King and his Royal Brother defend his Cause and assert his Right without the fear of a taste of the Old Sequestration call'd a Fine Guard the Illustrious Paire good Heaven from Hâ—llâ—sh Plots and all the Devilish matchinations of Factious Cruelties and you great Sir whose Merits have so justly deserv'd that glorious Command so lately trusted to your Care which Heaven increase and make your glad Regiment Armyes for our safety May you become the great Example of Loyalty and Obedience and stand a firm and unmoveable Pillar to Monarchy a Noble Bull-work to Majesty defend the Sacred Cause imploy all that Youth Courage and Noble Conduct which God and Nature purposely has endued you with to serve the Royal Intrest You Sir who are obliged by a double Duty to Love Honour and Obey his Majesty both as a Father and a King O undissolvable Knot O Sacred Vnion what Duty what Love what Adoration can express or repay the Debt we owe the first or the Alegiance due to the last but where both meet in one to make the Tye Eternal Oh vvhat Counsel what Love of Power what fancied Dreams of Empire what fickle Popularity can inspire the heart of man or any Noble mind with Sacreligious thoughts against it can harbour or conceive a stubborn disobedience Oh what Son can desert the Cause of an Indulgent Parents what Subject of such a Prince without renouncing the Glory of his Birth his Loyalty and good Nature Ah Royal lovely Youth bevvare of false Ambition wisely believe your Elevated Glory at least more happy then a Kings you share their Ioys their pleasures and magnificence without the toiles and business of a Monarch their carefull dayes and restless thoughtful nights know you are blest with all that Heaven can give or you can wish your Mind and Person such so excellent that Love knows no fault it would wish to mend nor Envy to increase blest with a Princess of such undisputable charming Beauty as if Heaven designing to take a peculiar care in all that concerns your happiness had form'd her on purpose to compleat it Haile happy glorious Paire the perfect joy and pleasure of all that look on ye for whom all Tongues and Hearts have Prayers and Blessings May you out-live Sedition and see your Princely Race as Numerous as Beautifull and those all great and Loyal Supporters of a long Race of Monarchs of this Sacred Line This shall be the perpetuall wish this the Eternal Prayer of SIR Your Graces most Humble and most Obedient Servant A. Behn PROLOGUE Spoken by the Ghost of Huson ascending from Hell drest as a Cobler I Am the Ghost of him who was a true Son Of the late GOOD OLD CAVSE Ecliped Huson Rous'd by strange scandal from th' eternal flame With noise of Plotts of wonderous birth and name Whilst the sly Jesuit robs us of our fame Can all their Conclave tho' with Hell th' agree Act mischief equal to Presbittery Look back on our success in Forty One Was ever braver Villanies carryed on Or new ones now more hopefully begun And shall our unsuccess our merit lose And make us quit the Glory of our Cause No Hire new Villains Rogues without remorse And let no Law nor Conscience stop your course Let Polititions order the Confusion And let the Saints pay Pious Contribution Pay those that Rail and those that can delude With scribling Nonsence the Loose Multitude Pay well your Witnesses they may not run To the right side and tell who set 'em on Pay 'em so well that they may ne'r Recant And so turn Honest meerly out of want Pay Juries that no formal Laws may harm us Let Treason be secur'd by Ignoramus Pay Bully Whig who Loyal writers bang And honest Tories in Effigie hang Pay those that burn the Pope to please the fools And dayly pay Right Honourable Tooles Pay all the Pulpit knaves that Treason brew And let the zealous Sisters pay 'em too Justices bound by Oath and obligation Pay them the utmost price of their Damnation Not to disturb our useful Congregation Nor let the Learned Rabble be forgot Those Pious hands that crown our hopeful Plott No Modern States-men cry t is Lunacy To barter Treason with such Rogues as we But subtiller Oliver did not disdain His Mightier Politiques with ours to joyn I for all uses in a State was able Cou'd Mutiny cou'd fight hold forth and Cobble Your lazy State man may sometimes direct But your small busie knaves the Treason Act. The Actors Names 1. Lord Fleetwood 2. Lord Lambert Competitors for the Crown but Lambert is General of the Army Lord Wariston Chairman of the Committee of Safety Hewson Desbro Duckingfield Corbet Commanders and Committee men 3. Lord Witlock Ananias Gogle Lay Elder of Clements Parish A Rable Of the sanctified Mobily Corporal Right An Oliverian Commander but honest and a Cavelier in his heart Loveless A Royalist a man of Honor loves Lady Lambert Freeman His friend of the same Character in love with Lady Desbro Lady Lambert In love with Loveless Lady Desbro In love with Freeman Lady Fletwood Lady Cromwell Gilliflower Lady Lamberts Old Woman Several Ladies For Redress of Grievances Two Pages To Lady Lambert Page To Lady Desbro Footmen Fidlers and a Bâ—nd of Loyal City Apprentices THE ROVND-HEADS OR THE Good Old Cause ACT. I. Scene I. The Street Enter three Souldiers and Corporal Right Cor. AH Rogues the World runs finely round the bus'ness is done 1 Sould. Done the Town 's our own my fine Rascal 2 Sould. We 'll have Harlots by the Belly Sirrah 1 Sould. Those are Commodities I confess I wou'd fain be truckâ—ing for but no words of that Boy Cor. Stand who go's there To them a Ioyner and Felt-maker 1 Sould. Who are you for hah Ioyn Are for Friend we are for Gad and the Lord Fleetwood 1 Sould. Fleetwood knock 'em down Fleetwood that snivelling Thief Felt. Why Friends who are ye for Cor. For who shou'd we be for but Lambert Noble Lambert Is this a time o' th' day to declare for Fleetwood with a Pox indeed i' th morning 't was a Question had like to have been decided with push a Pike 2 Sould. Dry blows wou'd ne'r a don 't some must have sweat blood for 't but 't is now decided Ioyn Decided 2 Sould. Yes decided Sir without your Rule for 't Ioyn Decided by whom Sir by us the Free-born Subjects of England by the Honourable Committee of Safety or the Right Reverend City without which Sir I humbly conceive your Declaration for Lambert is illegal and against the Property of the People 2 Sould. Plain Lambert here 's a sawcy Dog of a Joyner Sirrah get ye home and mind your Trade and save the Hang-man a labour Ioyn Look ye Friend I fear no Hang-man in Christendom for Conscience and Publick good for Liberty and Property I dare as far as any man 2 Sould. Liberty and Property with a pox in the mouth of a Joyner you are
honest Free Parliament not one pick'd and chosen by Faction but such an one shall do our Bus'ness Lads and bring in the Great Heroick All. Ay Ay the Great Heroick the Great Heroick Lov. A fine Youth and shou'd be encourag'd Capt. Good in the next place the noble Scotch General is come and we 'll side with him Free Ay Ay all side with him 1 Pren. Your Reason Captain for we have acted too much without Reason already 2 Pren. Are we sure of him Captain Capt. Oh he 'll doubtless declare for the King Boyes All. Hay Via la Roy via la Monk Capt. Next I hear there 's a Proclamation coming out to dissolve the Committee of no Safety All. Good good Capt. And I hope you are all brave enough to stand to your Loyal Principles with your Lives and Fortunes All. We 'll dye for the Royal Interest Capt. In the next place there 's another Proclamation come out 2 Pr. This Captain is a man of rare Intelligence but for what Captain Capt. Why to hang us all if we do not immediately depart to our respective Vocations how like you that my Lads 2 Pr. Hum hang'd I 'll e'n home again 1 Pr. And I too I do not like this hanging 3. Pr. A man looks but scurvily with his Neck awry 4 Pr. Ay ay We 'll home Capt. Why now you shew what precious men you are the King wou'd be finely hope up with such Rascals that for fear of a little hanging wou'd desert his Cause a Pox upon ye all I here discharge ye take back your Coward Hands and give me Hearts flings 'em a Scroll I scorn to fight with such mean-spirited Rogues I did but try your boasted Courages Lov. A brave Boy Lov. and Free We 'll dye with thee Captain All. Oh noble Captain we recant 1 Pr. We recant dear Captain wee 'l dy one and all All. One and all one and all Capt. Why so there 's some trusting to you now 3 Pr. But is there such a Proclamation Captain Capt. There is but anon when the Crop-ear'd Sheriff begins to read it let every man inlarge his Voice and cry No Proclamation no Proclamation All. Agreed agreed Lov. Brave noble Lads hold still your Resolution And when your leisure hours will give ye leave Drink the King's Health here 's Gold for you to do so Free Take my Mite too brave Lads gives 'em Gold All. Hay Viva the brave Heroicks Enter Ananias Gogle Ana. Hum What have we here a Street-Conventicle or a Mutiny Yea verily it is a Mutiny What meaneth this appearance in Hostile manner in open Street by Day-light Capt. Hah one of the sanctify'd Lay Elders one of the Fiends of the Nation that go about like roaring Lyons seeking whom they may devour Lov. Who Mr. Ananias the Padder Ana. Bear Witness Gentlemen all he calls me an High-way Man thou shalt be hang'd for Scandal on the Brethren Lov. I 'll prove what I say Sirrah do not you rob on the High-way i' th' Pulpit Rob the Sisters and preach it lawful for them to rob their Husbands rob men even of their Consciences and Honesty nay rather than stand out rob poor Wenches of Bodkins and Thimbles Ana. I commit ye here Souldiers I charge ye in the Name of of marry I know not who in my Name and the good People of England take 'em to safe Custody Capt. How lay hold of honest Gentlemen Noble Cavaliers knock him down All. Knock him down knock him down Free Hold worthy Youths the Rascal has done me Service Ana. pulling off his Hat to 'em all Ye look like Citizens what evil Spirit is entered in unto you oh men of London that ye have changed your Note like Birds of evil Omen that you go astray after new Lights or rather no Lights and commit Whoredom with your Fathers Idols even in the midst of the Holy City which the Saints have prepared for the Elect the Chosen ones Capt. Hark ye Sirrah leave preaching and fall to declaring for us or thou art mortal Ana. Nay I say nay I will dye in my Calling yea I will fall a Sacrifice to the Good Old Cause abomination ye with a mighty hand and will destroy demolish and confound your Idols those heathenish Malignants whom you follow even with Thunder and Lightening even as a Field of Corn blasted by a strong Blast Lov. Knock him down All. Down with Dagon down with him Enter Hewson with Guards Hews Ah Rogues have I caught ye napping They all surround him and his Red-Coats All. Whoop Cobler Whoop Cobler The Boys Lov. and Free Corp. and Sould. beat off Hewson and his Party An. gets a Sword and fights too SCENE changes to a Chamber Enter La. Lam. and Gill. Gill. I 've had no time to ask your Highness how you slept to night but that 's a needless Question La. Lam. How mean you do you suspect my Vertue do you believe Loveless dares attempt any thing against my Honour No Gilliflower he acted all things so like a Gentleman that every Moment takes my Heart more absolutely Gill. My Lord departed highly satisfied La. Lam. She is not worthy of Intrigues of Love that cannot mannage a silly Husband as she pleases but Gilliflower you forget that this is Council day Gill. No but I do not Madam some important Suitors wait already Enter La. Des. and La. Fleetwood La. Lam. Your Servant Madam Desbro thour' t welcom Gilliflower are all things ready in the Council Chamber We that are Great must sometimes stoop to Acts That have at least some shew of Charity We must redress the Grievance of our People La. Fleet. She speaks as she were Queen but I shall put a Spoke in her rising Wheel of Fortune or my Lords Politicks fail him Scen. draws off Table with Papers Chairs round it La. Lam. Where are the Ladies of the Council how remiss they are in their Attendance on us La. Fleet. Us Heav'ns I can scarce indure this Insolence We will take care to mind 'em of their Duty La. Lam. We poor Creature how simply Majesty becomes her They all sitting down Enter La. Cromwel angrily and takes her Place Lamb. uppermost Madam as I take it at our last sitting our pleasure was that you shou'd sit no more Crom. Your pleasure Is that the General Voice This is my Place in spight of thee and all thy fawning Faction and I shall keep it when thou perhaps shalt be an humble Suppliant here at my Foot-stool La. Lam. I smile at thee Crom. Do and cringe 't is thy bu'sness to make thee Popular But 't is not that Nor thy false Beauty that will serve thy Ends. La. Lam. Rail on declining Majesty may be excus'd Call in the Women that attend for redress of Grievances Ex. Pag. Enter Page with Women and Loveless dress'd as a Woman Gentlewomen what 's your Business with us Lov. Gentlewomen some of us are Ladies La. Lam. Ladies in good time by what Authority and from
know how kind you wou'd have been to him because your Disciple and Benefactor to have begot him a Babe of Grace for a Son and Heir Ana. Mistake not my pious meaning most Gracious Lady La. Des. I 'll set you out in your Colours your impudent and Bloody Principles your cheats your Rogueries on honest men through their kind deluded Wives whom you cant and goggle into a Belief 't is a great work of Grace to steal and beggar their whole Families to contribute to your Gormandizing Lust and Laziness Ye Locusts of the Land preach Nonsence Blasphemy and Treason till you sweat again that the Sanctifi'd Sisters my rub you down to comfort and console the Creature Ana. Ah! Am La. Des. Sirrah be gone and trouble me no more be gone yet stay the Rogue may be of Use to me amongst the heap of Vice Hypocrisie and Devils that possess all your Party you may have some necessary sin I 've known some honest useful Villains amongst you that will swear profess and lie devoutly for the Good Old Cause Ana. Yea verily I hope there are many such and I shou'd rejoyce yea exceedingly rejoyce in any Gadly Performance to your Ladiship La. Des. This is a pious Work You are a Knave of Credit a very Saint with the rascally Rabble with whom your Seditious Cant more prevails your precious hum and ha and gifted Nonsence than all the Rhetorick of the learn'd or honest Ana. Hah â— La. Des. In fine I have use of your Talent at present there 's one now in Confinement of the Royal Party his name's Freeman Ana. And your Ladiship wou'd have him dispatch'd I conceive ye but wou'd you have him dispatch'd privately or by Form of Law we 've Tools for all uses and 't is a pious Work and meritorious La. Des. Right I wou'd indeed have him dispatch'd and privately but 't is hither privately hither to my Chamber privately for I have private Bus'ness with him D' ye start this must be done for you can pimp I 'm sure upon occasion you 've Tools for all uses come resolve or I 'll discover your bloody offer Is your Stomach so queasie it cannot digest Pimping that can swallow Whoring false Oaths Sequestration Robbery Rapes and Murders daily Ana. Verily you mistake my pious meaning it is the Malignant I stick at the Person not the Office and in sadness Madam it goeth against my tender Conscience to do any good to one of the Wicked La. Des. It must stretch at this time go haste to the Guard and demand him in my Husband's Name here 's something worth your Pains having releas'd him bring him to me you understand me go bid him be diligent and as you behave your self find my Favour for know Sir I am as great an Hypocrite as you and know the Cheats of your Religion too and since we know one another 't is like we shall be true Ana. But shou'd the man be missing and I call'd to an account La. Des. He shall be return'd in an hour go get you gon and bring him or no more Ex. Ana. For all degrees of Vices you must grant There is no Rogue like your Geneva Saint ACT IV. Scene I. Chamber Candles and Lights Enter La. Desbro and Freeman La. Des. BY what strange Miracle my dearest Freeman wert thou set at Liberty Free On the zealous Parole of Rabbie Ananias that Rhetorick that can convert whole Congregations of well-meaning Block-heads to errant Knaves has now mollify'd my Keeper I 'm to be render'd back within this Hour let 's not my dear Maria lose the precious minutes this Reverend Hypocrite has given us La. Des. Oh! You are very gay have you forgot whose Prisoner you are and that perhaps e're many days are ended they may hang you for High Treason against the Common-wealth they never want good throw-stitch'd Witness to do a Murder lawfully Free No matter then I shall dye with Joy Maria when I consider that you lov'd so well to give me the last Proof on 't La. Des. Are you in Earnest Freeman and wou'd you take what Honour will not suffer me to grant Free With all my Heart Honour 's a poor Excuse Your Heart and Vows your better part are mine you 've only lent your Body out to one whom you call Husband and whom Heav'n has mark'd for Cuckoldom Nay 't is an Act of honest Loyalty so to revenge our Cause whilst you were only mine my honest Love thought it a Sin to press these Favours from you 't was injuring my self as well as thee But now we only give and take our Right La. Des. No more my Husband 's old Free Right my Dear Maria and therefore La. Des. May possibly dye Free He will be hang'd first La. Des. I hope so either of which will do our Business Unreasonable Freeman not to have Patience till my Husband be hang'd a liâ—tle Free But what if Destiny put the Change upon us and I be hang'd instead of Desbro La. Des. Why then thou art not the first Gallant Fellow that has dy'd in the Good and Royal Cause and a small Taste of Happiness will but turn thee off the Ladder with the sadder Heart Free Hast thou the Conscience lovely as thou art To deal out all thy Beauty to a Traytor Is not this Treason of the highest Nature To rob the Royal Party of such Treasure And give it to our mortal Enemies For Shame be wise and just And do not live a Rebel to our Cause 'T is Sin enough to have Society with such a wicked Race La. Des. But I am marryed to him Free So much the worse to make a League and Covenant with such Villains and keep the sinful Contract a little harmless Lying and Dissimulation I 'll allow thee but to be right down honest 't is the Devil L. Des. This will not do it never shall be said I 've been so much debauch'd by Conventickling to turn a Sainted Sinner No I 'm true to my Allegiance still true to my King and Honour Suspect my Loyalty when I lose my Virtue a little Time I 'm sure will give me honestly into thy Arms if thou hast Bravery show it in thy Love Free You will o'recome and shame me every way but when will this Change come And till it do what Pawn will you give me I shall be happy then La. Des. My Honour and that Happiness you long for and take but two Months Time for their Redemption Free How greedily I 'll seize the Forfeiture La. Des. But what am I like to get if this Change do come Free A Slave and whatever you please to make of him La. Des. Who knows in such a universal Change how you may alter too Free I 'll give ye Bond and Vows unkind Maria Here take my hand Be it known unto all Men by these Presents that I Iohn Freeman of London Gent. acknowledge my self in debt to Maria Desbro the Sum of one Heart with an incurable Wound one
Soul destin'd hers from it's first Being and one Body whole sound and in perfect Health which I here promise to pay to the said Maria upon Demand if the aforesaid Iohn Freeman be not hang'd before such Demand made Whereto I set my Hand and seal it with my Lips La. Des. And I in Consideration of such Debt do freely give unto the abovesaid Iohn Freeman the Heart and Body of the abovesaid Maria Desbro with all Appurtenances thereto belonging whenever it shall please Heav'n to bring my Husband fairly to the Gallows in a tone Free Amen kiss the Book Kisses her Ana. hums without La. Des. Hah that 's Ananias sure some Danger 's near the necessary Rascal gives us Notice of Free 't is so what wou'dst thou have me do La. Des. thou art undone if seen Here step within this Curtain He goes Enter Ananias humming and spreading his Cloak wide Desbro behind him puffing in a Chafe Des. Ads nigs what a Change is here like to be puff puff we have manag'd matters sweetly to let the Scotch General undermine us puff puff La. Des. What 's the matter Des. Nothing Cockey nothing but that we are like to return to our first nothing Ana. Yea verily when our times come but ah the great work of Reformation is not yet fully accomplished which must be wrought by the Saints and we cannot spare one of them until the Work be finish'd Des. Yea yea it is finished I doubt puff puff fye fye what a Change is here Ana. Patience ah 't is a precious Virtue Des. Patience Sir what when I shall lose so many fine Estates which did appertain to the Wicked and which I trusted had been establish'd ours and tell'st thou me of Patience puff puff walking fast Ana. How lose 'em Sir Handle the matter with Patience I hope the Committee of Safety or the Rump will not do an illegal thing to one of the Brethren Des. No No I have been a trusty Knave to them and so I have found them all to me but Monk Monk O that ever we shou'd be such blind Fools to trust an honest General Ana. Patience Sir What of him Des. I just now receiv'd private Intelligence he 's coming out of Scotland with his Forces puff puff Ana. Why let him come a Gads Name we have those will give him a civil Salute if he mean not honourably to the Commonwealth Patience Sir Des. But if he prove the stronger and shou'd chance to be so great a Traytor to us to bring in the Man the King La. Des. How the King Husband the great Heroick Free Death this Woman is a Sybill Ah Noble Monk Ana. Hum the King Des. Ah and with the King the Bishops and then where 's all our Church and Bishops Lands Oh! undone puff puff Ana. How bring in the King and Bishops my righteous Spirit is raised too I say I will excommunicate him for one of the Wicked yea for a prophane Heroick a Malignant a Tory a I say we will surround him and confound him with a mighty Host yea and fight the Lards Battel with him yea we will Des. Truckle to his Pow'r puff puff Ana. Nay I say verily nay for in Sadness I will dye in my Calling Des. So I doubt shall I which is Plowing Hedging and Ditching Ana. Yea we have the Sword of the Righteous in our hand and we will defend the mighty Revenues of the Church which the Lard hath given unto his People and chosen ones I say we will defend Des. Ah Patience Sir ah 't is a pious Virtue Ana. Ah it is Zeal in one of us the out-goings of the Spirit Enter Page Tom. Sir Will you go down to Prayers the Chaplain waits Des. No no Boy I am too serious for that Exercise I cannot now dissemble Heav'n forgive me Ana. How Sir not dissemble ah then you have lost a great Vertue indeed a very great Vertue ah let us not give away the Good Old Cause but as we have hitherto maintain'd it by Gadly cozenage and pious frauds let us persevere ah let us persevere to the end let us not lose our Heritage for a Mess of Pottage that is let us not lose the Cause for Dissimulation and Hypocrisie those two main Engines that have carry'd on the great Work Des. Verily you have prevailed and I will go take counsel of my pillow Boy call my man to undress me I 'll to bed for I am sick at heart Ex. Tom. Page Free Death what shall I do now Des. walks she whispers Ana. La. Des. You must get my man off or we 're undone Ana. Madam be comforted Heaven will bring all things about for our advantage as Des. turns La. Des. But he 's behind the Curtains man Des. turns from ' em Ana. Ah let Providence alone sâ—reads his cloak wide and goes by degrees towards the Bed Your pious Lady Sir is doubtful but I will give her ample satisfaction Des. Ah do Mr. Ananias do for she 's a good and a vertuous Lady certo she is goes close to the Bed-post and speaks over his shoulder Ana. Get ye behind my cloak La. Des. Indeed Sir your Counsel and Assistance is very comfortable Ana. We shou'd be helps meet to one another Madam Des. Alack good man â— La. Des. goes to cokes her Husb. La. Des. Ay my Dear I am so much oblig'd to him that I know not without thy thy aid how to make him amends Free So this is the first Cloak of Zeal I ever made use of An. going spreading his cloak to the door Freeman behind goes out Des. Good Lady give him this twenty pieces a dad he worthily deserves ' em gives her Gold La. Des. Indeed and so he does Dear if thou knew'st all What say you now do I not improve in Hypocrisie and shall I not in time make a precious member of your Church to Ana. Ana. Verily your Ladiship is most ingenious and expert Sir I most humbly take my leave Ex. Ananias Enter Tom Page Page My Lord my Lord Lambert has sent in all haste for you you must attend at his house immediately Des. So he has heard the News I must away let my Coach be ready Ex. Des. La. Des. How unlucky was this that Freeman shou'd be gone Sirrah run and see to o'retake him and bring him back Ex. all SCENE 2. A fine Chamber Enter Gilliflower and Loveless by dark richly drest Lov. Where am I Gilliflower Gill. In my Ladies Apartment Sir she 'll be with you presently you need not fear betraying Sir for I 'll assure you I 'm an Heroick in my heart my Husband was a Captain for his Majesty of ever blessed memory and kill'd at Naseby God be thanked Sir Lov. What pity 't is that thou shou'dst serve this Party Gill. ' Bating her Principles my Lady has good Nature enough to oblige a Servant and truly Sir my Vails were good in old Oliver's dayes I got well by that Amour between him and my Lady the man
was lavish enough Lov. Yes of the Nations Treasure but prithee tell me Is not thy Lady mad raving on Crowns and Kingdoms Gill. It appears so to you who are not us'd to the Vanity of the Party but they are all so mad in their degree and in the Fit they talk of nothing else Sir we have to morrow a hearing as they call it Lov. What 's that a Conventicle Gill. No no Sir Ladies of the last Edition that present their Grievances to the Council of Ladies of which my Lady 's Chief which Grievances are laid open to the Committee of Safety and so redress'd or slighted as they are Lov. That must be worth one's Curiosity cou'd one but see 't Gill. We admit no man Sir Lov. 'Sdeath for so good a sight I will turn Woman I 'll Act it to a hair Gill. That wou'd be excellent Lov. Nay I must do 't the Novelty is rare but I 'm impatient prethee let thy Lady know I wait Gill. She 's in Affairs of State but will be here immediately mean time retire into her Cabinet I 'll send the Page with Lights there you may repose till my Lady comes on the Pallat. she leads him out SCENE A great Chamber of State and Canopy And at a Table seated Lambert Fleetwood Desbro Hewson Duckingfield Wariston Cobbet all half drunk with Bottles and Glasses on the Table La. Lam. and La. Fleet. Lam. My Lord Wariston you are not merry to night War Wons Mon this Monk sticks in my Gullet the muckle Diel pull him out by th' Lugs the faud Loone will en spoyle ad our sport mon. Lam. I thought I had enough satisfy'd all your Fears the Army 's mine that is 't is yours my Lords and I 'll employ it too so well for the Good of the Commonwealth you shall have cause to commend both my Courage and Conduct my Lord Wariston will you accompany me War Ah my gued Lord the Honour is too great 'T is not but I's dare fight my Lord but I love not the limmer Loone he has a villainous honest Face an's ene I's kend him ence and lik't him not but I's drink tol y ar gued Fortune let it gang aboote ene and ad Sirs all drink Lam. We 'll leave all discourse of bus'ness and give our selves to Mirth I fancy good Success from this days Omen Enter Gill. whispers La. Lam. she rises La. Lam. Waited so long Gill. And grew inpatient and please your Highness must I go tell him you cannot see him to Night La. Lam. Not for the World my silly Politician will be Busying himself in dull Affairs of State Dull in Comparison of Love I mean I never lov'd before Old Oliver I suffer'd for my Interest And 't is some Greatness to be Mistress to the best But this mighty Pleasure comes A propo To sweeten all the heavy Toyls of Empire Gill. So it does an 't please your Highness La. Lam. Go let him know I 'm coming Madam I must beg your Pardon you hear my Lord to morrow goes on this great Expedition and for any thing we know may fall a glorious Sacrifice to the Commonwealth therefore 't is meet I offer up some Prayers for his Safety and all my Leasure Hours 'twixt this and that will be too few Your humble Servant Madam Ex. La. Lam. La. Fleet. My Dear I 'll leave you too my Time of Devotion is come and heav'n will stay for no Body where are my People is my Coach ready or may Chair Fleet. Go in your Chair my Love lest you catch cold La. Fleet. And light your Flambeaus I love to have my Chair surrounded with Flambeaus Enter Page Pag. Your Chair is ready Madam She goes out led by Fleet. Hews What think ye now my Lords of settling the Nation a little I find my Head swim with Politicks and what ye call ums War Wons and wad ya settle the Nation when we real our selves Hews Who pox shall we stand making Childrens Shoes all the year No No let 's begin to settle the Nation I say and go throw stich with our Work Duc. Right we have no Head to obey so that if this Scotch General do come whilst we Dogs fight for the Bone he runs away with it Hews Shaw we shall patch up matters with the Scotch General I 'll warrant you However here 's to our next Head One and All. all drink Flee Verily Sirs this Health drinking savoureth of Monarchy and is a Type of Malignancy War Bread my Lord no preaching o're y ar Liquer wee's now for a Cup o' th' Creature Cob. In a gadly way you may it is lawful Lam. Come Come we 're dull give us some Musick Come my Lord I 'll give you a Song I love Musick as I do a Drum there 's Life and Soul in 't call my Musick Fleet. Yea I am for any Musick except an Organ War ' SBread Sirs and I's for a Horn-pipe I 've a faud Theefe here shall dance ye dance tol a Horn-pipe with any States man a ya'ad All. He He He. Duc. I know not what your faud Theefe can do but I 'll hold you a Wager Collonel Hewson and Collonel Desbro shall dance ye the Saints Jigg with any Sinner of your Kirk or Field Conventickler War Wons and I's catch 'em at that sport I's dancâ— tol 'em for a Scotch Poond but farst y ar Song my Lord I hope 't is body or 't is not wâ—rth a Feart All. He He He. Song sung by Lord Lambert A Pox of the States-man that 's witty That watches and Plots all the sleepless Night For Seditious Harangues to the Whigs of the City And piously turns a Traytor in spight Let him wrack and torment his lean Carrion To bring his Sham-Plots about Till Religion King Bishop and Baron For the Publick Good be quite rooted out Whilst we that are no Politicians But Rogues that are Resolute bare-fac'd and Great Boldly head the rude Rabble in open Sedition Bearing all down before us in Church and in State Your Impudence is the best State trick And he that by Law means to rule Let his History with ours be related Tho' we prove the Knaves 't is he is the Fool. War The Diel a me we le sung my Lord and gen aud Trads fail yas make a quaint Minstrel All. He He He. War Noo Sirs y ar Dance They fling Cushions at one another and grin Musick plays Mary Sirs an this be y ar dancing tol dance and ne're stir Stap the Diel lead the Donce for Archibald When they have flung Cushions thus a while to the Musick Time they beat each other from the Table one by one and fall into a godly Dance after a while Wariston rises and dances ridiculously a while amongst them then to the Time of the Tune they take out the rest as at the Cushion Dance or in that Nature Wariston being the last taken in leads the rest Haud Minstrels hade Bread a gued I's fatch ad Ladies in
THE ROUNDHEADS OR The Good Old Cause A COMEDY As it is Acted at His Royal Highness the DUKES Theatre By Mrs. A. Behn LONDON Printed for D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple bar and Benskin in St. Brides Church Yard and H. Rhodes next door to the Bear Tavern neer Bride Lane in Fleetstreet MDCLXXXII To the Right Noble Henry Fitz-Roy Duke of Grafton Earle of Sutton Viscount of Ipswich Baron of Sudbury Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter and Colonell of his Majesties Regiment of Foot Guards c. May it please Your Grace DEdications which were Originally design'd as a Tribute to that Reverence and just esteem we ought to pay the Great and Good are now so corrupted with Flattery that they rarely either find a Reception in the World or merit that Patronage they wou'd implore But I without fear Aproch the great Object being above that mean and mercenary Art nor can I draw the Lovely Picture half so charming and so manly as it is and that Author may more properly boast of a Lucky Hiâ—t whose choice and fortune is so good then if he had pleas'd all the different ill Iudging world besides in the business of the Play for none that way can ever hope to please all in an Age when Faction rages and differing Parties disagree in all things But coming the first day to a new Play with a Loyal Title and then even the sober and tender conscienc'd throng as to a forbidden Conventicle fearing the Cub of their old Bear of Reformation should be expos'd to the scorn of the wicked and dreading tho but the faint shadow of their own deformity their Rebellion Murders Massacres and Villanies from 40 upwards should be Represented for the better undeceiving and informing of the World flock in a full Assembly with a pious design to Hisse and Rail it as much out of countenance as they would Monarchy Religion Laws and Honesty throwing the Act of Oblivion in our Teeths as if that whose mercy can not make them forget their Old Rebellion cou'd hinder honest truths from breaking out upon 'em in Edifying Plays where the Loyal hands ever out-do their venom'd Hisse a good and happy omen if Poets maybe allowd for Prophets as of old they were and t is as easily seen at a new Play how the Royal Interest thrives as at a City Election how the good Old Cause is carried on as a Noble Peer lately said Tho' the Tories have got the better of us at the Play we carried it in the City by many Voyces God be praysed This Play call'd The Roundheads which I humbly lay at your Graces feet Pardon the Title and Heaven defend you from the bloody Race was carryed in the House nemine contra dicente by the Royal Party and under your Graces Ilustrious Patronage is safe from any new Seditious affronts abroad Your Grace alone whom Heaven and Nature has form'd the most adorable Person in the whole Creation with all the advantages of a Glorious birth has a double right and power to defend all that aproch you for sanctuary your very Beauty is a guard to all you daigne to make safe for You were born for Conquest every way even what Phanatick what peevish Politition testy with Age Diseases miscarried Plots disappointed Revolutions envious of Power of Princes and of Monarchy and mad with Zeal for Change and Reformation could yet be so far lost to sence of Pleasure as not to turn a Rebel to Revenge the Good old Cause and the patronage to Plebean sedition with only looking on you ' twoud force his meger face to blushing smiles and make him swear he had mistook the side curse his own Party and if possible be reconcild to Honesty again such power have charms like Yours to calm the soul and will in spight of You plead for me to the disaffected even when they are at Wars with Your Birth and power But this Play for which I humbly beg Your Graces Protection needs it in a more peculiar manner it having drawn down Legions upon its head for its Loyalty what to Name us cryes one t is most abominable unheard of daring cryes another she deserves to be swing'd cryes a third as if t were all a Libel a scandal impossible to be provd or that their Rogueries were of so old a Date their Reign were past remembrance or History when they take such zealous care to renew it daily to our memories And I am satisfied that they that will justifie the best of these Traytors deserves the fate of the worst and most manifestly declare to the World by it they wou'd be at the Old Game their fore-Fathers played with so good success yet if there be any honest loyal man alied to any here nam'd I heartily beg his Pardon for any offensive Truth I have spoken and 't is a wonderful thing that amongst so Numerous a Flock they will not allow of one mangy Sheep not one Rogue in the whole Generation of the Association Ignoramus the 1st and the 2d But as they are I leave e'm to your Grace to Iudge of e'm to whom I humbly present this small Mirror of the late wretched Times wherein your Grace may see something of the Miseries three the Most Glorious Kingdoms of the Vniverse were reduc't to where your Royal Ancestors victoriously Reign'd for so many hundred years How they were Govern'd Parcell'd out and deplorable inslav'd and to what Low Prostituted Lewdness they fell at last where the Nobility and Gentry were the most contemn'd and despis'd part of them and such Meane and till then obscure Villains Rul'd and Tyraniz'd that no Age nor Time or scarce a Parish Book makes mention or cou'd show there was any such Name or Family Yet these were those that impudently Tug'd for Empire and Prophan'd that Illustrious Throne and Court so due then and possest now through the infinite Mercies of God to this bleeding Nation by the best of Monarchs a Monarch who had yet the divine goodness to Pardon even his worst of Enemies what was past Nay out of his Vast and God-like Clemency did more than Heaven it self can do put it out of his Power by an Act of Oblivion to punish the unparalell'd Injuries done His Sacred Person and the rest of the Royal Family How great his Patience has been since I leave to all the World to judge but Heaven be prais'd he has not yet forgot the Sufferings and Murders of the Glorious Martyr of ever blessed memory Your Graces Sacred Grandfather and by what Arts and Ways that Devilish Plot was layed and will like a skilful Pilate by the wreck of one Rich Vessell learn how to shun the danger of this present Threatning and saved the rest from sinking The Clouds already begin to disappear and the face of things to change thanks to Heaven His Majesties infinite Wisdom and the Over-Zeal of the falsly called True Protestant Party Now we may pray for the