The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4: Poems and PlaysLamb, Charles
General
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4: Poems and Plays
Lamb, Charles
English drama; English poetry
LANDLORD
Suppose they do smoke you--
MR. H.
Smoke me?
LANDLORD
One of my phrases; never mind my words, Sir, my meaning is good. We all
mean the same thing, only you express yourself one way, and I another,
that's all. The meaning's the same; it is all pork.
MR. H.
That's another of your phrases, I presume. _(Bell rings, and the
Landlord called for.)_
LANDLORD
Anon, anon.
MR. H.
O, I wish I were anonymous.
[_Exeunt several ways._]
SCENE.--_Melesinda's Apartment_.
(_MELESINDA and Maid._)
MAID
Lord, Madam! before I'd take on as you do about a foolish--what
signifies a name? Hogs--Hogs--what is it--is just as good as any other
for what I see.
MELESINDA
Ignorant creature! yet she is perhaps blest in the absence of those
ideas, which, while they add a zest to the few pleasures which fall to
the lot of superior natures to enjoy, doubly edge the--
MAID
Superior natures! a fig! If he's hog by name, he's not hog by nature,
that don't follow--his name don't make him any thing, does it? He don't
grunt the more for it, nor squeak, that ever I hear; he likes his
victuals out of a plate, as other Christians do, you never see him go to
the trough--
MELESINDA
Unfeeling wretch! yet possibly her intentions--
MAID
For instance, Madam, my name is Finch--Betty Finch. I don't whistle the
more for that, nor long after canary-seed while I can get good wholesome
mutton--no, nor you can't catch me by throwing salt on my tail. If you
come to that, hadn't I a young man used to come after me, they said
courted me--his name was Lion--Francis Lion, a tailor; but though he was
fond enough of me, for all that, he never offered to eat me.
MELESINDA
How fortunate that the discovery has been made before it was too late.
Had I listened to his deceits, and, as the perfidious man had almost
persuaded me, precipitated myself into an inextricable engagement,
before--
MAID
No great harm, if you had. You'd only have bought a pig in a poke--and
what then? Oh, here he comes creeping--
_Enter_ MR. H. _abject_.
Go to her, Mr. Hogs--Hogs--Hogsbristles--what's your name? Don't be
afraid, man--don't give it up--she's not crying--only _summat_ has made
her eyes red--she has got a sty in her eye, I believe--(_going_.)
MELESINDA
You are not going, Betty?
MAID
O, Madam, never mind me--I shall be back in the twinkling of a pig's
whisker, as they say. [_Exit_.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account