The Works of Aphra Behn Volume I Part 132

_1 Pren._ _Ralph_, baste the Rump well, or ne'er hope to see a King agen.

_3 Pren._ The Rump will baste it self, it has been well cram'd.

Enter _Freeman_, L. _Des._ _Loveless_, and L. _Lam._ _Gill._ _Tom_, Pages, &c.

_Cap._ Hah, n.o.ble Champion, faith, Sir, you must honour us so far as to drink the King's Health, and the n.o.ble General's, before you go.

Enter _Wariston_, drest like a Pedlar, with a Box about his Neck full of Ballads and Things.

_War._ Will ya buy a guedly Ballat or a _Scotch_ Spur, Sirs? a guedly Ballat, or a _Scotch_ Spur.-- 'Sbread, I's scapt hitherte weele enough, I's say'd my Crag fro stretching twa Inches longer than 'twas borne: will ya buy a Jack-line to roast the Rump, a new Jack Lambert Line?-- or a blithe Ditty of the n.o.ble _Scotch_ General?-- come buy my Ditties.

_Cap._ How, a Ditty o'th' General? let's see't, Sirrah.

_War._ 'Sbread, Sirs, and here's the guedly Ballat of the General's coming out of _Scotland_.

_Cap._ Here, who sings it? we'll all bear the bob.

[_Wariston_ sings the Ballad, all bearing the Bob.

Enter _Ananias_ crying Almanacks.

_Ana._ New Almanacks, new Almanacks.

_Cap._ Hah, who have we here? _Ananias_, Holder-forth of _Clement's_ Parish?

_All._ Ha, a Traytor, a Traytor.

_Lov._ If I am not mistaken, this blithe Ballad-singer too was Chair-man to the Committee of Safety.

_Cap._ Is your Lords.h.i.+p turned Pedlar at last?

_War._ What mon I do noo? Lerd, ne mere Lerd than yar sel, Sir; wons I show 'em a fair pair of Heels.

[Goes to run away, they get him on a Colt-staff, with _Ananias_ on another, Fidlers playing _Fortune my Foe_, round the Fire.

_Cap._ Play _Fortune my Foe_, Sirrah.

Enter _Hewson_, drest like a Country Fellow.

_Cor._ Who are you, Sirrah? you have the mark o' th' Beast.

_Hews._ Who aye, Sir? Aye am a Doncer, that come a merry-making among ya--

_Cap._ Come, Sirrah, your Feats of Activity quickly then.

[He dances; which ended, they get him on a Colt-staff, and cry a _Cobler_, a _Cobler_.

_All._ A Cobler, a Cobler.

_Cap._ To Prison with the Traytors, and then we have made a good Night's work on't.

_Then let's all home, and to the Powers Divine Pray for the King, and all the Sacred Line._ [Exeunt.

EPILOGUE.

Spoken by Lady _Desbro_.

_The Vizor's off, and now I dare appear.

High for the _Royal Cause_ in Cavalier; Tho once as true a _Whig_ as most of you, Cou'd cant, and lye, preach, and dissemble too: So far you drew me in, but faith I'll be Reveng'd on you for thus debauching me: Same of your pious Cheats I'll open lay, That lead your _Ignoramus_ Flock astray: For since I cannot fight, I will not fail To exercise my Talent, that's to rail.

Ye Race of Hypocrites, whose Cloak of Zeal Covers the Knave that cants for _Commonweal_, All Laws, the Church and State to Ruin brings, And impudently sets a Rule on Kings; Ruin, destroy, all's good that you decree By your Infallible _Presbytery_, Prosperous at first, in Ills you grow so vain, You thought to play the _Old Game_ o'er again: And thus the Cheat was put upon the Nation, First with _Long Parliaments_, next _Reformation_, And now you hop'd to make a new Invasion: And when you can't prevail by open Force, To cunning tickling Tricks you have recourse, And raise Sedition forth without Remorse.

Confound these cursed _Tories_, then they cry, [In a preaching tone.

Those Fools, those Pimps to Monarchy, Those that exclude the Saints; yet open th' Door, To introduce the _Babylonian Wh.o.r.e_.

By Sacred _Oliver_ the Nation's mad; Beloved, 'twas not so when he was Head: But then, as I have said it oft before ye, A _Cavalier_ was but a Type of _Tory_.

The Curs durst then not bark, but all the Breed Is much encreas'd since that good Man was dead: Yet then they rail' d against the _Good Old Cause_, Rail'd foolishly for Loyalty, and Laws; But when the Saints had put them to a stand, We left them Loyalty, and took their Land: Yea, and the pious Work of Reformation Rewarded was with Plunder, Sequestration.

Thus cant the Faithful; nay, they're so uncivil, To pray us harmless Players to the Devil.

When this is all th' Exception they can make, They d.a.m.n us for our Glorious Master's sake.

But why 'gainst us do you unjustly arm?

Our small Religion sure can do no harm; Or if it do, since that's the only thing, We will reform when you are true to th' King._

NOTES: The Roundheads

[Transcriber's Note:

The Notes in the printed text give only page and line numbers.

Act-and-scene designations shown between +marks+ have been added by the transcriber. Labels such as "Scene IIa" refer to points where the scene description changes without a new scene number.]

NOTES ON THE TEXT.

+Dedication+

p. 337 _To The Right n.o.ble Henry Fitz-Roy._ The Dedicatory Epistle only appears in the two 4tos, 1682 and 1698.

p. 337, l. 31 _Good Old Couse._ 'Couse' to represent a c.o.c.kney p.r.o.nunciation.

p. 339, l. 28 _Ignoramus the 1st and the 2d._ Mrs. Behn deftly compares the verdict of that faction which would have d.a.m.ned her play with the verdict given by the City jury who acquitted Shaftesbury.

+Prologue+

p. 341, l. 7 _ycleped Hewson._ 4to 'Eclipsed Huson'.

+Dramatis Personae+

p. 343 _Dramatis Personae._ I have added, 'Captain of the Prentices, Page to Lady Fleetwood, A Felt-maker, A Joyner, Doorkeeper, Two Clerks, Three Soldiers, Women Servants to Lady Lambert, Pet.i.tioners, Servants, Guards.' The name of Lady Desbro's Page, Tom, is supplied by Act iv, 1. For _Sanctify'd Mobile_, 1724 reads 'Sanctify'd Mobility'.