A Street.
Enter Corporal, half drest; with Soldiers, Joyner, and Felt-maker.
Cor. Ha, Rogues, the City-Boys are up in Arms; brave Boys, all for the King now!
Felt. Have a care what you say, Sir; but as to the City’s being in Mutiny, that makes well for us: we shall fall to our old Trade of plundering; something will fall to the Righteous, and there is Plunder enough.
Cor. You plunder, Sirrah! knock him down, and carry him into the Guard-room, and secure him.
[Two Soldiers seize him.
1 Sold. They say the Committee of Safety sate all Night at General Lambert’s, about some great Affair — some rare Change, Rogues.
2 Sold. Yes, and to put off Sorrow, they say, were all right reverendly drunk too.
Cor. I suppose there is some heavenly matter in hand; there was Treason cried out at the General’s last night, and the Committee of no Safety all ran away.
1 Sold. Or rather reel’d away.
Cor. The Ladies squeak’d, the Lords fled, and all the House was up in Arms.
Felt. Yea, and with Reason they say; for the Pope in disguise was found under the Lady’s Bed, and two huge Jesuits as big as the tall Irish-man, with Blunderbusses; having, as ’tis said, a Design to steal the Crown, now in Custody of the General —
2 Sold. Good lack, is’t possible?
Joyn. Nay, Sir, ’tis true, and is’t not time we look’d about us?
Cor. A Pox upon ye all for lying Knaves — secure ‘em both on the Guard till farther Order — and let us into th’ City, Boys: hay for Lombard-Street.
2 Sold. Ay, hay for Lombard-Street; there’s a Shop I have mark’d out for my own already.
1 Sold. There’s a handsom Citizen’s Wife, that I have an Eye upon, her Husband’s a rich Banker, I’ll take t’one with t’other.
Joyn. You are mistaken, Sir, that Plunder is reserv’d for us, if they begin to mutiny; that wicked City that is so weary of a Commonwealth.
2 Sold. Yes, they’re afraid of the Monster they themselves have made.
Enter Lov. and Free. in disguise.
Cor. Hah, my noble Colonel! what, in disguise!
Free. We have made our Escapes — and hope to see better times shortly, the noble Scotch General is come, Boys.
Enter Captain of the Prentices, and a great Gang with him, arm’d
with Swords, Staffs, &c.
Capt. Come, my Lads, since you have made me Captain, I’ll lead you bravely on; I’ll die in the Cause, or bring you off with Victory.
1 Pren. Here’s a Club shall do some Execution: I’ll beat out Hewson’s t’other Eye; I scorn to take him on the blind side.
Capt. In the first Place, we must all sign a Petition to my Lord Mayor. —
2 Pren. Petitions! we’ll have no Petition, Captain; we are for Club-Law, Captain.
Capt. Obey, or I leave you.
All. Obey, Obey.
Capt. Look ye, we’ll petition for an honest Free Parliament I say.
1 Pren. No Parliament, no Parliament, we have had too much of that Mischief already, Captain.
All. No Parliament, no Parliament.
Capt. Farewel, Gentlemen, I thought I might have been heard.
Free. Death, Sirs, you shall hear the Captain out.
All. We obey, we obey.
Capt. I say an honest Free Parliament, not one pick’d and chosen by Faction; but such an one as 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, Boys.
All. Hay, Viva le Roy, viva le 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 die for the Royal Interest.
Capt. In the next Place, there’s another Proclamation come out.
2 Pren. 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 Pren. Hum — hang’d! I’ll e’en home again.
1 Pren. And I too, I do not like this hanging.
2 Pren. A Man looks but scurvily with his Neck awry.
3 Pren. Ay, ay, we’ll home.
Capt. Why, now you shew what precious Men you are — the King wou’d be finely hop’d up with such Rascals, that for fear of a little hanging would desert his Cause; a Pox upon you 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. Brave Boy.
Lov. and Free. We’ll die with thee, Captain —
All. Oh, noble Captain, we recant —
1 Pren. We recant, dear Captain, we’ll die, one and all.
All. One and all, one and all.
Capt. Why, so there’s some trusting to you now.
3 Pren. 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 enlarge 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 Lions seeking whom they may devour.
Lov. Who, Mr. Ananias the Padder?
Ana. Bear witness, Gentlemen all, he calls me Highway-man; thou shalt be hang’d for Scandal on the Brethren.
Lov. I’ll prove what I say, Sirrah; do you not 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 their Bodkins and Thimbles?
Ana. I commit ye; here, Soldiers, 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, that 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 die 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 Lightning, 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 Sold. beat off Hewson
and his Party. Ana. gets a Sword, and fights too.