Wild Oats; or, The Strolling Gentlemen — John Shaqi
Wild Oats; or, The Strolling GentlemenO'Keeffe, John
General
Wild Oats; or, The Strolling Gentlemen
O'Keeffe, John
Comedy plays; English drama
_Twitch._ You must go with me.
_Rover._ [_Without._] Old gentleman, come quick, or I'll draw another
bottle of your currant wine.
_Twitch._ You'd best not make a noise, but come. [_To_ BANKS.]
_Enter_ ROVER.
_Rover._ Oh, you're here? Rain over--quite fine--I'll take a sniff of
the open air too--Eh, what's the matter?
_Twitch._ What's that to you?
_Rover._ What's that to me? Why, you're a very unmannerly--
_Twitch._ Oh, here's a rescue!
_Banks._ Nay, my dear sir, I'd wish you not to bring yourself into
trouble about me.
_Twitch._ Now, since you don't know what's civil, if the debt's not
paid directly, to jail you go.
_Rover._ My kind, hospitable good old man to jail! What's the amount,
you scoundrel.
_Twitch._ Better words, or I'll--
_Rover._ Stop; utter you a word good or bad, except to tell me what's
your demand upon this gentleman, and I'll give you the greatest
beating you ever got since the hour you commenced rascal. [_In a low
tone._]
_Twitch._ Why, master, I don't want to quarrel with you, because--
_Rover._ You'll get nothing by it. Do you know, you villain, that I am
this moment the greatest man living?
_Twitch._ Who, pray?
_Rover._ "I am the bold Thunder!" Sirrah, know that I carry my purse
of gold in my coat-pocket. Though damme if I know how a purse came
there. [_Aside, and takes it out._] There's twenty pictures of his
majesty; therefore, in the king's name, I free his liege subject;
[_Takes Banks away._] and now who am I? Ah, ah!
_Twitch._ Ten pieces short, my master; but if you're a housekeeper
I'll take this and your bail.
_Rover._ Then for bail you must have a housekeeper? What's to be done!
_Enter_ GAMMON.
Ah, here's old hospitality! I know you've a house, though your fire
side was too warm for me. Lookye, here's some rapacious, griping
rascal, has had this worthy gentleman arrested. Now a certain,
good-for-nothing, rattling fellow has paid twenty guineas; you pass
your word for the other nine, we'll step back into the old gentleman's
friendly house, and over his currant wine, our first toast shall be,
liberty to the honest debtor, and confusion to the hard hearted
creditor.
_Gam._ I shan't.
_Rover._ Shan't! What's your name?
_F. Gam._ Gammon.
_Rover._ Gammon! Dem'me, you're the Hampshire hog. [_Exit_ F. GAMMON.
'Sdeath! How shall I do to extricate--? I wish I had another purse in
my waistcoat pocket.
_Enter_ LADY AMARANTH, _from_ GAMMON'S, ZACHARIAH _following_.
_Lady Am._ What tumult's this?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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