I begin to be afraid we shall meet with fome misfortune to-night.

2 Cour. Why, if any body fhould take what we have got, we have made a fine business of it.

3 Cour. Let them take it if they will; I am fo tir'd, I fhall make but small refiftance.

[The Keepers rush upon them. 2 Keep. Ay, rogues, rafcals, and villains! you have got it, have you?

2 Cour. Indeed we have got but very little; but what we have got, you're welcome to, if you will but ufe us civilly.

1 Keep. O yes, very civilly; you deserve to be us’d civilly, to be fure.

4 Cour. Why, what have we done that we may not be civilly us'd?

1 Keep. Come, come, don't trifle, surrender.

· I Cour. I have but three half-crowns about me. ་ 2 Cour. Here's three-and-fixpence for you, gentle.

men.

·

• 3

Cour. Here's my watch, I have no money at all. Cour. Indeed I have nothing in my pocket but a • fnuff-box.

4

4 Keep. What! the dogs want to bribe us, do they? No, rafcals; you fhall go before the juftice to-morrow, ⚫ depend on't.

6

4 Cour. Before the juftice! what, for being robb'd? 1 Keep. For being robb'd! what do you mean? who has robb'd you?

6 4 Cour. Why, did you not just now demand our money, gentlemen?

2 Keep. O, the rafcals! they will fwear a robbery against us, I warrant.

6

4 Cour. A robbery! ay, to be fure.

1 Keep. No, no; we did not demand your money, " we demanded the deer you've kill'd.

4 Cour. The devil take the deer, I fay; he led us a chace of fix hours, and got away from us at last.

1 Keep. Zouns! ye dogs, do ye think to banter us? • I tell ye, you have this night fhot one of the king's deer; did not we hear the gun go off? did not we hear you say, you was afraid it fhould be taken from you?

2 Cour. We were afraid our money should be taken • from us.

ye,

1 Keep. Come, come, no more fhuffling: I tell 'you're all rogues, and we'll have you hang'd, you may ' depend on't. Come, let us take 'em to old Cockle's, 'we're not far off, we'll keep 'em there all night, and ' to-morrow morning we'll away with 'em before the • juftice.

4 Cour. A very pretty adventure!

SCENE changes to the Mill.

[Exeunt.

King, Miller, Margery, and Dick, at fupper. Mil. Come, Sir, you must mend a bad fupper with a glafs of good ale:-Here's King Harry's health.

King. With all my heart. Come, Richard, here's King Harry's health: I hope you are courtier enough to pledge me, are not you?

Dick. Yes, yes, Sir: I'll drink the king's health with all my heart.

Mar. Come, Sir, my humble service to you, and much good may do ye with your poor fupper; I wish it had

been better.

King. You need make no apologies.

Mar. We are obliged to your goodness in excufing our rudeness.

Mil. Prithee, Margery, don't trouble the gentleman with compliments.

Mar. Lord, husband, if one had no more manners than you, the gentleman would take us all for hogs. Mil. Now, I think the more compliments the less

manners.

King. I think fo too. Compliments in difcourfe, I believe, are like ceremonies in religion; the one has deftroy'd all true piety, and the other all fincerity and plain-dealing.

Mil. Then a fig for all ceremony and compliments too: give us thy hand, and let us drink and be merry.

King. Right honeft Miller, let us drink and be merry. Come, have you got e'er a good fong?

Mil. Ah! my finging days are over: but my man Joe has got an excellent one; and if you have a mind to hear it, I'll call him in.

Come, Joe, drink, boy; I have promis'd this gentleman that you fhall fing him our last new fong.

Joe. Well, mafter, if you have promis'd it him, he fhall have it.

How happy a ftate does the miller poffefs? Who wou'd be no greater, nor fears to be lefs; On his mill and himself he depends for support, Which is better than fervilely cringing at court. What tho' he all dufty and whiten'd does go? The more he's bepowder'd, the more like a beau: A clown in this dress may be honester far, Than a courtier who ftruts in his garter and ftar. Tho' his hands are so bedaub'd they're not fit to be feen, The hands of his betters are not very clean;

A palm more polite, may as dirtily deal: Gold, in handling, will ftick to the fingers like meal. What if, when a pudding for dinner he lacks, He cribs, without fcruple, from other mens facks? In this of right noble examples he brags, Who borrow as freely from other mens bags. Or fhou'd he endeavour to heap an estate, In this he wou'd mimick the tools of the state; Whofe aim is alone their own coffers to fill, As all his concern's to bring grift to his mill.

He eats when he's hungry, he drinks when he's dry, And down when he's weary contented does lie; Then rifes up cheerful to work and to fing:

If fo happy a miller, then who'd be a king?

Mil. There's a song for you.

King. He fhould go fing this at court, I think. Dick. I believe, if he's wife, he will choose to stay at home tho'.

Enter Peggy.

Mil. What wind blew you hither, pray? you have a good share of impudence, or you would be afham'd to fet foot within my house, methinks.

your

Peggy. Afham'd I am indeed, but do not call me impudent.

[Weeps.

Dick. Dear father, fufpend your anger for the prefent; that she is here now, is by my direction, and to do me juftice.

Peggy. To do that, is all that is now in my power; for as to myself, I'm ruin'd paft redemption: my character, my virtue, my peace, are gone: I am abandon'd by my friends, defpis'd by the world, and expos'd to mifery and want.

King. Pray, let me know the ftory of your misfortunes; perhaps it may be in my power to do something towards redreffing them.

Peggy. That you may learn from him whom I have wrong' 'd; but as for me, fhame will not let me speak or

hear it told.

King. She's very pretty.

[Exit.

Dick. O, Sir, I once thought her an angel; I lov'd her dearer than my life, and did believe her paffion was the fame for me: but a young nobleman of this neighbourhood happening to fee her, her youth and blooming beauty prefently ftruck his fancy; a thousand artifices were immediately employ'd to debauch and ruin her. But all his arts were vain; not even the promise of making her his wife, could prevail upon her: in a little time he found out her love to me; and, imagining this to be the cause of her refufal, he, by forg'd letters and feign'd ftories, contriv'd to make her believe I was upon the point of marriage with another woman. Poffefs'd with this opinion, fhe, in a rage, writes me word never to see her more; and, in revenge, confented to her own undoing. Not contented with this, nor easy while I was fo near her, he brib'd one of his caft-off miftreffes to fwear a child to me, which fhe did: this was the occafion of my leaving my friends and flying to London.

King. And how does the propofe to do you justice? Dick. Why, the king being now in this foreft a-hunting, we defign to take fome opportunity of throwing ourfelves at his majefty's feet, and complaining of the inju ftice done us by this noble villain.

Mil. Ah, Dick! I expect but little redress from fuch an application. Things of this nature are fo common amongst the great, that I am afraid it will only be made a jeft of.

King. Thofe who can make a jeft of what ought to be fhocking to humanity, furely deserve not the name of great or noble men.

Dick. What do you think of it, Sir? if you belong to the court, you, perhaps, may know fomething of the king's temper.

King. Why, if I can judge of his temper at all, I think he would not fuffer the greatest nobleman in his court to do an injuftice to the meaneft fubject in his kingdom. But, pray, who is the nobleman that is capable of fuch actions as thefe?

Dick. Do you know my Lord Lurewell?
King. Yes.

Dick. That's the man.

King. Well, I would have you put your defign in execution. 'Tis my opinion the king will not only hear your complaint, but redrefs your injuries.

Mil. I wish it may prove fo.

Enter the Keepers, leading in Lord Lurewell and
Courtiers.

1 Keep. Hola! Cockle! where are ye? why, man, we have nabb'd a pack of rogues here just in the fact. King. Ha, ha, ha! What, turn'd highwaymen, my lords! or deer-stealers!

Lure. I am very glad to find your Majesty in health and fafety.

2 Cour. We have run thro' a great many perils and dangers to-night; but the joy of finding your Majesty fo unexpectedly, will make us forget all we have fuf'fer'd.'

Mil. and Dick. What! is this the king?

King. I am very glad to fee you, my lords, I confefs; and particularly you, my lord Lurewell.

Lure. Your Majefty does me honour.

King. Yes, my lord, and I will do you juftice too; your honour has been highly wrong'd by this young man. Lure. Wrong'd, my liege?

King. I hope fo, my lord; for I wou'd fain believe you can't be guilty of bafenefs and treachery.

Lure. I hope your Majefty will find me fo. What dares this villain fay?