BEGGAR, PLAYER.

BEGGAR.

IF poverty be a title to poetry I am fure nobody can difpute mine. I own my felf of the Company of Beggars, and I make one at their weekly feftivals at St. Giles's. I have a fmall yearly falary for my catches, and am welcome to a dinner there whenever I please, which is more than most poets can fay.

Play. As we live by the Mufes it is but gratitude in us to encourage poetical merit wherever we find it. The Mufes, contrary to all other ladies, pay no diftin&tion to drefs, and never partially mistake the pertnefs of embroidery for wit, nor the modefty of want for dulnefs. Be the author who he will we push his play as far as it will go; fo (though you are in want) I with you fuccefs heartily.

Beg. This Piece, I own, was originally writ for the celebrating the marriage of James Chanter and Moll Lay, two moft excellent balladfingers. I have introduced the fimilies that are in all your celebrated operas, The Swallow, The Moth, The Bee, The Ship, The Flower, &c.: befides, I have a prifon scene, which the ladies always reckon charmingly pathetick. As to the parts, I have obferved fuch a nice impartiality to our two ladies that it is impoffible for either of them to take offence. I hope I may be forgiven that I have not made my Opera throughout unnatural, like those in vogue, for I have no recitative excepting this. As I have confented to have neither prologue nor epilogue it muft be allowed an Opera in all its forms. The Piece indeed hath been heretofore frequently reprefented by ourselves in our great room at St. Giles's, fo that I cannot too often acknowledge your charity in bringing it now on the stage.

Play. But I fee it is time for us to withdraw; the actors are preparing to begin. Play away the overture. [Exeunt.

ACT I.

SCENE, PEACHUм's houfe.

PEACHUM fitting at a table with a large book of accounts before him.

AIR I. An old roman clothed in gray.

HRO' all the employments of life

Tach neighbour abufes his brother,

Whore and rogue they call husband and wife,
All profeffions berogue one another:
The priest calls the lawyer a cheat,
The lawyer beknaves the divine,
And the statefman because he's fo great
Thinks his trade as honest as mine.

A lawyer is an honeft employment, fo is mine: like me too he acts in a double capacity, both against rogues and for 'em; for 't is but fitting that we fhould protect and encourage cheats fince we live by 'em.

Enter FILCH.

Filch. Sir, Black Moll hath fent word her trial comes on in the afternoon, and fhe hopes you will order matters fo as to bring her off.

Peach. Why, fhe may plead her belly at worft; to my knowledge the hath taken care of that fecurity: but as the wench is very active and induftrious, you may fatisfy her that I'll foften the evidence.

Filch. Tom Gagg Sir is found guilty.

Peach. A lazy dog! when I took him the time before I told him what he would come to if he did not mend his hand. This is death without reprieve: I may venture to book him: [Writes.] for Tom Gagg forty pounds. Let Betty Sly know that I'll fave her from transportation, for I can get more by her staying in England.

Filch. Betty hath brought more goods into our lock toyear than any five of the gang, and in truth 't is pity to lofe fo good a customer.

* The lines diftinguished by inverted commas are omitted in the reprefentation.

Peach. If none of the gang takes her off fhe may in the common course of business live a twelvemonth longer. I love to let women 'fcape. A good fportfman always lets the hen partridges fly, because the breed of the game depends upon them. Befides, here the law allows us no reward. There is nothing to be got by the death of womenexcept our wives.

Filch. Without difpute fhe is a fine woman! 'twas to her I was obliged for my education. (To fay a bold word) She hath trained up more young fellows to the business than the gamingtable.

Peach. Truly Filch thy observation is right. We and the furgeons are more beholden to women than all the profeffions befides.

AIR II. The bonny gray-ey'd morn, &c.
Filch. "Tis woman that feduces all mankind;
By her we first were taught the wheedling arts;
Her very eyes can cheat: when most she's kind
She tricks us of our money with our hearts.
For her like wolves by night we roam for prey,
And practife ev'ry fraud to bribe her charms;
For fuits of love, like law, are won by pay,
Ja: And Beauty must be feed into our arms.

Peach. But make hafte to Newgate boy, and let my friends know what I intend; for I love to make them eafy one way or other.

Filch. When a gentleman is long kept in fufpense penitence may break his spirit ever after. Befides,certainty gives a man a good air upon his trial, and makes him risk another without fear or fcruple. But I'll away, for 't is a pleasure to be the meffenger of comfort to friends in affliction. [Exit.

Peach. But it is now high time to look about me for a decent execution against next feffions. I hate a lazy rogue, by whom one can get nothing till he is hanged. A register of the gang. [Reading.] Crookfinger'd Jack, a year and a half in the fervice: let me fee how much the flock owes to his industry; one, two, three, four, five, gold watches, and feven filver ones. A mighty clean-handed fellow! fixteen fnuffboxes, five of them of true gold, fix dozen of handkerchiefs, four filver-hilted fwords, half a dozen of thirts, three tie-periwigs, and a piece of broad cloth. Confidering these are only fruits of his leifure hours I don't Enow a prettier fellow, for no man alive hath a more en

gaging prefence of mind upon the road. Wat. Dreary, alias Brown Will; anirregular dog! who hath an underhand way of difpofing of his goods. I'll try him only for a feffions or two longer upon his good behaviour. Harry Paddington; a poor petty-larceny rafcal, without the leaft genius! that fellow, though he were to live these fix months, will never come to the gallows with any credit. Slippery Sam; he goes off the next feffions, forthe villain hath the impudence to have views of following his trade as a tailor, which he calls an honeft employment. Mat. of the Mint, lifted not above a month ago; a promising sturdy fellow, and diligent in his way; fomewhat too bold and hafty, and may raise good contributions on the publick, if he does not cut himfelf fhort by murder. Tom Tipple; a guzzling foaking fot, who is always too drunk to stand himself or to make others ftand! a cart is abfolutely neceffary for him. Robin of Bagfhot, alias Gorgon, alias Bluff Bob, alias Carbuncle, alias Bob Booty.

Enter Mrs. PEACHUM.

Mrs. Peach. What of Bob Booty husband? I hope nothing bad hath betided him. You know, my dear! he's a favourite customer of mine; 't was he made me a prefent of this ring.

Peach. I have fet his name down in the black-lift, that's all my dear! he spends his life among women, and as foon as his money is gone one or other of the ladies will hang him for the reward, and there's forty pounds loft to us for ever.

Mrs. Peach. You know, my dear! I never meddle in matters of death; I always leave those affairs to you. Women indeed are bitter bad judges in thefe cafes, for they are so partial to the brave that they think every man handsome who is going to the camp or the gallows.

AIR III. Cold and raw, Fc. ·

If any wench Venus's girdle wear,
Tho' fhe be never fo ugly,

Lilies and roses will quickly appear,

And her face look wondrous fmuggly.

Beneath the left ear fo fit but a cord

(A rope fo charming a zone is!)

The youth in his cart hath the air of a lord,
And we cry There dies an Adonis !

But really, husband, you should not be too hardhearted,

for

you never had a finer braver fet of men than at present.