Peach. Since you provoke me to speak Enter MACHeath. I must tell you too, that Mrs. Coaxer charges Lucy. Though the ordinary was out of the you with defrauding her of her information way to-day, I hope, my dear, you will, upon money for the apprehending of Curl-pated he first opportunity, quiet my scruples. -Oh, Hugh. Indeed, indeed, brother, we must punct-sir! my father's hard heart is not to be softened, ually pay our spies, or we shall have no in- and I am in the utmost despair. formation. Mac. But if I could raise a small sum— Lockit. Is this language to me, sirrah-who would not twenty guineas, think you, move have saved you from the gallows, sirrah! him? Of all the arguments in the way of [Collaring each other. business, the perquisite is the most prevailing.Peach. If I am hanged, it shall be for rid- Money, well-timed, and properly applied, will ding the world of an arrant rascal. do any thing. Lockit. This hand shall do the office of the halter you deserve, and throttle you—you dog! Peach. Brother, brother- -we are both in the wrong-we shall be both losers in the dispute for you know we have it in our power to hang each other. You should not be so passionate. Lockit. Nor you so provoking. Peach. 'Tis our mutual interest, 'tis for the interest of the world, we should agree. If I said any thing, brother, to the prejudice of your character, I ask pardon. AIR.-MACHEATH. If you at an office expect your due, site too, To do what his duty directed: Or would you the frowns of a lady prevent, Lucy. What love or money can do shall Lockit. Brother Peachum-I can forgive as be done; for all my comfort depends upon well as resent-Give me your hand; suspicion your safety. does not become a friend. Peach. I only meant to give you occasion Enter POLLY. to justify yourself. But I must now step home, Polly Where is my dear husband?-Was for I expect the gentleman about this snuff- a rope ever intended for his neck! Oh let box that Filch nimmed 1) two nights ago in me throw my arms about it, and throttle thee the Park. I appointed him at this hour. [Exit. with love!-Why dost thou turn away from me?-'tis thy Polly-'tis thy wife. Enter LUCY. Lockit. Whence come you, hussy? Lucy. My tears might answer that question. Lockit. You have been whimpering and fondling like a spaniel, over the fellow that hath abused you. Mac. Was ever such an unfortunate rascal as I am! Lucy. Was there ever such another villain! Polly. Oh, Macheath! was it for this we parted? Taken! imprisoned! tried! hanged!Cruel reflection! I'll stay with thee till deathno force shall tear thy dear wife from thee now. What means my love?-not one kind word! not one kind look! - Think what thy Lockit. Learn to bear your husband's death Polly suffers to see thee in this condition! like a reasonable woman; 'tis not the fashion Mac. I must disown her. [Aside] The wench now-a-days so much as to affect sorrow upon is distracted! Lucy. One can't help love; one can't cure it. Tis not in my power to obey you and hate him. were born these occasions. No woman would ever marry Lucy. Am I then bilked of my virtue? Can if she had not the chance of mortality for a I have no reparation? Sure men release. Act like a woman of spirit, hussy, to lie, and women to believe them! Oh viland thank your father for what he is doing. lain! villain! AIR. LUCY. Is then his fate decreed, sir, Such a man can I think of quitting? When first we met, so moves me yet, O see how my heart is splitting! Lockit. Look ye, Lucy, there is no saving him-so I think you must even do like other widows-buy yourself weeds, and be cheerful. AIR.-LOCKIT. You'll think, ere many days ensue, This sentence not severe; I hang your husband, child, 'tis true, Like a good wife, go moan over your dying Polly. Am I not thy wife?-Thy neglect of me, thy aversion to me, too severely proves it.-Look on me-Tell me, am I not thy wife? Lucy. Perfidious wretch! Polly. Barbarous husband! Lucy. Hadst thou been hanged five months ago, I had heen happy. Polly. If you had been kind to me till death, it would not have vexed me--and that's no very unreasonable request (though from a wife) to a man who hath not above seven or eight days to live. Lucy. Art thou, then, married to another? Hast thou two wives, monster? Mac. If woman's tongues can cease for an answer-hear me. Lucy. I won't.-Flesh and blood can't bear husband; that, child, is your duty-Consider, my usage! girl, you can't have the man and the money Polly. Shall not I claim my own? Justice too. so make yourself as easy as you can, bids me speak. by getting all you can from him. [Exit. 1) Slang; for stale. AIR. МАСНЕАТН. How happy could I be with either, But while ye thus tease me together, But toll de roll, etc. Polly. Sure, my dear, there ought to be some preference shown to a wife-at least she may claim the appearance of it. He must be distracted with misfortunes, or he could not use me thus. Lucy. Oh villain! villain! thou hast deceived me!-I could even inform against thee with pleasure.- Not a prude wishes more heartily to have facts against her intimate acquaintance, than I now wish to have facts against thee. I would have her satisfaction, and they should all out. I'm troubled! least, madam; and my duty, madam, obliges me to stay with my husband, madam. Ꭺ 1 Ꭱ. Lucy Why, how now, madam Flirt? Polly. Why, how now, saucy jade? Enter PEACHUM. Peach. Where's my wench? Ah, hussy, hussy!-Come home, you slut! and when your fellow is hanged, hang yourself, to make your Oh, how family some amends. Lucy. Bamboozled and bit! These fingers, with pleasure could Polly. I'm bubbled, etc. Polly. Dear, dear father! do not tear m from him.-I must speak-I have more to say to him.-Oh, twist thy fetters about me, tha he may not haul me from thee! Peach. Sure, all women are alike! if ever they commit one folly, they are sure to com mit another, by exposing themselves.— Awa -not a word more.-You are my prisoner now, hussy. AIR. - POLLY. No pow'r on earth can e'er divide Oh, oh, ray, oh Amborah-Oh, oh, etc [Holding Macheath, Peachum pulling he Mac. And hast thou the heart to persist in [Exeunt Peachum and Pol Mac. I am naturally compassionate, wife, s persuading me that I am married? Why, that I could not use the wench as she deser Polly, dost thou seek to aggravate my mis-ved, which made you, at first, suspect ther fortunes? Lucy. Really, miss Peachum, you do but expose yourself; besides, 'tis barbarous in you to worry a gentleman in his circumstances. AIR. POLLY. Cease your funning, Force or cunning Never shall my heart trepan ; To seduce my constant man. 'Tis most certain, Others' wooing, Never happy in their own! was something in what she said. Lucy. Indeed, my dear, I was strang puzzled! Mac. If that had been the case, her fall would never have brought me into this ar cumstance-No, Lucy, I had rather die tha be false to thee! Luc. How happy am 1, if you say this fro your heart! for I love thee so, that I cou sooner bear to see thee hanged, than in the arms of another. Mac. But couldst thou bear to see me banged Luc. Ob, Macheath; I could never five see that day! Mac. You see, Lucy, in the account of love you are in my debt.-Make me, if possible love thee more, and let me owe my life thee-If you refuse to assist me, Peachum your father will immediately put me beyou Decency, madam, methinks, might teach you all means of escape. Lucy. My father, I know, hath been drink ing hard with the prisoners, and I fancy Mac. But, seriously, Polly, this is carrying is now taking his nap in his own room can procure the keys, shall I go off with thes the joke a little to far. my dear? Luc. If you are determined, madam, to raise a disturbance in the prison, I shall be obliged to send for the turnkey, to show you the door. ble to lie concealed. As soon as the searc Mac. If we are together, 'twill be imposs I am sorry, madam, you force me to be so begins to be a little cool, I will send to the ill bred. Polly. Give me leave to tell you, madam, till then, my heart is thy prisoner. these forward airs don't become you in the thy life to me; and, though you love me Lucy. Come then, my dear husband, be grateful. But that Polly runs in my head strangely. Mac. A moment of time may make us unhappy for ever. AIR. LUCY. I like the fox shall grieve, Whose mate hath left her side; He never will come back. ACT III. SCENE I-NEWGATE. LOCKIT, LUCY. [Exeunt. Alone I lie, Toss, tumble, aud cry, Is lost in the arms Of that jilt, that inveigling harlot! Of that jilt, that inveigling harlot! Lockit. And so, after all this mischief, I must stay here to be entertained with your caterwauling, mistress Puss!-Out of my sight, wanton strumpet!-Yon shall fast, and mortify yourself into reason, with, now and then, a little handsome discipline, to bring you to your Lockit. To be sure, wench, you must have senses.s.-Go!-[Exit Lucy] Peachum, then, been aiding and abetting to help him to this intends to outwit me in this affair, but F'll be escape? even with him!-The dog is leaky in his liLucy. Sir, here hath been Peachum, and quor, so I'll ply him that way, get the secret his daughter Polly, and, to be sure, they know from him, and turn this affair to my own adthe ways of Newgate as well as if they had vantage. Lucy! been born and bred in the place all their lives. Why must all your suspicion light upon me? Enter LUCY. Lockit. Lucy, Lucy, I will have none of Are there any of Peachum's people now in these shuffling answers! Lucy. Well then, if I know any thing of him, I wish I may be burned! Lockit. Keep your temper, Lucy, or I shall pronounce you guilty. Lucy. Keep yours, sir-I do wish I may be burned, I do; and what can I say more to convince you? the house? Lucy. Filch, sir, is drinking a quartern of strong waters, in the next room, with Black Moll. 'Lockit. Bid him come to me. Enter FILCH. [Exit. Why, boy, thou lookest as if thou wert half Lockit. Did he tip handsomely?-How much starved, like a shotten herring.-But, boy, did he come down with? Come, hussy, don't canst thou tell me where thy master is to be cheat your father, and I shall not be angry found? with you-Perhaps, you have made a better Filch. At his lock, sir, at the Crooked Billet. bargain with him than I could have done- Lockit. Very well-I have nothing more How much, my good girl? with you. [Exit Filch] I'll go to him there, Lucy. You know, sir, I am fond of him, for I have many important affairs to settle and would have given money to have kept with him, and in the way of those transactions, bim with me. I'll artfully get into his secret-so that Macheath shall not remain a day longer out of my clutches. [Exú. Lockit. Ah, Lucy! thy education might have put thee more upon thy guard: for a girl, in the bar of an alehouse, is always besieged. Lucy. If you can forgive me, sir, I will make a fair confession; for, to be sure, he hath been a most barbarous villain to me! Lockit. And so you have let him escape, hussy-have you? Lucy. When a woman loves, a kind look, a tender word, can persuade her to any thing, and I could ask no other bribe. Notwithstanding all he swore, I am now fully convinced, that Polly Peachum is actually his wife-Did I let him escape, fool that I was! to go to her? Polly will wheedle herself into his money; and then Peachum will hang him, and cheat us both. Lockit. So I am to be ruined because, forsooth, you must be in love! - A very pretty I excuse! Enter LUCY. Lucy. Jealousy, rage, love, and fear, are at once tearing me to pieces. How am I weather-beaten and shattered with distresses. AIR.-LUCY. I'm like a skiff on the ocean tost, Now high, now low, with each billow With her rudder broke and her anchor lost, While thus Ilie rolling and tossing all night, Shall appease my restless sprite. have the ratsbane ready-But say I were to be hanged-I never could be hanged for any Lucy. I could murder that impudent, happy thing that would give me greater comfort than strumpet!-I gave him his life, and that crea- the poisoning that slut. Eure enjoys the sweets of it-Ungrateful Macbeath! AIR. -LUCY. My love is all madness and folly; Enter FILCH. Enter POLLY. she hates me!-The dissembling of a woman Dear madam! your servant.-I hope you will is always the forerunner of mischief-By pourpardon my passion when I was so happy to ing strong waters down my throat she thinks see you last-I was so overrun with the spleen, to pump some secrets out of me-I'll be upon that I was perfectly out of myself; and really my guard, and won't taste a drop of her li when one hath the spleen, every thing is to quor, I'm resolved. be excused by a friend. AIR. LUCY. When a wife's in the poul (As she's sometimes, no doubt), Re-enter LUCY, with strong Waters. Lucy. Come, miss Polly. Polly. Indeed, child, you have given yourself trouble to no purpose-You must, my The good husband, as meek as a lamb, dear, excuse me. First grant her her will, -I wish all our quarrels might have so com- Lucy. Really, miss Polly, you are as squeamishly affected about taking a cup of strong waters as a lady before company. Polly. What do I see? Macheath again in custody-now every glimmering of happiness is lost! [Drops the Glass of Liquor on the Ground. Enter LOCKIT, Macheath, and PEACHUM, Polly. I have no excuse for my own behaviour, madam, but my misfortunes-and really, madam, I suffer too upon your account. Lockit. Set your heart at rest, captainLucy. But, miss Polly-in the way of You have neither the chance of love or money friendship, will you give me leave to propose for another escape, for you are ordered to be a glass of cordial to you? Polly. Strong waters are apt to give me the headaclie. I hope, madam, you will excuse me? called down upon your trial immediately. Peach. Away, hussies!-This is not a time for a man to be hampered with his wivesyou see the gentleman is in chains already. Lucy. O husband, husband! my heart longed Lucy. Not the greatest lady in the land could have better in her closet for her own to see thee, but to see thee thus distracts me! private drinking. You seem mighty low in spirits, my dear! Polly, I am sorry, madam, my health will not allow me to accept of your offer-I should. not have left you in the rude manner I did when we met last, madam, had not my papa hauled me away so unexpectedly.-I was indeed somewhat provoked, and perhaps might use some expressions that were disrespectful -but really, madam, the captain treated me with so much contempt and cruelty, that I deserved your pity rather than your resentment. Lucy. But since his escape, no doubt, all matters are made up again-Ah Polly! Polly! 'tis I am the unhappy wife, and he loves you as if you were only his mistress. Polly. Will not my dear husband look upon his Polly? Why hadst thou not flown to me for protection? with me thou hadst been safe. DUET. POLLY AND LUCY. Polly. Hither, dea. husband, turn your eyes! Mine, too, breaks. Polly. Must I be slighted? Polly. Sure, madam, you cannot think me Mac. What would you have me say, laso happy as to be the object of your jealousy dies? You see the affair will soon be at an --A man is always afraid of a woman who end, without my disobliging either of you, loves him too well-So that I must expect to Peach. But the settling of this point, capbe neglected and avoided. tain, might prevent a lawsuit between your two ladies. Lucy. Then our cases, my dear Polly, are exactly alike: both of us indeed have been too fond. Indeed, my dear Polly, we are both of us a cup too low; let me prevail upon you to accept of my offer. AIR. LUCY. Come, sweet lass, The vapours of despair, And make us light as air; Then drink and banish care. AIR. MA CHEATH. way Which shall I turn me? bow can l One wife is as a bride. too much for most husbands to hear, But two at a time, there's no mortal can bear This way and that way, and which way I will, What would comfort the one, t'other wife would take ill. Polly. But, if his own misfortunes have made him insensible to mine, a father, sure, will be more compassionate!-Dear, dear sir! I can't bear, child, to see you in such low sink the material evidence, and bring him off spirits and I must persuade you to what I at his trial-Polly, upon her knees, begs it of know will do you good. [Exit. you. Polly. All this wheedling of Lucy can't be for nothing-at this time too, when I now! AIR. -POLLY. When my hero in court appears, And stands arraign'd for his life, Alack, and well-a-day! Oh! ev'ry month was May. Peach. Set your heart at rest, Polly-your Enter BEN BUDGE and MAT-O'THE-MINT. Mac. For my having broke prison, you see, husband is to die to-day; therefore, if you gentlemen, I am ordered immediate execution are not already provided, 'tis high time to -The sheriff's officers, I believe, are now at look about for another.-There's comfort for the door. That Jemmy Twitcher should 'peach you, you slut! Lockit. We are ready, sir, to conduct you to the Old Bailey. AIR. MACHEATH. The charge is prepared, the lawyers are met, The judges all ranged; (a terrible show!) I go undismay'd, for death is a debt A debt on demand, so take what I owe. Then farewell, my love-dear charmers, adieu! Contented I die-'tis the better for you. Dance of Prisoners in Fetters. MEDLEY. Oh, cruel, cruel, cruel case! Of all the friends in time of grief, As this best friend, a brimmer. [Drinks. Since I must swing-I scorn, I scorn to wince or whine. [Rises. But now again, my spirits sink, me, I own surprised me--'Tis a plain proof that the world is all alike, and that even our gang can no more trust one another than other people; therefore, I beg you, gentlemen, to look well to yourselves, for, in all probability, you may live some months longer. Mat. We are all heartily sorry, captain, for your misfortune; but 'tis what we must all come to. Mac. Peachum and Lockit, you know, are infamous scoundrels-their lives are as much in your power, as yours are in theirs-Remember your dying friend-'Tis my last request-Bring those villains to the gallows before you, and I am satisfied. Mat. We'll do it. [Drinks. But valour the stronger grows, [Turns up the empty Pot. Polly. No token" of love? Mac. [Drinks. See, my courage is out! [Turns up the empty Bottle. Lucy. No token of love? If thus a man can die, [Pours out a Bumper of Brandy. So I drink off this bumper- and now I can stand the test, Mac. But hark! I hear the toll of the bell. Re-enter GAOLER. Gaoler. Four women more, captain, with a child a-piece. Mac. Tell the sheriff's officers I am ready. [Exeunt. Mob. [Within] A reprieve! a reprieve! Re-enter MACHEATH, POLLY, LUCY, etc. Mae. So, it seems, I am not left to my choice, but must have a wife at last-Look ye, my dears, we will have no controversy |
