papa and mama may in time relent, and we may be hap py.- If he stays, he is hang'd, and then he is loft for ever!He intended to lie conceal'd in my room, 'till the dusk of the evening? If they are abroad I'll this inftant let him out, left fome accident fhould prevent [Exit, and returns with Macheath. him. Mac. Polly. Mac. AIR XIV. Pretty Parrot, fay, &c. Pretty Polly, fay, When I was away, Did your fancy never ftray To fome newer lover? Without difguife, Heaving fighs, Doating eyes, My conftant heart discover. Polly. And are you as fond of me as ever, my dear? Mac. Sufpect my honour, my courage, fufpect any thing but my love.---May my piítols mais fire, and my mare flip her shoulder while I am pursued, if I ever forTake thee! Polly. Nay, my dear, I have no reason to doubt you, for I find in the romance you lent me, none of the great heroes were ever falfe in love. Mac. AIR XV. Pray, fair one, be kind. My heart was so free. It rov'd like the bee, 'Till Polly my paffion requited; I chang'd ev'ry hour, But here ev'ry flower is united. Polly. Were you fentenc'd to tranfportation, fure, my dear, you could not leave me behind you could you? Mac. Is there any power, any force that could tear me from from thee? You might fooner tear a pension out of the hands of a courtier, a fee from a lawyer, a pretty woman from a looking-glafs, or any woman from quadrille.— But to tear me from thee is impoffible! Polly. AIR XVI. Over the bills and far away. Were I laid on Greenland's coast, And in my arms embrac'd my lafs; Too foon the half year's night would pass. Soon as the burning day was clos'd, When on my charmer's breast repos'd. Mac. And I would love you all the day, Polly. Yes, I would go with thee. But, Oh! how fhall I fpeak it? I must be torn from thee. We muft part. Mac. How! Part! Polly. We muft, we muft.-My papa and mama are fet against thy life. They now, even now, are in search after thee. They are preparing evidence against thee. Thy life depends upon a moment. AIR XVII. Gin thou wert my awn thing. O what pain it is to part! Can I leave thee? Can I leave thee? O what pain it is to part! Can thy Polly ever leave thee? But left death my love should thwart, And bring thee to the fatal cart, Thus I tear thee from my bleeding heart! One kifs and then -one kiss—begone -farewel. Mac. Mac. My hand, my heart, my dear, is fo riveted to thine, that I cannot unloofe my hold. Polly. But my papa may intercept thee, and then I fhould loofe the very glimmering of hope. A few weeks, perhaps may reconcite us all. Shall thy Polly hear from thee? Mac. Mut I then go? Pelly. And will not abfence change your love? hang'd. and be Polly. O how I fear! how I tremble !—Go—but when fafety will give you leave, you will be fure to fee me again, for 'till then Polly is wretched. AIR XVIIJ. O the broom, &c. [Parting and looking back at each other with fondness; he at one door, he at the other.] Mac. The mifer thus a fhilling fees, With fighs retigns it by degrees, And fears 'tis gone for aye. Polly. The boy thus, when his iparrow's flown, But foon as out of fight 'tis gone, END of the FIRST ACT. ACT II. SCENE, a Tavern near Newgate. Jemmy Twitcher, Crook-finger'd Jack, Wat. Dreary, Robin of Bagfhot, Nimming Ned, Henry Paddington, Matt. of the Mint, Ben Budge, and the rest of the gang, at the table, with wine, brandy, and tobacco. B BEN. UT, pr'ythee, Matt, what is become of thy brother Tom? I have not feen him fince my return from transportation. Mat. Matt. Poor brother Tom had an accident this time twelvemonth; and so clever made a fellow he was, that I could not fave him from those fleaing raicals, the furgeons; and now, poor man, he is among the otamy at Surgeon's hall. Ben. So it feems, his time was come. Jem. But the prefent time is ours; and nobody alive hath more. Why are the laws levelled at us? Are we more dishonest than the rest of mankind? What we win, gentlemen, is our own by the law of arms, and the right of conqueft. Crook. Where fhall we find fuch another fet of practical philofophers, who, to a man, are above the fear of death? Wat. Sound men, and true! Robin. Of tried courage, and indefatigable induftry! Ned. Who is there here, that would not die for his friend? Harry. Who is there here, that would betray him for his intereft? Matt. Shew me a gang of courtiers that can fay as much. Ben. We are for a juft partition of the world; for every man hath a right to enjoy life. Matt. We retrench the fuperfluitics of mankind. The world is avaricious, and I hate avarice. A covetous fel low, like a jack-daw, fteals what he was never made to enjoy, for the fake of hiding it. Thefe are the robbers of mankind; for money was made for the free-hearted and generous; and where is the injury of taking from another, what he hath not the heart to make use of ? Jem. Our feveral ftations for the day are fixed. Good luck attend us all. Fill the glaffes. AIR XIX. Fill ev'ry glass, &c. Matt. Fill ev'ry glafs; for wine infpires us, With courage, love, and joy. Women and wine fhould life employ Chorus. Fill ev'ry glass, &c. 3 Enter Enter Macheath. Mac. Gentlemen, well met. My heart hath been with you this hour; but an unexpected affair hath detained me. No ceremony, I beg you. Matt. We were juft breaking up, to go upon duty. Am I to have the honour of taking the air with you, Sir, this evening, upon the Heath? I drink a dram now and then with the stage-coachmen, in the way of friendship and intelligence; and I know that about this time there will be paffengers upon the western road, who are worth fpeaking with. Mac. I was to have been of that party-but- Mac. Is there any man who fufpects my courage? Mac. My honour and truth to the Matt. I'll be anfwerable for it. gang ? Mac. In the divifion of our booty, have I ever shewn the leaft marks of avarice or injustice? Matt. By thefe queftions fomething feems to have ruffled you. Are any of us fufpected? Mac. I have a fixed confidence, gentlemen, in you all, as men of honour, and as fuch I value and respect you. Peachum is a man that is useful to us. Matt. Is he about to play us any foul play? I'll fhoot him through the head." Mac. I beg you, gentlemen, act with conduct and difcretion. A pistol is your last resort. Matt. He knows nothing of this meeting. Mac. Bufinefs cannot go on without him. He is a man who knows the world, and is a neceffary agent to us. We have had a flight difference; and till it is accommodated, I fhall be obliged to keep out of his way. Any private difpute of mine, fhall be of no ill confequence to my friends. You must continue to act under his direction; for the moment we break loose from him, our gang is ruined. Matt. As a bawd to a whore, I grant you, he is to us of great convenience. Mac. Make him believe I have quitted the gang, which I can never do, but with life. At our private quar ters |