Dard. Oh Law'd Fath. Iack Iack Iack Come hither Iack a word with thee Iack Give me a hundred Pieces now and I 'll be o' thy side Iack and help thee to beat off these impudent Fellows Gentlemen I cannot but own to you that this is my Son Beaug. Sir were you nick'd to your Shirt I would not part with a single Shilling Sir Fath. Though if he were my Son ten thousand times in such a Cause as yours I 'd draw my Sword against him Draws Beaug. You may remember Gentlemen a Challenge Grat. Which you forgot Sir Court Hah A Challenge Beaugard Beaug. I 'll tell thee more hereafter To shew you I ha' not forgot it the Lady you thus persecute is now under my Protection and with my Sword I 'll keep her so Draws Court If we don't may my Wiâ—e get the better of me and wear mine for a Bodkin Theod. Come on then Sir Beaug. For the Lady Grat. For my Honour Court And for my Friend Sir Dard. Old Brimstone-Beard have at thee Fight The rest of Theodore's Party fall in Court Base Traytors Odds Beaug. Confound 'em thrust Beaugard and Courtine driven off Dard. Oh I am slain My Maw runs out What will become of me Oh! Gratian and Dardevil fall Enter Theodoret. Theod. Secure that Passage now How fares my Friend Grat. I 'm wounded send for a Chyrurgion quickly for I bleed much Theod. Look to your Master Sirrah and you Fellow be careful of this Beast here Dard. Oh a Parson a Parson dear Sir a Parson Some pious good Divine if you have any Charity Enter Father with Porcla Fath. Here here she is I ha' got her for you let me alone for ferreting a Female's Quarters out Theod. I 'd have you Sir take care for your Security There 's mischief done Sir Fath. The more mischief the better thou shalt find me no Flincher Boy here here make sure of her Porcia Inhumane Tyrant Why am I abus'd thus Help Murder Help Theod. None of your Tricks no Cries no Shrieks for Succour By Hell here 's that shall silence you for ever Thou Woman Thou young itching wanton Devil Fly to base Cells of Lust Give up thy Vertue Disgrace thy Name and triumph ev'n in Infamy On what a tott'ring Point his Honour stands That trusts the Treasure in such lavish hands End of the Fourth ACT. ACT V. Enter Lucrece in Man's Cloaths and Chloris Lucr. FRom this gay minute farewell Love and Doating I have shook the lazy stretching wishing Folly out of my Blood and now my wandring Heart is at home again Let me see I have a hundred and a hundred times wish'd my self a Man and now in outward appearance I am a very Fellow nay a very pretty Fellow for methinks Foppery Impertinence Self-conceit and other Masculine Qualities grow upon me strangely Oh Mischief Mischief Mischief thou art a very sweet-Employment But Opportunity Bewitching Lovely Omnipotent Opportunity How shall I come at thee Chloris Chloris Madam Lucr. Give me my Sword Chlor. Here Madam Bless us What will your Ladyship do with your self in this Equipage Lucr. Ladyship Huzzy take notice from this important Moment I am no more your Mistress but that Imperial Creature your Master and therefore know too I will have my Foeminine Habiliments burnt instantly and an Operator sent for to make me a Beard grow I will learn to Ride Fence Vault and make Fortifications in Dirt-Pyes Nay if the humour hold I 'll go Voluntier into Germany against the Turk Chlor. But what will be the end of all this Madam Lucr. Why if I go into the War I shall have the privilege when I return home to talk of Marches Battels and Sieges which I never was at nor understand any more than the Fools I tell my story to If I stay at home with the privilege of good Cloaths Pertness and much Simplicity will I set up for a Spark grow familiar at White-Hall and impudent with some great Man there or another run in Debt with a high Hand be terrible in eating Houses and noisy all over the Town Chlor. A very hopeful Resolution Lucr. As thus When I and another Spark meet Dam me Iack says I What Times are there stirring What ready to be had What Caravans have you met with or what Loose lately managed You Rogue you look very high upon the Huckle Chlor. Well Madam But what will all this Gibberish signifie Lucr. Signifie you Fool why what it signifies already Wit Courage Martial Discipline Interest at Court Pretence to Preferment Free Quartâ—râ— in my Lodgings and Free Booty in every Cuckold's Shop who shall trust me against his palpable knowledge that I 'm not worth a Groat and never have the Impudence to hope to be paid Chlor. And must your Honour have a Mistress too Lucr. Yes Huzzy and you shall be serviceable to me in the matter I 'll have a Doxy this very Night I have singled her out already Courtin's Wife that jealous raging insatiable Help-meet of the Captains shall be my Ducinea del Toboso She 's in Love with me already that 's my comfort as I passed through the Hall just now she coming into the House to pay a Visit to the Widow Porcia who by the way is as wicked as my self and my great Councellor in this noble Project we met I you must know bow'd very respectfully she â—aking me for a Stranger Curt ' sy'd as low and viewing me strictly leer'd at me as if that Minute she took Aim at my Heart and designed me for her Quarry Chlor. But Madam she knows and must discover you Lucr. Thou art a fool she never saw me till yesterday in her life-time then too disguised So that if I do not practise on her frailty and by that means find a way to revenge my self on that Vizard-monger Beaugard may I be condemn'd to wear Breeches as long as I live and never know more than the present use I make of them Chlor. Hist Madam she 's returning Enter Sylvia Lucr. Hush then now my Cause is coming on and have at her Sylv. Sweet-heart pray oblige me so far to shew me the way to the Gardens I come to pay a Visit to Madam Porcia and am informed she 's gone there for the Air. A very handsom Youth Aside Chlor. Madam this young Gentleman here is comâ— hither on the same kind Errand with your Ladyship and waits till her Return Lucr. But Madam the good fortune of seeing you is a happiness would recompence the being disappointed of all the Conversation of your Sex besides Sylv. Indeed Sir Lucr. Yes indeed Madam Sylv. Are you a Relation to this Family Sir Lucr. Madam the greatest Advantage I hope from the Family is henceforth to have oftner the Honour of kissing your fair Hands here It is an Opportunity I should make no Ungentlemanly use of Sylv. Opportunity Sir Lucr. Yes Opportunity Madam I am not ashamed to mention so honest a Friend as Opportunity to one that by her Years
THE ATHEIST OR The Second Part OF THE Souldiers Fortune Acted at the Duke's Theatre Written by THO. OTWAY Hic noster Authores habet Quorum oemulari exoptat negligentiam Potius quam istorum obscuram diligentiam Dehinc ut quiescant porrò moneo desinant Maledicere malefacta ne noscant sua Terence LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and I. Tonson in Russel-street in Covent-Garden and the Iudges Head in Chancery-Lane near Fleetstreet M DC LXXXIV TO THE LORD ELANDE Eldest Son to the Right Honourable the Marquiss of Hallifax My Lord IT was not without a great deal of debate with my self that I could resolve to make this Present to Your Lordship For though Epistles Dedicatory be lately grown so Epidemical that either sooner or later no man of Quality whom the least Author has the least pretence to be troublesome to can escape them yet methought Your Lordship should be as much above the common Perplexities that attend Your Quality as You are above the common Level of it as well in the most Exalted Degrees of a Noble Generous Spirit as in a piercing Apprehension good Understanding and daily ripening Judgment all sweetned by an obliging Affability and Condescention of which I have often in the Honour of Your Conversation had particular cause to be proud and for which therefore a more than ordinary reason now to be Grateful And it is upon that pretence I here presume to shelter this Trifle under Your Protection for indeed it has great need of such Protection having at its first coming into the World met with many Enemies and very industrious ones too but this way I was sure it must live Would He but once vouchsafe to espouse its Defence whose Generosity will overthrow the ignoblest Envy whose good Nature cannot but confound the most inveterate Malice and whose Wit must baffle the sauciest Ignorance My Lord It would but argue me of the meanest Impertinence and Formality to pretend here an Harangue of those Praises You deserve For he who tells the World whose Son You are has said enough to those who do not know You and the happy few whom You have pick'd and chosen for Your Conversation cannot but every hour You are pleased to bestow upon them be sensible of more than I could tell them in a Volume Your Lordship being the best Panegyrick upon Your self the Son of that Great Father of his Country who when all manner of Confusion Ruin and Destruction was breaking in upon us like the Guardian Angel of these Kingdoms stood up and with the Tongue of an Angel too confounded the Subtleties of that Infernal Serpent who would have debauched us from our Obedience and turned our Eden into a Wilderness Certainly His Name must be for ever Honourable Precious His Memory and Happy His Generation who durst exert his Loyalty when it was grown almost a reproach to have any and stem a torrent of Faction popular Fury and fermenting Rebellion to the Preserving of the best of Kings in his Throne and the happiest of People in their Liberties May he live long to compleat the Reparations he has made in our Defence still by the strength of his Judgment to foresee those Evils that may yet threaten us and by the Power of his Wisdom to prevent them to root out the Footing and Foundations of the Kings open nay and bosome Enemies As a watchful bold and sincere Counsellor to his Master to be a driver of Treacherous Grinning Self-ended Knaves Insinuating Spies and useless unprofitable Fools from his Service A Patron and and Promoter of Honesty Merit and Ability which else too often by neglect are corrupted to their Contraries In fine to continue as he is a kind Indulgent Father to Your Lordship so much every way his Son and fit to Inherit his Honours as in the strong and shining Virtues of Your Mind the fixt and steady disposition of Your Loyalty the goodness and obliging temper of Your Nature is apparent by which only I must ever humbly confess and no presumptive Merit of my own I have been incouraged to take this Opportunity of telling the World how much I desire to be thought Your Lordships Humble Servant to be Commanded Tho. Otway PROLOGUE THough Plays and Prologues ne'er did more abound Ne'er were good Prologues harder to be found To me the Cause seems eas'ly understood For there are Poets prove not very good Who like base Sign-Post Dawbers wanting Skill Steal from Great Masters Hands and Copy ill Thus if by chance before a Noble Feast Of Gen'rous Wit to whet and fit your Taste Some poignant Satyr in a Prologue rise And growing Vices handsomly chastise Each Poetaster thence presumes on Rules And ever after calls ye downright Fools These Marks describe him Writing by rote Small Wit or none to spare Iangle and Chime's his Study Toil and Care He always in One Line upbraids the Age And a good Reason why it Rymes to Stage With Wit and Pit he keeps a hideous pother Sure to be damn'd by One for want of T'other But if by chance he get the French Word Raillery Lord how he fegues the Vizor-Masques with Gallery 'T is said Astrologers strange Wonders find To come in two great Planets lately joyn'd From our Two Houses joyning most will hold Vast Deluges of Dulness were foretold Poor Holborn Ballads now being born away By Tides of duller Madrigals than they Jockeys and Jennyes set to Northern Airs While Lowsie Thespis chaunts at Country Fairs Politick Ditties full of Sage Debate And Merry Catches how to Rule the State Vicars nâ—glâ—ct their Flocks to turn Translators And Barley-water Whey-fac'd Beau's write Satyrs Though none can guess to which most Praise belongs To the Learn'd Versions Scandals or the Songs For all things now by Contraries succeed Of Wit or Vertue there 's no longer need Beauty submits to him who loudliest rails She fears the sawcie Fop and he prevails Who for his best Preferment would devise Let him renounce all Honesty and rise Villains and Parasites Success will gain But in the Court of Wit shall Dulness Reign No Let th' angry ' Squire give his Iambicks o're Twirl Crevat-strings but write Lampoons no more Rhymesters get Wit e'er they pretend to shew it Nor think a Game at Cramboe makes a Poet Else is our Author hopeless of Success But then his Study shall be next time less He 'll find out Ways to your Applause more easie That is write worse and worse till he can please ye EPILOGUE by Mr. Duke of Cambridge IT is not long since in the Noisie Pit Tumultuous Faction sate the Iudge of Wit There Knaves applauded what their Blockheads writ At a Whig-Brother's Play the Bawling Crowd Burst out in Shouts as zealous and as loud As when some Member's stout Election-Beer Gains the mad Voice of a whole Drunken Shire And yet even then our Poet's Truth was try'd Tho 't was a Dev'lish pull to stem the Tyde And tho he ne'er did Line of Treason
What ails my Life Court Oh I have a horrid â—â—emor upon my Heart 't is the old Palpitation I us'd to be troubl'd with return'd again Oh if I were but Sylv. Where Love Court Oh! but in a condition to go abroad there is an able Fellow of my Acquaintance that always us'd to relieve me in this extremity Sylv. Where does he live I 'll take a Coach my self and go to him Court The Devil take me if I know Oh! 't is a vast way off Oh! now it kills me again Sylv. I shall not think it so when it is my duty Court That 's but too kind my Sweetest though if I had but one Bottle of his Elixir Sylv. How is it call'd Court Specimen Vitae Sylv. Specimen Vitae Court Ay Specimen Vitae 't is a damn'd hard name but it is very good Sylv. Where is 't he lives then Prithee let me go thither Court Oh 't is a horrid way off Besides it would trouble me now in this condition to be so long without thee Sylv. Prithee let me go Court Why 't is as far as Grubb-street Child as Grubb-street Sylv. I 'll be back again instantly Court I had rather indeed thou shouldst go thy self than send a Messenger because the business will be done more carefully Sylv. How 's the Direction then Court In Grubb-street Child at the Sign of the Sun and Phaenix I think it is there lives a Chymist ask for him and in my name desire a Bottle of his Specimen Vitae Oh! Sylv. Specimen Vitae Court Ay Specimen Vitae I 'll try in the mean time if I can walk about the Room and divert the terrour of my Fits Sylv. Heavens bless my dearest Dearee Court Thank you my only Joy Would in the Devil's Name she were gone once and had her Guts full of that Quack's Specimen Vitae Sylv. You 'll be careful of your self Child Court As careful as I can Child Sylv. Gud b'w'y Courtee Court B'w'y my Sylvee Oh oh Exit Sylvia Enter Page Is she gone Page Yes Sir Court Where 's the Lady Page Here just entring up the back Stairs Lady appears at the Door Court Madam this Honour done your worthless Servant Enter Sylvia Sylv. Oh my dear Heart I had forgot my Wages Pray Courtee kiss me before I go Court Confound her Come again Oh my Love I have made hard shift to crawl to the Door here Sylv. Who 's that behind you Court Nothing but a Page come to know if I wanted any thing A Plague of her Hawks eyes Sylv. Gud b'w'y my dearest Love Court Gud b'w'y my Joy Sylv. Nay give me another B'w'y Courtee Court B'w'y Sylvee So is she gone again The Devil take me if thou interruptest me any more Locks the Door after her Enter Lady Lady Is that your Lady Sir Court Yes but I hope you 'll not think the worse of me pretty One for keeping a Wife Company now and then for want of better Lady Can you be so kind Sir not to forget me Do you remember me still Captain Courtâ— Remember thee Child Is it possible for that Face to be ever blotted out of my Memory Though the Devil eat me if ever I saw it before to the best of my knowledge Lady Where is your Lady gone Sir Court To Grubb-street Jewel for some Specimen Vitae Lady Specimen Vitae Sir Oh dear what 's that Court Oh come but quietly into the next Room and I will shew thee what Specimen vitae is presently Lady You may perhaps think â— range of this freedom I take with you Sir Court Not in the least Child it shews thy Generosity I love her now for understanding her business and coming close to the matter quickly Lady But Sir presuming on your Quondam Favours to me I am come to beg your Advice in a matter of Law which I am at present involv'd in and if you please Court To retire a little in private Oh thou couldst not have pick'd out such another Man for thy purpose I am may be the best Lawyer in the World for Chamber-practice And if I do not find out the Merits of thy Cause as soon as Lady Really you are so good natur'd Court Grubb-street and Specimen Vitae quotha He that has the Palpitation of the Heart and an Armful of this won't cure him let him die upon a Dung-hill and be buried in a Ditch I say This is the rarest Adventure Exeunt Courtine and the Lady The SCENE changes to a Bed-Chamber Enter Beaugard in as Dressing himself Beaug. Heigho Heigho Boy Imp where art thou Dwâ—rf Here Your pleasure What 's your pleasure Sir Beaug. What is 't o'Clock Boy Dwarf Sir in your World by Computation I guess it may be Afternoon Beaug. A very pretty little Rascal this and a very extraordinary way of Proceeding I am treated withal here I have been abed 't is true but the Devil a wink of sound Rest came near my Senses all the while but broken Slumbers Dreams Starts and sprawling from one side to the other in hopes the fair Unknown that keeps this Castle might have been so good natur'd to have given a Stranger a Visiâ— This can be no less than some Romantick design of the little Fairy that threatned she would cheat the Widow of me Now will I for once if she does attempt me put on that monstrous Vertue called Self-denial and be damnably constant What Musick again This is a merry Region I 'll say that for it where ever it be Boy Dwarf Did you call Sir Beaug. My Cloaths Monster my Vestments I hate a Dis-habiliee mortally I long to be rigg'd that I may be fit for Action if Occasion should present it self Dwarf dresses him A SONG 1. Welcom Mortal to this place Where smiling Fate did send thee Snatch thy happy Minutes as they pass Who knows how few attend thee 2. Floods of Ioy about thee roul And flow in endless measure Dip thy Wishes deep and fill thy Soul With Draughts of every Pleasure 3. Feast thy Heart with Love's Desire Thy Eyes with Beauties Charms With Imaginations fan the Fire Then stifle it in thy Arms. 4. For since Life 's a slippery Guest Whose Flight can't be prevented Treat it whilst it stays here with the best And then 't will go contented Come you that attend on our Goddesses Will And sprinkle the Ground With Perfumes around Shew him your Duty and shew us your Skill Enter four Black Women that dance to the same Measure of the Song and sprinkle Sweets Circle him with Charms And raise in his Heart Such Alarms As Cupid ne'er wrought by the Pow'r of his Dart. They dance round him Fill all his Veins with a tender desire And then shew a Beauty to set 'em a fire Till kind panting Breasts to his Wound she apply Then on those white Pillows of Love let him die The Dance ends Beaug. Faith and with all my heart for I am weary of the lingring Disease and long to taste my