------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Scape-Goat A Farce in One Act THE SCAPE-GOAT; A FARCE, IN ONE ACT, PERFORMED, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1825, AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN. BY JOHN POOLE, ESQ. AUTHOR OF “PAUL PRY,” “TRIBULATION,” “MARRIED AND SINGLE,” “SIMPSON AND CO.” &C. &C. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY SHERWOOD, GILBERT, AND PIPER, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1826. _Price Eighteen-Pence._ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gye and Balne, Printers, Gracechurch-Street. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ⁂ A French Piece, called “_Le Precepteur dans l’embarras_,” furnished the ground-work of the following Farce. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. _Old Eustace_ MR. BLANCHARD. _Charles_, (_his son_) MR. COOPER. _Ignatius Polyglot_ MR. W. FARREN. _Robin_ MR. MEADOWS. _Master Frederick_ _Harriet_ MISS A. JONES. _Molly Maggs_ MISS JONES. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE SCAPE-GOAT. SCENE—_Polyglot’s study. A door on each side, conducting to other apartments. An opening to the garden, at the back of the stage. Another door leading to the interior of the house. Globes, books, maps, &c. are scattered about._ ROBIN _discovered, turning a globe_. _Robin._ ’Tis an extraordinary thing, that, do what I will, I can’t make myself sensible. I turn the world topsy-turvy for hours together, as I see my young master, Mr. Charles, do; like Mr. Ignatius Polyglot, his tutor, I sometimes look into a book full of Greek or Latin; but all to no purpose. Ah! Mr. Polyglot must be in the right: he can’t bear the sight of a woman in the house, for fear Mr. Charles should fall in love, and neglect his studies; and, for my part, I’m sure that, if all the Greek I have got in my pocket (_shewing a book_) were cramm’d into my head, one thought of my sweet little Somersetshire lass, Molly Maggs, would drive it out again. _Enter_ MOLLY MAGGS, _from the Garden_. _Molly._ Hist! hist! Robin! _Robin._ What! my dear Molly! You may come in. _Molly._ I’m afeard, Robin. _Robin._ There’s nothing to be afraid of just now.