English

SCENE VIII.

KITTY.

Dear happy fields, farewell; ye flocks, and you
Sweet meadows, glitt'ring with the pearly dew:
And thou, my rake, companion of my cares,
Giv'n by my mother in my younger years:
With thee the toils of full eight springs I've known,
'Tis to thy help I owe this hat and gown;
On thee I lean'd, forgetful of my work,
While Tom gaz'd on me, propt upon his fork:
Farewell, farewell; for all thy task is o'er,
Kitty shall want thy service now no more.

SCENE VII.

CONSTABLE.

Friends, reprehend him, reprehend him there.

SERGEANT.

For what? — —

CONSTABLE.

— — — For stealing gaffer Gap 's gray mare.

PEASCOD.

Why, heark ye, heark, ye, friend; you'll go to pot.
Would you be rather hang'd — hah! — — hang'd or shot?

SERGEANT.

Nay, hold, hold, hold — —

PEASCOD.

— — — Not if you were my brother.
Why, friend, should you not hang as well's another?

SCENE VI.

SOLDIER.

Hold — — why so furious, Sergeant? by your leave,
Untye the pris'ner — see here's a reprieve.

CHORUS of COUNTRYMEN .

A reprieve, a reprieve, a reprieve!

SCENE V.

FILBERT.

Let's drink before we part — — for sorrow's dry.
To Tim 's safe passage —

1 COUNTRYMAN .

— — — I'll drink too.

2 COUNTRYMAN .

— — — And I.

PEASCOD.

Stay, let me pledge — 'tis my last earthly liquor.
— — When I am dead you'll bind my grave with wicker.

1 COUNTRYMAN

He was a special ploughman — —

SCENE III.

Peascod , Corporal , S OLDIERS , C OUNTRYMEN , S ERGEANT , F ILBERT , D ORCAS .

DORCAS.

— — — Ah, brother Tim .
Why these close hugs? I owe my shame to him.
He scorns me now, he leaves me in the lurch;
In a white sheet poor I must stand at church.
O marry me — [ To Filbert.] Thy sister is with child.
And he, 'twas he my tender heart beguil'd.

PEASCOD.

Could'st thou do this? could'st thou —

SERGEANT.

— — — Draw out the men:

SCENE II.

Peascod , C ORPORAL , S OLDIERS , C OUNTRYMEN , S ERGEANT , F ILBERT .

SERGEANT.

What whining's this? — boys, see your guns well ramm'd.
You dog, die like a soldier — and be damn'd.

FILBERT.

My friend in ropes! — — —

PEASCOD.

— — — I should not thus be bound,
If I had Means, and could but raise five pound.
The cruel Corp'ral whisper'd in my ear,
Five pounds, if rightly tipt, would set me clear.

FILBERT.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A Field.

Timothy P EASCOD bound ; C ORPORAL , S OLDIERS and C OUNTRYMEN .

CORPORAL.

Stand off there, countrymen; and you, the guard,
Keep close your pris'ner — — — see that all's prepar'd.
Prime all your firelocks — — — fasten well the stake.

PEASCOD.

'Tis too much, too much trouble for my sake.
O fellow-soldiers, countrymen and friends,
Be warn'd by me to shun untimely ends:
For evil courses am I brought to shame,

SCENE IV.

Sir ROGER.

I say the Press-act plainly makes it out.

Sir HUMPHRY.

Doubtless, Sir Roger . — — —

Justice STATUTE.

— — — Brother, without doubt.

A Ghost rises.

1 GHOST .

I'm Jeffry Cackle . — — — You my death shall rue;
For I was press'd by you, by you, by you.

Another Ghost rises.

2 GHOST .

I'm Smut the farrier. — You my death shall rue;

SCENE III.

Sir R OGER , Sir H UMPHRY , Justice Statute , and Constable .

Sir ROGER.

See constable, that ev'ry one withdraw.

Sir HUMPHRY.

We've business — — —

Justice STATUTE.

— — — To discuss a point of Law.

SCENE II.

SOLDIER.

Sergeant, the captain to your quarters sent;
To ev'ry ale-house in the town I went.
Our Corp'ral now has the deserter found;
The men are all drawn out, the pris'ner bound.

SERGEANT.

Come, soldier, come — — —

KITTY.

— — — Ah! take me, take me too.

GRANDMOTHER.

Stay, forward wench; — — —

AUNT.

— — — What would the creature do?
This week thy mother means to wash and brew.

KITTY.