A SELECT COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY ROBERT DODSLEY IN THE YEAR 1744. _FOURTH EDITION_, NOW FIRST CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, REVISED AND ENLARGED WITH THE NOTES OF ALL THE COMMENTATORS, AND NEW NOTES BY W. CAREW HAZLITT. BENJAMIN BLOM, INC. [Illustration: New York] A MATCH AT MIDNIGHT. _EDITION._ _A Match at Mid-night. A Pleasant Comœdie: As it hath beene Acted by the Children of the Revells. Written by W. R. London: Printed by Aug. Mathewes, for William Sheares, and are to be sold at his Shop, in Brittaines Bursse._ 1633. 4º. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. +Sir Marmaduke Many-Minds.+ +Sir Janus Ambexter.+ +Captain Carvegut.+ +Lieutenant Bottom.+ +Ancient Young.+ +Bloodhound+, _a usurer_. +Alexander Bloodhound+, } _his two sons_. +Tim Bloodhound+, } +Randall+, _a Welshman_. +Ear-lack+, _a scrivener_. +Sim+, _the clown_. +John+, _servant to the Widow_. +Jarvis+, _the Widow's husband, disguised like her servant_. _A Smith._ +Busy+, _a Constable_. _Watch._ [+Women.+] +Widow Wag.+ +Moll+, _Bloodhound's daughter_. +Widow's Maid.+ +Mistress Coote+, _a bawd_. +Sue Shortheels+, _a whore_. A MATCH AT MIDNIGHT. ACT I., SCENE I. _Enter, as making themselves ready, +Tim Bloodhound+, and +Sim+ the man._ +Sim.+ Good morrow, Master Tim. +Tim.+ Morrow, Sim; my father stirring, Sim? +Sim.+ Not yet, I think; he heard some ill-news of your brother Alexander last night, that will make him lie an hour extraordinary. +Tim.+ Hum: I'm sorry the old man should lie by the hour; but, O, these wicked elder brothers, that swear refuse them,[1] and drink nothing but wicked sack; when we swear nothing but niggers-noggers, make a meal of a bloat herring, water it with four-shillings' beer, and then swear we have dined as well as my lord mayor. +Sim.+ Here was goody Fin, the fishwoman, fetched home her ring last night. +Tim.+ You should have put her money by itself, for fear of wronging of the whole heap. +Sim.+ So I did, sir, and washed it first in two waters. +Tim.+ All these petty pawns, sirrah, my father commits to my managing, to instruct me in this craft that, when he dies, the commonwealth may not[2] want a good member. _Enter +Mistress Mary+._ +Sim.+ Nay, you are cursed as much as he already. +Mis. Mary.+ O brother, 'tis well you are up. +Tim.+ Why, why?