CURFEW

What unexpected clangor frights the peace Of my delighted solitary walks? What sons of mischief in their fury tread These unfrequented paths?—stay—hold. My sons, hear age but speak; wisdom is old. On my knees, which doubling age Hath scarce left able to support my corpse: By the remaining tears of forty years Spent in this penitential order: the last drops, The drying hand of age hath left to Due This withered garden: I implore—beseech. Then on this innocent bosom turn your swords, And ease a weak soul of her tedious portage, Some hour before her time. Oh do not fly me. Let the few drops of my slow-pacing blood, That stands in my cold channels, expiate yours. O let a falling trunk redeem two plants. No remedy? let me exclaim for help. (The devil partly you:) if I should now ha'paid for my charity—well: it this Church-coate that saved me. THus am I stolen out from the Covent. Abbot, Lie there, thou happy warranted case Of any Villain. Th'hast been my stawking-horse, Now these ten months. So long it's since the Abbot Went on a solemn pilgrimage and left My brother, a good honest Fryer, his friend Deputed for him. But my brother scarce Warm in his new vice-honour, walking out To visit me one morning, at my house Fell dead of and impostume suddenly. I buried him in private; but from's blood Am purer then the Crystal. Studying now, How to turn sorrow into policy, I have assumed his shape. Who can deny, But that a Dunce may rise to Dignity? Blind Ignorance does not always strut in Satin. It often walks a Clergy pace in black, And deals the holy Rites with as bold hands, As if it grasped Jove's thunder: and did judge it Enough to stare, look big, and with a brow More rugged then is Radamanths, denounce Torrors against ill deeds: the while their own Are not less monstrous, but less broadly shown. Thus in my self, how easie't is, I prove, To sweat out judgements against the sins we love. As if a garment of world-couzning grace Were impudently good, set out by place. Well, I get nothing by this borrowed form, But countenance to my thefts. This hollow tree Keeps all my holiness: Lie there Abbot, till My work is done, then do thou hide my ill. Mass heres comes one already. Stand—Give the word. Few words are best among friends. Empty your pockets, and you may vault the lighter. Quick. Troth, I ha'but a little. Agreed.—Shall we breathe? I'll make you plead harder, ere you fit down to tell your money. Well, let the law pass. I have seen a runner win the battle.—Shall we draw stakes? I am a villain, but I fear your clutch worse then a Sergeants Most liberally. Let's set up shop together. Stand. Give the word. O Sir, Like your Jesuit, all at the purse. Fair play is for Fencers. Yet thou seemest a good fellow. Thou shalt have it. Stand aside, partner. Hold, hold: Keep your cash. Nay, for the weight I could make shift, but for the scurvy conditions go with it. I warrant, as many as would make all Bedford chimneys smoke a whole winter. Nothing my brave Clem of that Clough, but I would thou wouldst deal with us. Say, shall we put all our stocks together, and set out a ship of our own? Agreed. Let's fit down to counsel. I am the Abbot of Newnham. I'll not bore you and Ace on't, till the old Abbot returns from Pilgrimage. My chamber shall be our Rendezvous. The devil himself in the shape of a blurting Constable will not look for us there. I take it rightly. O 'tis quick and sharp. So with a Gudgeon lost, we'll catch a Carp. A booty. Not so long as you take't. Stand, good Mr. Lawyer, shall I puta case to you now? Quick sirrah, I shall serve and Execution of your throat else How happy were this common wealth! how found! If every corrupt Lawyers fingers were thus bound. The Jacks be now uncaged, and flutterd hence. By no means. A thieves safest residence is in the same Plate he did the robbery. There, of all places, the Cuckoldly hue will ne ver cry after him. The days work done, we'll cast up the accounts. Here. Vast. Lost, lost; as sure as Virginity; no sooner laid then lost. Come, let's retire to our refuge. Shall we retire to my chamber, and share? Thine, noble Valois? thou shalt beg hisransome then. Zlid, if our third party were here, we would venture on them all. Th'are but welsh freeze; they would shrink at the sense of iron. Pray you Sir, how speaks your watch? One? mine lies in clining to two You have a pretty interpreter of the time there. Who made it, French or Dutch? You needs not doubt me, Sir, I am the new Parson of Saint Peters in Bedford. No, my honest friend, I will not fell it. O my watch —Nic. O my watch. Stop the thief, stop the thief. No, Gouty blister, well bind thee, undo thee, who will—. Now we will rip the lining of thy trunks. Better the Fairies have it then thy punks. Each horse his load: we'll leave the rest behind us. Thou greedy Panther. Colic, Lunacy, Like Sprites and Fairies haunt thy company. And as thou gapest now, let some Bat or Owl Spet backwards in thy mouth. Agreed. Widow, we have some money to pay to a Londoner in Bedford here; and he's not yet come to receive it. Will you lock it up safe for us? Pretty handsome! Did we not charge you not to deliver the money, but to us all three together? Keep the peace. Ostice, you'll make it good to us, three hundred pound, a pretty competent sum. I thought this Fairy money would never thrive. Confound this damned fox: he has cheated me of the best prey, I ever shark'd for. Would I could light on him; I have a Constable here should make him stand. I'll give my old attendance. My Lord, whose place I personate, being sick, Hath thus designed me, both to hear and censure The criminal causes, which offend the peace Of our dread Sovereign, and his subjects weal. While we lance Ulcers, we the body heal. The charge I give in short, you of the Jury, Look to your Oath and conscience: let not favour Shut up your eyes, nor malice open them Too wide. You understand, our laws are good. 'Tis pity that they should be writ in blood. But since connivance at unlawful deeds Gives but encouragement, and we cannot strike With sword of Justice the deserving faults, Except you give the persons to our hands: All on your vigilant information stands. Proceed to the Inditements. Do't with a pox. The goose sometime must fit and judge the Fox. (Your villainy, Ostice, we shall now retort. You cheated us, and we will hang you for't. Cheater