Beggars Bush: A Comedy: From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10)Fletcher, John
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Beggars Bush: A Comedy: From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10)
Fletcher, John
Comedy plays; English drama -- 17th century
_Prig._ A very tyrant, I, an arrant tyrant,
If e're I come to reign; therefore look to't,
Except you do provide me hum enough
And Lour to bouze with: I must have my Capons
And Turkeys brought me in, with my green Geese,
And Ducklings i'th' season: fine fat chickens,
Or if you chance where an eye of tame Phesants
Or Partridges are kept, see they be mine,
Or straight I seize on all your priviledge,
Places, revenues, offices, as forfeit,
Call in your crutches, wooden legs, false bellyes,
Forc'd eyes and teeth, with your dead arms; not leave you
A durty clout to beg with o' your heads,
Or an old rag with Butter, Frankincense,
Brimston and Rozen, birdlime, blood, and cream,
To make you an old sore; not so much soap
As you may fome with i'th' Falling-sickness;
The very bag you bear, and the brown dish
Shall be escheated. All your daintiest Dells too
I will deflower, and take your dearest Doxyes
From your warm sides; and then some one cold night
I'le watch you what old barn you go to roost in,
And there I'le smother you all i'th' musty hay.
_Hig._ This is tyrant-like indeed: But what would _Ginks_
Or _Clause_ be here, if either of them should raign?
_Clau._ Best ask an Ass, if he were made a Camel,
What he would be; or a dog, and he were a Lyon.
_Ginks._ I care not what you are, Sirs, I shall be
A Beggar still I am sure, I find my self there.
_Enter_ Goswin.
_Snap._ O here a Judge comes.
_Hig._ Cry, a Judge, a Judge.
_Gos._ What ail you Sirs? what means this outcry?
_Hig._ Master,
A sort of poor souls met: Gods fools, good Master,
Have had some little variance amongst our selves
Who should be honestest of us, and which lives
Uprightest in his calling: Now, 'cause we thought
We ne're should 'gree on't our selves, because
Indeed 'tis hard to say: we all dissolv'd, to put it
To him that should come next, and that's your Master-ship,
Who, I hope, will 'termine it as your mind serves you,
Right, and no otherwise we ask it: which?
Which does your worship think is he? sweet Master
Look over us all, and tell us; we are seven of us,
Like to the seven wise Masters, or the Planets.
_Gos._ I should judge this the man with the grave beard,
And if he be not--
_Clau._ Bless you, good Master, bless you.
_Gos._ I would he were: there's something too amongst you
To keep you all honest. [_Exit._
_Snap._ King of Heaven go with you.
_Omn._ Now good reward him,
May he never want it, to comfort still the poor, in a good hour.
_Fer._ What is't? 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't be gold,
Thither it must.
_Prig._ Spoke like a Patriot, _Ferret_--
King _Clause_, I bid God save thee first, first, _Clause_,
After this golden token of a crown;
Where's oratour _Higgen_ with his gratuling speech now
In all our names?
_Fer._ Here he is pumping for it.
_Gin._ H'has cough'd the second time, 'tis but once more
And then it comes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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