A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Xiv Part 74

Let's then some voyage take in hand To get us means by sea or land.

Come, follow me, my boys, come follow me, And if thou die, I'll die with thee._

[_They join in the close._

_Hast thou a wife? I have one too, And children some, as well as thou; Yet who can see his brats to starve So long as he has strength to serve?

Come, follow me, my cubs, come follow me, And if thou die, I'll die with thee._

[_He fixeth his eyes as upon objects in a landskip._

_Methinks, my boys, I see the store Of precious gems and golden ore; Arabian silks and sables pure Would make an haggard stoop to th' lure.

Come, follow me, &c._

_No worthless mind e'er honour sought; Let's fight as if we feared nought.

If bullets fly about our ears, Let's laugh at death, and banish fears.

Come, follow me, &c._

_And if thou canst not live so stench,[153]

But thou must needs enjoy thy wench, If thou, my boy, such pleasure crave, A dainty doxy thou shalt have.

Come, follow me, &c._

_Courage, my sparks, my knights o' th' sun; Let Seville fame what we have done.

We'd better ten times fight a foe Than once for all to Tyburn go.

Come, follow me, &c._

_Come, let's away, mount, march away; This calm portends a prosperous day.

When we return, it shall be said That by our voyage we are made.

Come, follow me, &c._

_But if we ne'er again return, Enclose our ashes in an urn, And with them spice a wa.s.sal-cup, And to Good Fellows drink it up.

Come, follow me, &c._

_Which health, when it is gone about, And stoutly set their foot unto't, No doubt they shall enrolled be I' th' Book of Fame, as well as we.

Come, follow me, spruce sprigs, come follow me, And, if thou fall, I'll fall with thee._

_Enter a rank of_ TARPAULINS, _pressed for the same adventure, marching over the stage, and joining in the catch, an health-cup in the leader's hand_.

TAR. _When this grand health is gone about, Where you as stoutly stood unto't, Doubt not you shall recorded be I' th' Book of Fame, as well as we.

March after me, &c._

_And when this bowl shall run so round Your legs can stand upon no ground, Fear not, brave blades,[154] but you shall be Sworn brothers made as well as we.

March after me, &c._

_No other obsequies we crave, Nor quaint inscriptions on our grave; A simple shroud's a soldier's share, Which if he want he needs not care.

March after me, &c._

_Such vails are all we wish at last, Which if we want, the care is past.

This done, to think of us were just-- Who drink not get[155] as dry as dust.

March after me, &c._

_While you act what we did before, Discharge with chalk[156] the hostess' score; And if the hussy[157] challenge more, Charm th' maundring gossip with your roar.

March after me, we'll frolic be, And, if thou die, I'll die with thee._

SCENE IV.

BENHADAD _furiously accosts them_.

BEN. I proclaim you all Edomites; dragooners of Dagon; ding-dongs of Dathan! A generation of vipers!

1ST TRE. No, father Benhadad, your gravity is mistaken grossly; we are rather a generation of pipers!

[_They smoke tobacco._

2D TRE. Go to, holy Benhadad; stand you to your calling as we to our arms. Thou art for converting the Great Turk, and we for lining our pockets with Tunis gold. Where if we get our design, hold to thy principles, but no further than thou canst maintain them, and we shall create thee our household chaplain.

_Enter_ MARINER.

MAR. To sea, to sea! the winds are prosperous.

CAPT. And may we prosper with them! So farewell Seville and her dainty doxies.

ALL. Ran-tan! hey for Tunis and Argiers!

[_Exeunt colours displayed, with fifes and drums._

1ST CIT. Such was the duke's care to remove those weeds, Whose fatal growth might choke maturer seeds.

2D CIT. Good governors wise gardeners imitate: These cheer their plants; those steer a planted state.

[_Exeunt._

TRIL. [_From the high gallery._] I cannot, gentlemen, contain myself.

TIM. Thy genius has surpa.s.s'd itself; Thy scene is richly various: prease on still; These galleries applaud thy comic skill.

[_He takes his seat again._

SCENE V.

_Enter_ CONSTABLE _and_ WATCH, _in rug gowns, bills, and dark lanthorns_.

CON. Come along with your horns, my lads of metal. It was the duke's pleasure before his departure, that we should be appointed the sinks and sentinels of the city, and that none shall have ingress, egress, or regress but by our special authority and favour. But, harm watch, harm catch: for my part, since I crept into this office, I am woven into such a knot of good fellows.h.i.+p, as I can watch no more than a dormouse: nay, I am verily persuaded, if I hold constable long, the deputy of the ward will return me one of the Seven Sleepers. But let me advise you, my birds of the Capitol, that you walk not after my example: be it your care to watch, while I sleep. Many eyes are upon you; but my eyes grow heavy; my day's society bids me take a nap.

WATCH. But one word, good master, before you drop into your slumber: report goes, that there be spirits that patrol familiarly in this sentry; what shall we say to them, if they pa.s.s by?

CON. Bid them stand.[158]

WATCH. But what if they either cannot or will not?