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Jen. I must and will have a kifs, to give my wine a zest. [They take him about the neck, and make figns to Peachum and Conftables, who rush in upon him.

Peach. I feize you, Sir, as my prifoner.

Mac. Was this well done, Jenny ?Women are decoy ducks; who can trust them? Beasts, jades, jilts, \ harpies, furies, whores!

Sir,

Peach. Your cafe, Mr. Macheath, is not particular, The greatest heroes have been ruined by women. But, to do them justice, I must own they are a pretty fort of creatures, if we could trust them. You must now, take your leave of the ladies: and if they have a mind to make you a vifit, they will be fure to find you at home. This gentleman, ladies, lodges in Newgate. Conftables, wait upon the Captain to his lodgings.

AIR XXV. When firft I laid fiege to my Chloris.
Mac. At the tree I fhall fuffer with pleasure,
At the tree I shall fuffer with pleasure,

Let me go where I will,

In all kinds of ill,

I fhall find no fuch furies as these are.

Peach. Ladies, I'll take care the reckoning fhall be discharged.

[Exit Macheath guarded, with Peachum and Conftables ;

the women remain.

Vix. Look ye, Mrs. Jenny; though Mr. Peachum may have made a private bargain with you and Suky Tawdry, for betraying the Captain, as we were all affisting, we ought all to fhare alike.

Coax. I think, Mr. Peachum, after fo long an acquaintance, might have trufted me as well as Jenny Diver.

Slam. I am fure, at least three men of his hanging, and in a year's time, too, (if he did me juftice) fhould be fet down to my account.

Trull. Mrs. Slámmekin, that is not fair; for you know one of them was taken in bed with me.

fen. As far as a bowl of punch, or a treat, I believe Mrs. Suky will join with me. As for any thing else, ladies, you cannot, in confcience, expect it.

Slam.

Slam. Dear Madam

Trull. I would not for the world

Slam. 'Tis impoffible for me

Trull. As I hope to be faved, Madam

Slam. Nay, then, I must stay here all night

Trull. Since you command me.

[Exeunt with great ceremony.

SCENE, Newgate.

Enter Lockit, Turnkeys, Macheath, and Conftables. Lock. Noble Captain, you are welcome. You have not been a lodger of mine this year and half. You know the custom, Sir; garnish, Captain, garnish. Hand me down thofe fetters there.

Mac. Thofe, Mr. Lockit, seem to be the heaviest of -the whole fet. With your leave, I fhould like the further pair better.

Lock. Look ye, Captain, we know what is fittest for our prifoners. When a gentleman ufes me with civility, I always do the best I can to please him -Hand them down, I fay-We have them of all prices, from one guinea to ten, and 'tis fitting every gentleman should please himself.

Mac. I understand you, Sir. [Gives money.] The fees here are fo many, and fo exorbitant, that few fortunes can bear the expence of getting off handsomely, or of dying like a gentleman.

Lock. Thofe, I fee, will fit the Captain better.Take down the further pair.-Do but examine them, Sir-Never was better work.- -How genteely they are made!They will fit as eafy as a glove, and the niceft man in England might not be ashamed to wear them. [He puts on the chains.] If I had the best gentleman in the land in my cuftody, I could not equip him more handfomely. And fo, Sir-I now leave you to your private meditations.

[Exeunt Lockit, Turnkeys, and Constables.

AIR

AIR XXVI. Courtiers, courtiers think it no harm.
Mac. Man may escape from rope and gun;

Nay, fome have out-liv'd the doctor's pill:
Who takes a woman must be undone,
That bafilifk is fure to kill.

The fly that fips treacle is loft in the sweets,
So he that taftes woman, woman, woman,
He that tastes woman, ruin meets.

--

To what a woful plight have I brought myfelf! Here muft I (all day long, 'till I am hanged) be confined to hear the reproaches of a wench, who lays her ruin at my door.- -I am in the custody of her father, and to be fure, if he knows of the matter, I fhall have a fine time on't betwixt this and my execution.- -But I promised the wench marriage.What fignifies a promise to a woman? Does not man in marriage itself promife a hundred things that he never means to perform? Do all we can, women will believe us; for they look upon a promife as an excufe for following their own inclinations. -But here comes Lucy, and I cannot get from her -would I were deaf.

Enter Lucy.

Lucy. You bafe man, you,

-how can you look me in the face, after what hath paft between us?.

-See

here, perfidious wretch, how I am forced to bear about

the load of infamy you have laid upon me heath thou haft robbed me of my quiet tortured would give me pleasure.

Oh, Macto see thee

AIR XXVII. A lovely lafs to a friar came.
Thus when a good huswife fees a rat,
In her trap in the morning taken,
With pleasure her heart goes pit a pat,
In revenge for her lofs of bacon.
Then fhe throws him

To the dog or cat,

To be worried, crush'd, and fhaken.

Mac.

Mac. Have you no bowels, no tenderness, my dear Lucy, to fee a husband in these circumstances?

Lucy, A hufband!

Mac. In every respect but the form, and that, my dear, may be faid over us at any time. -Friends fhould not infift upon ceremonies. From a man of honour, his word is as good as his bond.

Lucy. 'Tis the pleasure of all you fine men to infult the women you have ruined.

AIR XXVIII. 'Twas when the fea was roaring.

How cruel are the traitors,
Who lie and fwear in jeft,
To cheat unguarded creatures
Of virtue, fame, and reit!
Whoever steals a fhilling,

Through fhame the guilt conceals:
In love the perjur'd villain

With boasts the theft reveals.

Mac. The very first opportunity, my dear, (have but patience) you shall be my wife in whatever manner you please.

Lucy. Infinuating monster! And fo you think I know nothing of the affair of Mifs Polly Peachum.I could tear thy eyes out!

Mac. Sure, Lucy, you can't be fuch a fool as to be jealous of Polly!

Lucy. Are you not mrrried to her, you brute, you? Mac. Married! Very good. The wench gives it out only to vex thee, and to ruin me in thy good opinion. 'Tis true, I go to the houfe; I chat with the girl, I kifs her, I fay a thoufand things to her (as all gentlemen do) that mean nothing, to divert myfelf; and now the filly jade hath fet it about that I am married to her, to let me know what he would be at. Indeed, my dear Lucy, thefe violent paffions may be of ill confequence to a woman in your condition.

Lucy. Come, come, Captain, you know that Mifs Polly hath to do me the juftice you promised

for ail your affurance, put it out of your power me.

Mach.

Mach. A jealous woman believes every thing her paffion fuggefts. To convince you of my fincerity, if we can find the ordinary, I fhall have no fcruples of making you my wife and I know the confequence of having

two at a time.

Lucy. That you are only to be hanged, and fo ged rid of them both.

Mac. I am ready, my dear Lucy, to give you fatisfaction if you think there is any in marriage.-What can a man of honour fay more?

Lucy. So then it seems you are not married to Mifs Polly.

Mac. You know, Lucy, the girl is prodigiously conceited. No man can fay a civil thing to her, but (like other fine ladies) her vanity makes her think he's her own for ever and ever.

AIR XXIX. The fun had loofed his weary teams.

The first time at the looking-glass

The mother fets her daughter,
The image ftrikes the fmiling lafs
With felf-love ever after.

Each time she looks, fhe, fonder grown,

Thinks ev'ry charm grows stronger;
all eyes but your own
Can fee you are not younger.

But, alas! vain maid,

When women confider their own beauties, they are all alike unreasonable in their demands; for they expect their lovers should like them as long as they like themfelves.

Lucy. Yonder is my father-perhaps this way we may light upon the ordinary, who fhall try if you will be as good as your word- -for I long to be made an honeft woman. [Exeunt. Enter Peachum and Lockit, with an account book. Lock. In this laft affair, brother Peachum, we are agreed. You have confented to go halves in Macheath.

Peach. We fhall never fall out about an execution.But as to that article, pray how stands our last year's account?

Lock.

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