungry when it shall seem good unto you and night and day to bless all that you have Ah ah 2. Come back sirrah His Patience and Humility has wrought upon me Vin. Duly and 2. Not you sirrah The t'other You look like a sturdy Rogue Spr. Lord bless you Masters Worship 2. There 's a half-penny for you Let him have no share with you Vin. I shall never thrive o' this Trade 1. They are of a Fraternity and will share I warrant you Spr. Never in our lives trooly He never begg'd with me before 1. But if Hedges or Hen-roosts could speak you might be found sharers in Pillage I believe Spr. Never saw him before bless you good Master in
shall be taken then I fear I 'll rather pine to death Mar. Be not so fearfull Who can know us in these Clownish Habits Am. Our Cloaths indeed are poor enough to beg with Would I could beg so it were of Strangers that could not know me rather then buy of those that would betray us Mar. And yonder be some that can teach us Spr. These are the young couple of Run-away Lovers disguiz'd that the Country is so laid for Observe and follow now Now the Lord to come with ye good loving Master and Maystresse your blessed Charity to the poor lame and sick weak and comfortlesse that will night and day All Duly and truly pray for you Duly and truly pray for you Spr. Pray hold your peace and let me alone Good young Master and Mistris a little Comfort amongst us all and to blesse you where e're you go and All Duly and truly pray for you Duly and truly Spr. Pray do not use me thus Now sweet young Master and Mistris to look upon your Poor that have no relief or succour no bread to put in our heads Vin. Wouldst thou put Bread in thy Braines All together No Lands or Livings Spr. No House nor home nor covering from the cold no health no help but your sweet Charity Mer. No Bands or Shirts but lowsie on our backs Hil. No smocks or Petticoats to hide our Scratches Ra. No Shooes to our Legs or Hose to our Feet Vin. No Skin to our Flesh nor Flesh to our Bones shortly Hill If we follow the Devil that taught us to beg All Duly and truly pray for you Spr. I 'll run away from you if you beg a stroak more Good worshipfull Master and Misteres Mar. Good Friend forbear Here is no Master or Mistris We are poor Folks Thou seest no Worship upon our backs I am sure And for within we want as much as you and would as willingly beg if we knew how as well Spr. Alack for pitty You may have enough And what I have is yours if you 'll accept it 'T is wholsome Food from a good Gentlemans Gate Alas good Mistris Much good do your heart How savourly she feeds Mar. What do you mean to poyson your self Am. Do you shew Love in grudging me Mar. Nay if you think it hurts you not fall too I 'll not beguile you And here mine Host something towards your Reckoning Am. This Beggar is an Angell sure Spr. Nothing by way of bargain gentle Master 'T is against Order and will never thrive But pray Sir your reward in Charity Mar. Here then in Charity This fellow would never make a Cleark Spr. What! All this Master Am. What is it Let me see 't Spr. 'T is a whole silver three-pence Mistresse Am. For shame ingratefull Miser Here Friend a golden Crown for thee Spr. Bountifull Goodnesse Gold If I thought a dear yeer were coming I would take a Farm now Am. I have rob'd thy Partners of their shares too There 's a Crown more for them 4. Duly and truly pray for you Mar. What have you done lesse would have serv'd And your Bounty will betray us Am. Fie on your wretched policy Spr. No no good Master I knew you all this while and my sweet Mistris too And now I 'll tell you The Search is every way the Country all laid for you 'T is well you staid here Your Habits were they but a little neerer our Fashion would secure you with us But are you married Master and Mistris Are you joyned in Matrimony In heart I know you are And I will if it please you for your great bounty bring you to a Curate that lacks no License nor has any Living to lose that shall put you together Mar. Thou art a heavenly Beggar Spr. But he is so scrupulous and severely precise that unlesse you Mistris will affirm that you are with Child by the Gentleman or that you have at least cleft or slept together as he calls it he will not marry you But if you have lyen together then 't is a case of necessity and he holds himself bound to do it Mar. You may say you have Am. I would not have it so nor make that lye against my self for all the World Spr. That I like well and her exceedingly Aside I 'll do my best for you however Mar. I 'll do for thee that thou shalt never beg more Spr. That cannot be purchas'd scarse for the price of your Mistris Will you walk Master We use no Complements Am. By inforc'd Matches Wards are not set free So oft as sold into Captivitie Which made me fearlesse fly from one I hate Into the hazard of a harder Fate Actus Quartus Scena Prima Enter Talboy Oliver With riding switches Tal. SHe 's gone Amie is gone Ay me she 's gone And has me left of joy bereft to make my mone O me Amie Ol. What the Devil ayles the Fellow tro why why Master Talboy my Cozen Talboy that should'st ha' been art not asham'd to cry at this growth and for a thing that 's better lost then found a Wench Tal. Cry who cries do I cry or look with a crying Countenance I scorn it and scorn to think on her but in just anger Ol. So this is brave now if 't would hold Tall. Nay it shall hold And so let her go for a scurvy what d' e call 't I know not what bad enough to call her But something of mine goes with her I am sure She has cost me in Gloves Ribands Scarfs Rings and such like things more than I am able to speak of at this time Oh Ol. Because thou canst not speak for crying Fy Master Talboy agen Tal. I scorn it agen and any man that saies I cry or will cry agen And let her go agen and what she has of mine let her keep and hang her self and the Rogue that 's with her I have enough and am Heire of a well-known Estate and that she knows And therefore that she should sleight me and run away with a wages-fellow that is but a petty Cleark and a Serving-man There 's the vexation of it Oh there 's the grief and the vexation of it Oh Ol. Now he will cry his eyes out You Sir This life have I had with you all our long journey which now is at an end here This is Master Oldrents house where perhaps we shall finde old Hearty the Uncle of that Rogue Martin that is run away with your Sweetheart Tal. I 't is too true too true too true You need not put me in minde on 't Oh O Ol. Hold your peace and minde me Leave your bawling for fear I give you correction This is the House I say where it is most likely we shall hear of your Mistris and her companion Make up your face quickly Here comes one of the Servants I suppose Enter Randall Shame not your self for ever and me for company Come be confident Tall. As confident as your self or any man But
yearly With such a heart as mine would defie Fortune And all her babling Sooth-sayers I 'd as soon Distrust in Providence as lend a fear To such a Destiny for a Child of mine While there be Sack and Songs in Town or Country Think like a man of conscience now I am serious What justice can there be for such a curse To fall upon your Heirs Do you not live Free out of Law or grieving any man Are you not th' onely rich man lives un-envied Have you not all the praises of the Rich And prayers of the Poor Did ever any Servant or Hireling Neighbour Kindred curse you Or wish one minute shorten'd of your life Have you one grudging Tenant will they not all Fight for you Do they not teach their Children And make 'em too pray for you morn and evening And in their Graces too as duly as For King and Realme The innocent things would think They ought not eat else Old T is their goodness Hea. It is your merit Your great love and bounty Procures from Heaven those inspirations in 'em Whose Rent did ever you exact whose have You not remitted when by casualties Of fire of floods of common dearth or sickness Poor men were brought behind hand Nay whose losses Have you not piously repair'd Old Enough Hea. What Hariots have you tane from forlorne Widows What Acre of your thousands have you rack'd Old Good Friend no more Hea. These are enough indeed To fill your ears with joyful acclamations Where e're you pass Heaven bless our Landlord Oldrent Our Master Oldrent our good Patron Oldrent Cannot these sounds conjure that evil spirit Of fear out of you that your Children shall Live to be Beggars Shall Squire Oldrent's Daughters Weare old rents in their Garments there 's a whim too Because a Fortune-teller told you so Old Come I will strive to think no more on 't Hea. Will you ride forth for air then and be merry Old Your counsel and example may instruct me Hea. Sack must be had in sundry places too For Songs I am provided Enter Springlove with Books and Papers he layes them on the Table Old Yet here comes one brings me a second fear Who has my care the next unto my children Hea. Your Steward Sir it seems has business with you I wish you would have none Old I 'll soon dispatch it And then be for our journey instantly Hea. I 'll wait your coming down Sir Exit Old But why Springlove Is now this expedition Spr. Sir 'T is duty Old Not common among Stewards I confess To urge in their Accompts before the day Their Lords have limited Some that are grown To hoary haires and Knighthoods are not found Guilty of such an importunity 'T is yet but thirty daies when I give forty After the half-year day our Lady last Could I suspect my Trust were lost in thee Or doubt thy youth had not ability To carry out the weight of such a charge I then should call on thee Spr. Sir your indulgence I hope shall ne'r corrupt me Ne'rtheless The testimony of a fair discharge From time to time will be incouragement Springlove turns over the several Books to his Master To virtue in me You may then be pleas'd To take here a Survey of all your Rents Receiv'd and all such other payments as Came to my hands since my last Audit for Cattel Wool Corn all Fruits of Husbandry Then my Receipts on Bonds and some new Leases With some old debts and almost desperate ones As well from Country Cavaliers as Courtiers Then here Sir are my several Disbursements In all particulars for your self and Daughters In charge of House-keeping Buildings and Repairs Journeys Apparel Coaches Gifts and all Expences for your personal necessaries Here Servants wages Liveries and Cures Here for supplies of Horses Hawks and Hounds And lastly not the least to be remembred Your large Benevolences to the Poor Old Thy charity there goes hand in hand with mine And Springlove I commend it in thee that So young in years art grown so ripe in goodness May their Heaven-piercing Prayers bring on thee Equall rewards with me Spr. Now here Sir is The ballance of the several Accompts Which shews you what remains in Cash which added Unto your former Banck makes up in all Old Twelve thousand and odd pounds Spr. Here are the keys Of all The Chests are safe in your own Closet Old Why in my Closet is not yours as safe Spr. O Sir you know my suit Old Your suit what suit Spr. Touching the time of year Old 'T is well-nigh May Why what of that good Springlove Nightingale sings Spr. O Sir you hear I am call'd Old Fie Springlove fie I hop'd thou hadst abjur'd that uncough practice Spr. You thought I had forsaken Nature then Old Is that disease of Nature still in thee So virulent and notwithstanding all My favours in my gifts my cares and counsels Which to a soul ingrateful might be boasted Have I first bred thee and then preferr'd thee from I will not say how wretched a beginning To be a Master over all my Servants Planted thee in my bosom and canst thou There siight me for the whistling of a Bird Spr. Your reason Sir informs you that 's no cause But 't is the season of the year that calls me What moves her Noats provokes my disposition By a more absolute power of Nature then Philosophy can render an accompt for Old I finde there 's no expelling it but still It will return I have try'd all the means As I may safely think in humane wisdom And did as neer as reason could assure me That thy last years restraint had stopp'd for ever That running sore on thee that gadding humour When onely for that cause I laid the weight Of mine Estate in Stewardship upon thee Which kept thee in that year after so many Sommer vagaries thou hadst made before Spr. You kept a Swallow in a Cage that while I cannot Sir indure another Sommer In that restraint with life 't was then my torment But now my death Yet Sir my life is yours Who are my Patron freely may you take it Yet pardon Sir my frailty that do beg A small continuance of it on my knees Old Can there no means be found to preserve life In thee but wandring like a Vagabond Does not the Sun as comfortably shine Upon my Gardens as the opener Fields Or on my Fields as others far remote Are not my Walks and Greens as delectable As the High-ways and Commons Are the shades Of Siccamore and Bowers of Eglantine Less pleasing then of Bramble or thorne hedges Or of my Groves and Thickets then wild Woods Are not my Fountain waters fresher then The troubled streams where every Beast does drink Do not the Birds sing here as sweet and lively As any other where is not thy bed more soft And rest more safe then in a Field or Barn Is a full Table which is call'd thine own Less curious or