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Since haughty Philip, in despite of peace,

With hostile hand hath struck at England's trade.
Sir C.
I know it well!

Sir W. Philip, you know, is proud Iberia's king.
Sir C. He is.

Sir W. His subjects in base bigotry,

And Catholic oppression held-while we,
You know, the Protestant persuasion hold.
Sir C. We do.

Sir W. You know beside--his boasted armament,
The famed armada-by the pope baptized,

With purpose to invade these realms

Sir C.

Our last advices so report.

Is sailed,

Sir W. While the Iberian admiral's chief hope,

His darling son

Sir C.

Ferolo Whiskerandos hight—————

Sir W. The same,

By chance a prisoner hath been taken,

And in this fort of Tilbury

Sir C.

Sir W. You also know

Is now confined.

Dang. Mr. Puff, as he knows all this, why does Sir Walter go on telling him?

Puff. But the audience are not supposed to know anything of the matter, are they?

Sneer. True, but I think you manage ill; for there certainly appears no reason why Sir Walter should be so communicative.

Puff. Egad now, that is one of the most ungrateful observations I ever heard-for the less inducement he has to tell all this, the more, I think, you ought to be obliged to him; for I am sure you'd know nothing of the matter without it.

Dang. That's very true. upon my word.

Puff. But you will find he was not going on.

Sir C. Enough, enough-'tis plain-and I no

more

Am in amazement lost!

Puff. Here, now you see, Sir Christopher did not in fact ask any one question for his own information. Sneer. No, indeed, his has been a most disinterested curiosity!

Dang. Really, I find, we are very much obliged to them both.

Puff. To be sure you are. Now then for the commander-in-chief, the Earl of Leicester! who, you know, was no favourite but of the queen's. We left off-" in amazement lost!"

Sir C.

Am in amazement lost!

But see where noble Leicester comes! supreme
In honours and command.

Sneer. But who are these with him?

And

Puff. Oh, very valiant knights; one is the governor of the fort, the other the master of the horse. now, I think, you shall hear some better language: I was obliged to be plain and intelligible in the first scene, because there was so much matter of fact in it; but now, i'faith, you have trope, figure, and metaphor, as plenty as noun-substantives.

Enter EARL OF LEICESTER, the GOVERNOR,
and others.

Leic. How's this, my friends! is't thus your
new-fledged zeal

And plumèd valour moulds in roosted sloth?

Can the quick current of a patriot heart
Thus stagnate in a cold and weedy converse,
Or freeze in tideless inactivity?

No! rather let the fountain of your valour
Spring through each stream of enterprise,
Each petty channel of conducive daring;
Till the full torrent of your foaming wrath
O'erwhelm the flats of sunk hostility!

Sir W. No more! the freshening breath of thy
rebuke

Hath filled the swelling canvas of our souls!
And thus, though fate should cut the cable of
[All take hands.
Our topmost hopes, in friendship's closing line
We'll grapple with despair, and if we fall,
We'll fall in glory's wake!

Leic. There spoke old England's genius!
Then, are we all resolved?

All. We are-all resolved!

Leic. To conquer-or be free?

All. To conquer-or be free.
Leic. All?

All. All.

Dang. Nem. con. egad!

Puff. Oh, yes, where they do agree on the stage, their unanimity is wonderful!

Leic. Then let's embrace-and now

[Kneels.

Sneer. What the plague, is he going to pray?

Puff. Yes, hush! in great emergencies, there is nothing like a prayer!

Leic. O mighty Mars!

Puff. Stop, my dear sir, you dont expect to find Mars there. No, sir, whenever you address the gods, always look into the one shilling gallery.

Leic. O mighty Mars!

Dang. But why should he pray to Mars?
Puff. Hush!

Leic. O mighty Mars! if in thy homage bred,
Each point of discipline I've still observed;
Nor but by due promotion, and the right

Of service, to the rank of major-general

[blocks in formation]

Puff. And me! Now, mind your hits, pray all

together.

All. Behold thy votaries submissive beg,

That thou wilt deign to grant them all they ask.

Puff. Give 'em a longer all next time.

All.

Assist them to accomplish all their ends,

And sanctify whatever means they use

To gain them!

Sneer. A very orthodox quintetto!

Puff. Vastly well, gentlemen. Is that well managed or not? Have you such a prayer as that on the stage? Sneer. Not exactly.

Leic. [To Puff] But, sir, you haven't settled how we are to get off here.

Puff. You could not go off kneeling, could you? Sir W. [To Puff.] Oh, no, sir! Impossible!

Puff. It would have a good effect, i'faith, if you could exeunt praying! Yes, and would vary the established mode of springing off with a glance at the pit. Just try.

Sneer. Oh, never mind, so as you get them off, I'll answer for it the audience wont care how.

Puff. Well then, repeat the last line standing, and go off the old way.

All. And sanctify whatever means we use to gain them.

Dang. Bravo! a fine exit.
Sneer. Stay a moment-

[Exeunt.

[The sentinels get up.

1st Sent. All this shall to Lord Burleigh's ear. 2nd Sent. "T is meet it should. [Exeunt sentinels.

Dang. Eh, why I thought these fellows had been asleep?

Puff. Only a pretence, there's the art of it; they were spies of Lord Burleigh's. Take care, my dear Dangle, the morning gun is going to fire.

Dang. Well, that will have a fine effect.

Puff. I think so, and helps to realize the scene. [Cannon three times.] What the plague! three morning guns! there never is but one! ay, this is always the way at the theatre-give these fellows a good thing, and they never know when to have done with it. You have no more cannon to fire?

Prom. [From within.] No, sir,
Puff. Now then, for soft music.

Sneer. Pray, what's that for?

Puff. It shows that Tilburina is coming; nothing

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