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coffee-house, who looks upon it as her livelihood to grant every liberty but one. You fee I would indulge the girl as far as prudently we can, in any thing, but marriage! after that, my dear, how fhall we be fafe? are we not then in her husband's power? for a husband hath the abfolute power over all a wife's fecrets, but her own. If the girl had the difcretion of a court-lady, who can have a dozen young fellows at her ear, without complying with one, I should not matter it; but Polly is tinder, and a spark will at once fet her on a flame. Married! If the wench does not know her own profit, fure she knows her own pleasure better than to make herself a property! My daughter to me fhould be like a court lady to a minifter of state, a key to the whole gang. Married! If the affair is not already done, I'll terrify her from it, by the example of our neighbours.

Mrs. Peach. May-hap, my dear, you may injure the girl. She loves to imitate the fine ladies, and fhe may only allow the Captain liberties in the view of intereft.

Peach. But 'tis your duty, my dear, to warn the girl against her ruin, and to inftruct her how to make the most of her beauty. Pll go to her this moment, and fift her. In the mean time, wife, rip out the coronets and marks of thefe dozen of cambric handkerchiefs, for I can difpofe of them this afternoon to a chap in the city. [Exit.

Mrs Peach. Never was a man more out of the way in an argument, than my husband! Why must our Polly, forfooth, differ from her sex, and love only her huf band? And why muft Polly's marriage, contrary to all obfervation, make her the lefs followed by other men? All men are thieves in love, and like a woman the better for being another's property.

AIR V. Of all the fimple things we do, &c.

A maid is like the golden ore,

Which hath guineas intrinfical in't,

Whofe worth is never known, before.

It is try'd and impreft in the mint.

A wife's like a guinea in gold,

Stampt with the name of her spouse;

Now here, now there; is bought, or is fold; And is current in every house.

Enter

Enter Filch.

Mrs. Peach. Come hither, Filch. I am as fond of this child as though my mind mifgave me he were my own. He hath as fine a hand at picking a pocket as a woman, and is as nimble-fingered as a juggler. If an unlucky feffion does not cut the rope of thy life, I pronounce, boy, thou wilt be a great man in hiftory. Where was your poft last night, my boy.

Filch. I ply'd at the Opera, Madam; and confidering 'twas neither dark nor rainy, fo that there was no great hurry in getting chairs and coaches, made a tolerable hand on't. These feven handkerchiefs, Madam.

Mrs. Peach. Coloured ones, I fee. They are of fure fale from our warehouse at Redriff among the feamen. Filch. And this fnuff-box.

Mrs. Peach. Set in gold! A pretty encouragement this to a young beginner.

Filch. I had a fair tug at a charming gold watch. Pox take the taylors for making the fobs fo deep and narrow! It stuck by the way, and I was forced to make my escape under a coach. Really, Madam, I fear I fhall be cut off in the flower of my youth, fo that every now and then, (fince I was pumpt) I have thoughts of taking up and going to fea.

Mrs. Peach. You fhould go to Hockley in the Hole, and to Marybone, child, to learn valour. These are the fchools that have bred fo many brave men. I thought, boy, by this time, thou hadst loft fear as well as fhame. Poor lad! how little does he know as yet of the Old-Bailey! For the firft fact I'll infure thee from being hanged; and going to fea, Filch, will come time enough upon a fentence of tranfportation. But now, fince you have nothing better to do, even go to your book, and learn your catechifm; for really a man makes but an ill figure in the ordinary's paper, who cannot give a fatisfactory anfwer to his queftions. But, hark you, my lad, don't tell me a lie; for you know I hate a liar. Do you know of any thing that hath past between Captain Macheath and our Polly?

Filch. I beg you, Madam, don't ask me; for I must either tell a lie to you, or to Mifs Polly; for I promised her I would not tell.

Mrs.

Mrs. Peach. But when the honour of our family is concerned

Filch. I fhall lead a fad life with Mifs Polly, if ever fhe comes to know that I told you. Befides, I would not willingly forfeit my own honour by betraying any body.

Mrs. Peach. Yonder comes my husband and Polly. Come, Filch, you fhall go with me into my own room, and tell me the whole ftory. I'll give thee a glass of a moft delicious cordial that I keep for my own drinking. [Exeunt.

Enter Peachum and Polly.

Polly. I know as well as any of the fine ladies how to make the most of myself and of my man too. A woman knows how to be mercenary, though the hath never been in a court or at an affembly. We have it in our natures, рара. If I allow Captain Macheath fome trifling liberties, I have this watch and other visible marks of his favour to fhow for it. A girl who cannot grant fome things, and refufe what is moft material, will make but a poor hand of her beauty, and foon be thrown upon the

common.

AIR VI. What shall I do to show how much I love her?

Virgins are like the fair flower in its luftre,
Which in the garden enamels the ground!
Near it the bees in play flutter and cluster,
And gaudy butterflies frolick around.

But, when once pluck'd, 'tis no longer alluring,
To Covent-garden 'tis fent, (as yet fweet)
There fades, and fhrinks, and grows past all en-
during,

Rots, ftinks, and dies, and is trod under feet.

Peach. You know, Polly, I am not against your toying and trifling with a customer in the way of bufinefs, or to get out a fecret, or fo, But if I find out that you have play'd the fool and are married, you jade you, I'll cut your throat, huffy. Now you know my mind.

Enter

Enter Mrs. Peachum.

AIR VII. O London is a fine town.

Mrs. Peachum, [in a very great passion.]

Our Polly is a fad flut! nor heeds what we have taught her,

I wonder any man alive will ever rear a daughter! For fhe must have both hoods and gowns, and hoops to fwell her pride,

With scarfs and stays, and gloves and lace; and she will have men befide;

And when he's dreft with care and coft, all-tempting, fine and gay,

As men fhould ferve a cucumber, fhe flings herself away. You baggage! you huffy! you inconfiderate jade! had you been hang'd, it would not have vex'd me, for that might have been your misfortune; but to do fuch a mad thing by choice! The wench is married, hufband.

Peach. Married? The Captain is a bold man, and will rifque any thing for money; to be fure he believes her a fortune. Do you think your mother and I fhould have lived comfortably fo long together, if ever we had been married? Baggage!

Mrs.Peach. I knew he was always a proud flut; and now the wench hath played the fool and married, because forfooth fhe would do like the gentry. Can you fupport the expence of a husband, huffy, in gaming, drinking, and whoring? Have you money enough to carry on the daily quarrels of man and wife about who fhall fquander moft? There are not many husbands and wives, who can bear the charges of plaguing one another in a handsome way. If you must be married, could you introduce nobody into our family but a highwayman? Why, thou foolish jade, thou wilt be as ill used, and as much neglected, as if thou hadst married a lord!

Peach. Let not your anger, my dear, break through the rules of decency, for the captain looks upon himself in the military capacity, as a gentleman by his profeffion. Befides what he hath already, I know he is in a fair way of getting or of dying; and both thefe ways, let me tell

B

you,

you, are most excellent chances for a wife. Tell me, huffy, are you ruin'd, or no?

Mrs. Peach. With Polly's fortune, fhe might very well have gone off to a perfon of diftinction. Yes, that you might, you pouting flut!

Peach. What, is the wench dumb? Speak, or I'll make you plead by fqueezing out an anfwer from you. Are you really bound wife to him, or are you only upon liking? [Pinches her. Polly. Oh! [Screaming. Mrs. Peach. How the mother is to be pitied who hath handfome daughters! Locks, bolts, bars, and lectures of morality are nothing to them: they break through them all. They have as much pleature in cheating a father and mother, as in cheating at cards.

Peach. Why, Polly, I fhall foon know if you are married by Macheath's keeping from our house.

Polly.

AIR VIII. Grim king of the ghosts, &c.

Can love be controul'd by advice?
Will cupid our mothers obey?

Though my heart were as frozen as ice,
At his flame 'twould have melted away.
When he kift me fo fweetly he prest,
'Twas so sweet, that I must have complied:
So I thought it both fafeft and best

To marry, for fear you should chide.

Mrs. Peach. Then all the hopes of our family are gone for ever and ever!

Peach. And Macheath may hang his father and mother-in-law, in hopes to get into their daughter's fortune.

Polly. I did not marry him (as 'tis the fashion) cooly and deliberately for honour or money-But, I love him. Mrs. Peach. Love him! worfe and worfe! I thought the girl had been better bred. Oh, hufband, hufband! her folly makes me mad! my head swims! I'm diftracted! I can't fupport myfelf-Oh! [Faints Peach. See, wench, to what a condition you have reduced your poor mother! A glafs of cordial, this instant. How the poor woman takes it to heart!

[Polly goes out, and returns with it.

Ah,

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