 | The Royal Merchant |  |
SCENE III.
The Wood and Bush.Enter Clause, Prig, Higgen, Ferret, Snap, Ginks, Jaculin, and other Beggars.
Hig.
Come, princes of the ragged regiment,
You of the blood, Prig, my most upright lord,
And these, what name or title e'er they bear,
Behave with order, and due loyalty,
On this important day, when Beggar's Bush,
Our ancient kingly seat, must be supply'd.
Prig.
Ere we begin our customary forms,
Let a centinel be set out.
Snap.
The word.
Prig.
A cove comes, and fumbumbis.
[Exit Snap.
Fer.
Well, pray, my masters all, Ferret be chosen;
You're like to have a kind mild prince of me.
Prig.
A very tyrant, I, an errant tyrant,
If e'er, I come to reign; therefore look to't.
If e'er, I come to reign; therefore look to't.
10
Except you provide me with capons enough,
Green geese, tender ducklings, and such kind of stuff;
Except on my table fat chickens appear,
With pheasant and partridge the best of the year;
Close I'll watch when night does fall,
Wherever ye lig,
Ye'll be found by prince Prig,
And in your own straw will I smother ye all.
Green geese, tender ducklings, and such kind of stuff;
Except on my table fat chickens appear,
With pheasant and partridge the best of the year;
Close I'll watch when night does fall,
Wherever ye lig,
Ye'll be found by prince Prig,
And in your own straw will I smother ye all.
Except of good booze too, full jugs ye afford,
And fruits of each season, in plenty ye hoard,
Your eyes, and false tongues, legs and bellies I'll seize,
Take all your trim doxies, and kiss which I please.
Close I'll watch, &c.
And fruits of each season, in plenty ye hoard,
Your eyes, and false tongues, legs and bellies I'll seize,
Take all your trim doxies, and kiss which I please.
Close I'll watch, &c.
Enter Snap.
Snap.
A cove comes—fumbumbis!
Enter Hubert and Hemskirke.
Prig.
To your postures—arm.
Hub.
Yonder's the town, I see it.
Hig.
Bless your good worships!
Fer.
One small piece of money!
Prig.
Among us all poor wretches!
Clause.
Blind and lame!
Prig.
Deaf and dumb!
Hub.
There's among ye all.
Fer. &c.
Heaven reward you!
Hub.
Do I see right, or does my fancy cheat me?
Sure 'tis her face—come hither, pretty maid.
Jac.
What, have you
Bells for my squirrel? I ha' given Bun meat—
You do not love me, do you? Catch me that butterfly,
And I'll love you. Oh, can you keep a secret?
You look as if you could, I'll tell you—hush.—
Bells for my squirrel? I ha' given Bun meat—
You do not love me, do you? Catch me that butterfly,
And I'll love you. Oh, can you keep a secret?
You look as if you could, I'll tell you—hush.—
11
The live-long day forlorn I go,
My heart is compass'd round with woe,
With woe—ah! well-a-day!
The cause you hear in ev'ry sigh,
You see it wrote within mine eye,
'Tis love—ah! well-a-day!
My heart is compass'd round with woe,
With woe—ah! well-a-day!
The cause you hear in ev'ry sigh,
You see it wrote within mine eye,
'Tis love—ah! well-a-day!
Hub.
For whom, dear maid?—her every feature!—tell me.
Jac.
No, 'tis no matter; I can smile it off.
AIR.
Behold the sweetly-wanton spring?
In ev'ry bush I spy it peering,
Hark! the feather'd warblers sing!
With carrols wild my spirit cheering!
The lark swells high his raptur'd throat;
The linnet pours his melting note;
None, none so weak, but may impart
Soft pleasure to a simple heart.
[Retires.
In ev'ry bush I spy it peering,
Hark! the feather'd warblers sing!
With carrols wild my spirit cheering!
The lark swells high his raptur'd throat;
The linnet pours his melting note;
None, none so weak, but may impart
Soft pleasure to a simple heart.
Hub.
Her voice too says the same; but, for my life,
I would not that her manners were so chang'd:
Hear me, thou honest fellow, what's this maiden,
Who lives among ye here?
Prig.
Ao—ao—ao.
Hub.
How! nothing but signs?
Prig.
Ao—ao—ao.
Hub.
This is strange;
I would fain have it her, but not her thus.
Hig.
He's de-de-deaf, and du-du-dumb, sir.
Hub.
'Slife, they all spoke plain enough, methought e'en now.
Dost know this maid?
12
She was born at the ba-ba-barn yonder,
By Be-Be-Beggar's Bu-Bu-Bush; her name is
Ma-Ma-Madge; so was her mo-mother's too.
Hub.
I understand no word he says—how long
Has she been here?
Hig.
Lo-long enough to have got a hu-hu-husband,
And she had go-go-good lu-lu-luck.
[Beggars retire.
Hub.
I must be better inform'd, than by these means:
Here was another face too, that I mark'd,
That of the old man; but they are vanish'd all
Most suddenly—I will come here again.
[Aside.
Protect us our disguise now! Pr'ythee, Hempskirke,
If we be taken, how dost thou imagine
This town will deal with us, which hath so long
Stood out 'gainst Wolfort?
Hem.
E'en to hang us forth
Upon their walls, a' sunning, to make crow's meat.
If I were not assur'd o' th' burgo-master,
And had a fair excuse to see a niece there,
I should scarce venture.
Hub.
Come, 'tis now too late
To look back at the ports; good luck, and enter.
[Exeunt.
Beggars advance.
Prig.
A peery dog, I'll warrant him.
Fer.
What could his questions mean?
Clause.
I know not—yet 'twas time to fly—he grew
Too close in his inquiries.
Prig.
And disturb'd
Our noble ceremonies—shall we renew 'em?
Hig.
Unquestionably, brother.—Snap—
Snap.
I'm gone.
[Exit Snap.
Hig.
All now stand fair, and put yourselves in rank,
That the first single comer, at first view,
May make his choice, who shall inherit this,
Our vacant throne.
Prig.
'Tis done, Lord Higgen.
Hig.
Thanks! and here a judge comes—cry a judge.
All.
A judge, a judge!
13
Har.
What ail ye, sirs, what means this outcry?
Hig.
Master,
A sort of poor souls met, Heaven's fools, good sir;
Have had some little variance 'mong ourselves
Which may be honestest of us, and who lives
Uprightest in his calling:—now, as we thought
We ne'er should 'gree on't 'mong ourselves, (for truly,
'Tis hard to say) we all resolv'd to put it
To him, that should come next, and that's your mastership.
Which does your worship think is he? Good sir,
Look o'er us all, and tell us.
Har.
I should judge this the man, with the grave beard—
Clause.
Bless you, good master, bless you!
Har.
If he be not,
I would he were! There's something too among ye,
To keep ye honest.
[Exit.
All.
Now good reward you!
Hig.
What is it? see; Snap has got it.
Snap.
A good crown, marry.
Prig.
A crown of gold—
Fer.
For our new king, good luck!
Ginks.
To the common treasury with it; if it be gold,
Thither it must.
Hig.
Spoke like a patriot, Ginks.
King Clause, I bid Heaven save thee first, king Clause.
When last in conference at the bouzing ken,
The other day, we sate about our dead king,
Of famous memory, (rest go with his rags!)
And that I saw thee at the table's end
Rise swol'n with rage, and, leaning on one crutch,
Lift t'other, like a sceptre, at my head,
I then presag'd thou shortly would'st be king,
And now thou art so; but what need presage
To us, who might have read it in thy beard,
As well as he that chose thee? by that beard
Thou wert found out, and mark'd for sov'reignty.
AIR.King Clause, I bid Heaven save thee first, king Clause.
When last in conference at the bouzing ken,
The other day, we sate about our dead king,
Of famous memory, (rest go with his rags!)
And that I saw thee at the table's end
Rise swol'n with rage, and, leaning on one crutch,
Lift t'other, like a sceptre, at my head,
I then presag'd thou shortly would'st be king,
And now thou art so; but what need presage
14
As well as he that chose thee? by that beard
Thou wert found out, and mark'd for sov'reignty.
O happy beard of happier king!
In whose behalf our shouts shall ring
Around the throne of Beggar's Bush.
That beard, O! may it still be fair,
As full of wisdom, as of hair,
That all who dwell beneath its shade,
May every year more bless'd be made,
And praise the king of Beggar's Bush!
In whose behalf our shouts shall ring
Around the throne of Beggar's Bush.
That beard, O! may it still be fair,
As full of wisdom, as of hair,
That all who dwell beneath its shade,
May every year more bless'd be made,
And praise the king of Beggar's Bush!
That comely beard, O! may it grow,
While meads look green, or rivers flow,
The pride and grace of Beggar's Bush!
Thus bound by love to good king Clause,
We'll guard his state, obey his laws;
Nor once repine, or care a souse,
For rich array, or stately house,
While happy here at Beggar's Bush.
While meads look green, or rivers flow,
The pride and grace of Beggar's Bush!
Thus bound by love to good king Clause,
We'll guard his state, obey his laws;
Nor once repine, or care a souse,
For rich array, or stately house,
While happy here at Beggar's Bush.
Prig.
And if the beard be such, what is the prince
That owns the beard? the father? no: the grandfather?
Nay, the great-grandfather of you his people.
He will not take away your hens, or bacon,
When you've ventur'd hard for't; nor force from you
The fattest of your puddings.
Hig.
A song to crown him, Prig, th'accustom'd song.
His majesty is seated.
15
AIR and CHORUS.
At the crowning our king,
We all revel and sing,
For with pleasure our duty we pay;
We give him three cheers,
Till we rattle his ears,
'Tis huzza! and huzza! and huzza!
We all revel and sing,
For with pleasure our duty we pay;
We give him three cheers,
Till we rattle his ears,
'Tis huzza! and huzza! and huzza!
His sceptre's a crutch,
Which with rev'rence we touch,
And we swear to be true to his throne;
In recompense, he
Takes an oath to be free,
And our liberties guards as his own.
Which with rev'rence we touch,
And we swear to be true to his throne;
In recompense, he
Takes an oath to be free,
And our liberties guards as his own.
If peace from her Hand,
Scatters Bliss thro' the Land,
Or war, fills the nation with riot;
Our kingdom is safe,
Still we drink and we laugh,
And lye down with our doxies in quiet.
Scatters Bliss thro' the Land,
Or war, fills the nation with riot;
Our kingdom is safe,
Still we drink and we laugh,
And lye down with our doxies in quiet.
If houses are 'sest,
Land with taxes opprest,
Unto us no such troubles belong;
With a bush we're content,
And we pay our quit-rent,
Like the birds of the air, with a song.
At the crowning, &c.
Land with taxes opprest,
Unto us no such troubles belong;
With a bush we're content,
And we pay our quit-rent,
Like the birds of the air, with a song.
At the crowning, &c.
[Exeunt.
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