Scene 3. A Tavern -
SCENE III. A Tavern .
Scrup. What says the Statute Book, Brother Wiseman , in relation to these kind of Enormities? I am informed that there were Mohocks in Queen Elizabeth 's Days. Have you search'd all the Statutes of her Reign for an Act in relation to this Affair?
Kind. What occasion for all these doubts, Mr. Justice Scruple ? for where the Law is silent, there, our Will is the Law — — — If we have no Precedents of Mohocks — — — come, Mr. Justice Scruple , my hearty Service to you — — — if we have no Precedents, I say, of any Mohocks — — — my hearty Service to you again, Mr. Justice — — — yet Mohocks inclusively are comprehended in disorderly Persons, and disturbers of her Majesty's Peace, and as such, I say, they may and ought to be committed.
Scrup. But we must refer to the Statute Books upon all Occasions — — — The Statute Books must be our guide in all Cases — — — and where the Statutes will not come within our Cases — — — we must make our Cases come within the Statute's Cases — That's the Method of all judicious practising Lawyers, Brothers.
Wise. Let us act Justice, and be guided by Reason.
Kind. What has Reason to do with Law, Brother Wiseman ? if we follow the Law, we must judge according to the Letter of the Law.
Scrup. You are in the Right, Brother Kindle — — — Reason and Law have been at variance in our Courts these many Years — — — a mis-spell'd Word, or a Quibble will baffle the most convincing Argument in the World; and therefore if we are guided — Mr. Justice Wiseman , my hearty respects to you — if we are guided, I say, in any measure by the Law, 'tis my Opinion, that we must keep strictly to the Letter of the Law.
Enter the Mohocks, Constable and Watchmen .
Emp. An please your Worship we have brought some Mohocks before your Honours; This, an please your Honours, is the Emperor, and this his Grand Vizier, and all the rest are Princes of the Blood.
Abad. I, my own self, an please your Honours, saw this very self-same Fellow here, tip the Lyon upon five several of her Majesty's true-born Subjects, and afterwards slit all their Noses.
Mol. This Fellow here — is a Dancing-Master — — — an please your Worships, he pricks Passengers in the Calves of the Legs to make them show their Agility.
Whisk. And this Terrible-look'd Fellow, and please your Honours, is their Master Cooper, his Office is to Barrel up old Women — — — all the rest of them have their proper Employments.
Wise. Where, and how were they taken?
Can. In an Attack upon the Watch-house — — — aftersan obstinate fight of about an hour and an half we made them all Prisoners.
Star. The Devil is a most confounded Lyar!
Emp. We took this Mohock . Mr. Justices, in an actual Assault to ravish these two Women — oh — he's a Devilish Fellow for a Wench — the Rogue has no Conscience with him — no more Conscience than a Woman — what two Women! why a Woman with common Modesty in her Demands would not have desired above two Men — what, two Women at once!
Peg. He gagg'd me, and please your Worships; then drew his Sword, and threaten'd to kill me, if I did not —
Jen. And if the Watchman had not come just in the Nick —
Cloudy. If I lose both my Tongues and my Ears — — — I must and will speak — — — And please your Worships, I am an honest Watchman — — — Peter Cloudy . — — —
Whisk. What are you, Sirrah — — — what are you — — — such a Word more — — —
Cloudy. I am — — — oh — — — yes — — — I am — — — oh — — — I am a Mohock an please your Worships — — — a Watchman I mean — — — and this is Mr. Constable Prig — — — oh no — — — I beg your Worship's Pardon, he is — — — oh no — — — oh no — — — he is not — — —
Gog. Come, come, confess — — —
Cloudy. Yes, he is — — — Emperor of the Mohocks , an please ye — — —
Kind. I perceive that you are a prevaricating shuffling Rogue — commit him, commit him — — — when a Man talks backwards and forwards — — — I have done with him.
Cloudy. Oh, Dear Mr. Justice — — — indeed — — — oh pray sweet, loving, good, kind Mr. Justice — — — I have been a Watchman, these twenty Years.
Mol. What's that you say, Rascal?
Cloudy. A Mohock these twenty Years, an please your Honours.
Kind. Commit them — — — commit them — — — we need no further Proof — — — Impudent — — — Impudent — — — Rogue — — — pretend to be the Queen's Officer! — — — I'll hear no more — — — away — — — away with them.
Scrup. But hold, Brother Kindle — — — though the Case is plain in Relation to this Fellow — — — yet we must not punish the Guilty with the Innocent — — —
Kind. The Innocent with the Guilty, you would say, Brother — — — they are all of a Gang — all Rogues alike — — — away — — — away with them.
Wise. Do you confess what is alledg'd against you by these honest Watchmen. Friends? you are accused of being a Riotous sort of Creatures called Mohocks — Answer to your Charge — — — are you Guilty or not Guilty — — —
All. Not Guilty — — — an please your Worship — — — Oh yes, yes — — — Guilty — — — Guilty — — — Guilty.
Kind. What need we examine further?
Cloudy. But as to the Ravishing — — — Mr. Justices — — — oh me! — — — Yes I will speak [ Aside to the Mohocks.] as I was saying, Mr. Justices, as to the Ravishing — — — I know nothing of that matter — oh, oh! yes, yes — — — I did Ravish — — — I did Ravish them — — — an please your Worships.
Kind. A most Impudent Rogue — — — the Fellow has a confounded Ravishing Look — — — Heav'n preserve our Wives and Daughters — — — away, away — — — they are dangerous Persons — — — commit them.
Watch. An please your Worships — we found this Gentleman here, and Woman here, joyn'd together in a very odd Posture.
Kind. As how — — — Friend, as how?
Watch. Why they were tyed together — — — back to back — an please your Worships.
Wise. A very odd Posture — — — Brother Scruple — — — a very odd Posture.
Joan. But Mr. Justices — Oh you ungracious Wretch! Mr. Justices — you are Justices of the Peace, and I hope your Worshipful Honours will do me Justice — — — Look, how the sneaking Rogue looks upon me now!
Scrup. Proceed, Woman, to the Matter in Hand.
Joan. Why, an please your Worshipful Honours, to make short of my Story — this great Boobily Lubber here — — — it seems, while I thought he was upon the Watch, went about a Mohocking — — — The Laird keep us, say I, from the Great Turk , and from Popery! but to make short of my Story, Mr. Justices, — this Slave here, this Hawkubite Rogue, throws away upon two Wenches in one Night, [ Weeping .] what with good Huswifery would have satisfied his poor Wife for a Fortnight; — — — can you deny this, Sirrah, can you deny it? — — — but to make short of my Story, an please your worshipful Honours; when I came to the Watch-house, thinking to find him in his Office, I found him [ Weeping .] taken up for a Mohock .
Emp. Faith, 'tis high time for us to sneak off.
Wise. Hold — — — hold! — — — let us examine further into these Affairs.
Watch. Why, Harry — — — how comest thee in this Pickle?
Gent. These, Gentlemen, Sirs, treat all alike without the least Distinction — — — one would rather fall into the Hands of the Mohocks , than suffer the Barbarities of these ill-bred sort of Creatures.
Cloudy. Why they are all Mohocks — — — an please your worshipful Honours — — — they unconstabled the Constable.
Star. And unwatch'd the Watch — — — an please your Honours.
Cloudy. Ay — faith — — — I don't value your Staring — — — it shall all out — faith — — — now I have got all my Friends about me. [ Aside to the Mohocks.] They stript us — — — an please your worshipful Honours — made us Mohocks , and themselves Constable and Watch.
Kind. Very strange — — — Brother Scruple — — — very strange.
Cloudy. This is Mr. Constable Prig , an please your Honours.
Starl. And I am Harry Starlight , an please ye.
Joan. And is not my Peter a Mohock then! — — — art not thee a Hawkubite, Peter? — — — are not these thy Wenches? — — — oh, Peter !
All the Watch. These are all our Brother Watchmen, — — — we'll vouch for them — — — an please your Worships.
Wisem. A plain case, Brothers, — — — Oh, then you are the Mohocks , it seems, Gentlemen.
All the Mohocks. We are Gentlemen, Sirs, 'twas only an innocent Frolick.
Wisem. Frolicks for Brutes and not for Men. — — — Watchmen, seize your Prisoners.
Cloudy. Heark ye, Sir — — — are you a Mohock — — — or are you not a Mohoc , — — — [ Takes away the Dagger, with which they prick'd him .] Come, come give up your Poles and your Lanthorns — hold up your Head, Friend — Mr. Hannibal I think they call him — oh — I find you have Ears to lose — I was afraid the Pillory had been before-hands with me — come strip.
Joan. Oh Peter! Peter! and art not thee a Mohock then, Peter ?
Gent. Have I been a Captive of the Mohocks — — — well — — — I vow, 'tis mighty happy, that I have preserv'd all my Features entire for the Ladies.
Emp. Pray, Gentlemen, give us our Liberty.
All the Mohocks. We'll ask Pardon.
Emp. Treat us like Gentlemen.
Wisem. Let them be brought before us by ten a Clock — — — You may assure your selves, Gentlemen — — — these Proceedings of yours shall be punished with the utmost Severity.
All the Mohocks. We'll submit, ask Pardon, or do any thing.
Const. Come, — let's call up the Musick that is below, and rejoice for our happy Deliverance — — — Let us show the Emperor here, that we can Dance without his Instructions.
All. Agreed.
A Dance of Watchmen.
Const. This is the Day — — — the joyful Night indeed
In which Great Britain's Sons from the Mo-hocks are freed .
Our Wives and Daughters they may walk the Street,
Nor Mohock now, nor Hawkubite shall meet .
Mohock and Hawkubite, both one and all ,
Shall from this very Night date their Down — — — fall.
Scrup. What says the Statute Book, Brother Wiseman , in relation to these kind of Enormities? I am informed that there were Mohocks in Queen Elizabeth 's Days. Have you search'd all the Statutes of her Reign for an Act in relation to this Affair?
Kind. What occasion for all these doubts, Mr. Justice Scruple ? for where the Law is silent, there, our Will is the Law — — — If we have no Precedents of Mohocks — — — come, Mr. Justice Scruple , my hearty Service to you — — — if we have no Precedents, I say, of any Mohocks — — — my hearty Service to you again, Mr. Justice — — — yet Mohocks inclusively are comprehended in disorderly Persons, and disturbers of her Majesty's Peace, and as such, I say, they may and ought to be committed.
Scrup. But we must refer to the Statute Books upon all Occasions — — — The Statute Books must be our guide in all Cases — — — and where the Statutes will not come within our Cases — — — we must make our Cases come within the Statute's Cases — That's the Method of all judicious practising Lawyers, Brothers.
Wise. Let us act Justice, and be guided by Reason.
Kind. What has Reason to do with Law, Brother Wiseman ? if we follow the Law, we must judge according to the Letter of the Law.
Scrup. You are in the Right, Brother Kindle — — — Reason and Law have been at variance in our Courts these many Years — — — a mis-spell'd Word, or a Quibble will baffle the most convincing Argument in the World; and therefore if we are guided — Mr. Justice Wiseman , my hearty respects to you — if we are guided, I say, in any measure by the Law, 'tis my Opinion, that we must keep strictly to the Letter of the Law.
Enter the Mohocks, Constable and Watchmen .
Emp. An please your Worship we have brought some Mohocks before your Honours; This, an please your Honours, is the Emperor, and this his Grand Vizier, and all the rest are Princes of the Blood.
Abad. I, my own self, an please your Honours, saw this very self-same Fellow here, tip the Lyon upon five several of her Majesty's true-born Subjects, and afterwards slit all their Noses.
Mol. This Fellow here — is a Dancing-Master — — — an please your Worships, he pricks Passengers in the Calves of the Legs to make them show their Agility.
Whisk. And this Terrible-look'd Fellow, and please your Honours, is their Master Cooper, his Office is to Barrel up old Women — — — all the rest of them have their proper Employments.
Wise. Where, and how were they taken?
Can. In an Attack upon the Watch-house — — — aftersan obstinate fight of about an hour and an half we made them all Prisoners.
Star. The Devil is a most confounded Lyar!
Emp. We took this Mohock . Mr. Justices, in an actual Assault to ravish these two Women — oh — he's a Devilish Fellow for a Wench — the Rogue has no Conscience with him — no more Conscience than a Woman — what two Women! why a Woman with common Modesty in her Demands would not have desired above two Men — what, two Women at once!
Peg. He gagg'd me, and please your Worships; then drew his Sword, and threaten'd to kill me, if I did not —
Jen. And if the Watchman had not come just in the Nick —
Cloudy. If I lose both my Tongues and my Ears — — — I must and will speak — — — And please your Worships, I am an honest Watchman — — — Peter Cloudy . — — —
Whisk. What are you, Sirrah — — — what are you — — — such a Word more — — —
Cloudy. I am — — — oh — — — yes — — — I am — — — oh — — — I am a Mohock an please your Worships — — — a Watchman I mean — — — and this is Mr. Constable Prig — — — oh no — — — I beg your Worship's Pardon, he is — — — oh no — — — oh no — — — he is not — — —
Gog. Come, come, confess — — —
Cloudy. Yes, he is — — — Emperor of the Mohocks , an please ye — — —
Kind. I perceive that you are a prevaricating shuffling Rogue — commit him, commit him — — — when a Man talks backwards and forwards — — — I have done with him.
Cloudy. Oh, Dear Mr. Justice — — — indeed — — — oh pray sweet, loving, good, kind Mr. Justice — — — I have been a Watchman, these twenty Years.
Mol. What's that you say, Rascal?
Cloudy. A Mohock these twenty Years, an please your Honours.
Kind. Commit them — — — commit them — — — we need no further Proof — — — Impudent — — — Impudent — — — Rogue — — — pretend to be the Queen's Officer! — — — I'll hear no more — — — away — — — away with them.
Scrup. But hold, Brother Kindle — — — though the Case is plain in Relation to this Fellow — — — yet we must not punish the Guilty with the Innocent — — —
Kind. The Innocent with the Guilty, you would say, Brother — — — they are all of a Gang — all Rogues alike — — — away — — — away with them.
Wise. Do you confess what is alledg'd against you by these honest Watchmen. Friends? you are accused of being a Riotous sort of Creatures called Mohocks — Answer to your Charge — — — are you Guilty or not Guilty — — —
All. Not Guilty — — — an please your Worship — — — Oh yes, yes — — — Guilty — — — Guilty — — — Guilty.
Kind. What need we examine further?
Cloudy. But as to the Ravishing — — — Mr. Justices — — — oh me! — — — Yes I will speak [ Aside to the Mohocks.] as I was saying, Mr. Justices, as to the Ravishing — — — I know nothing of that matter — oh, oh! yes, yes — — — I did Ravish — — — I did Ravish them — — — an please your Worships.
Kind. A most Impudent Rogue — — — the Fellow has a confounded Ravishing Look — — — Heav'n preserve our Wives and Daughters — — — away, away — — — they are dangerous Persons — — — commit them.
Watch. An please your Worships — we found this Gentleman here, and Woman here, joyn'd together in a very odd Posture.
Kind. As how — — — Friend, as how?
Watch. Why they were tyed together — — — back to back — an please your Worships.
Wise. A very odd Posture — — — Brother Scruple — — — a very odd Posture.
Joan. But Mr. Justices — Oh you ungracious Wretch! Mr. Justices — you are Justices of the Peace, and I hope your Worshipful Honours will do me Justice — — — Look, how the sneaking Rogue looks upon me now!
Scrup. Proceed, Woman, to the Matter in Hand.
Joan. Why, an please your Worshipful Honours, to make short of my Story — this great Boobily Lubber here — — — it seems, while I thought he was upon the Watch, went about a Mohocking — — — The Laird keep us, say I, from the Great Turk , and from Popery! but to make short of my Story, Mr. Justices, — this Slave here, this Hawkubite Rogue, throws away upon two Wenches in one Night, [ Weeping .] what with good Huswifery would have satisfied his poor Wife for a Fortnight; — — — can you deny this, Sirrah, can you deny it? — — — but to make short of my Story, an please your worshipful Honours; when I came to the Watch-house, thinking to find him in his Office, I found him [ Weeping .] taken up for a Mohock .
Emp. Faith, 'tis high time for us to sneak off.
Wise. Hold — — — hold! — — — let us examine further into these Affairs.
Watch. Why, Harry — — — how comest thee in this Pickle?
Gent. These, Gentlemen, Sirs, treat all alike without the least Distinction — — — one would rather fall into the Hands of the Mohocks , than suffer the Barbarities of these ill-bred sort of Creatures.
Cloudy. Why they are all Mohocks — — — an please your worshipful Honours — — — they unconstabled the Constable.
Star. And unwatch'd the Watch — — — an please your Honours.
Cloudy. Ay — faith — — — I don't value your Staring — — — it shall all out — faith — — — now I have got all my Friends about me. [ Aside to the Mohocks.] They stript us — — — an please your worshipful Honours — made us Mohocks , and themselves Constable and Watch.
Kind. Very strange — — — Brother Scruple — — — very strange.
Cloudy. This is Mr. Constable Prig , an please your Honours.
Starl. And I am Harry Starlight , an please ye.
Joan. And is not my Peter a Mohock then! — — — art not thee a Hawkubite, Peter? — — — are not these thy Wenches? — — — oh, Peter !
All the Watch. These are all our Brother Watchmen, — — — we'll vouch for them — — — an please your Worships.
Wisem. A plain case, Brothers, — — — Oh, then you are the Mohocks , it seems, Gentlemen.
All the Mohocks. We are Gentlemen, Sirs, 'twas only an innocent Frolick.
Wisem. Frolicks for Brutes and not for Men. — — — Watchmen, seize your Prisoners.
Cloudy. Heark ye, Sir — — — are you a Mohock — — — or are you not a Mohoc , — — — [ Takes away the Dagger, with which they prick'd him .] Come, come give up your Poles and your Lanthorns — hold up your Head, Friend — Mr. Hannibal I think they call him — oh — I find you have Ears to lose — I was afraid the Pillory had been before-hands with me — come strip.
Joan. Oh Peter! Peter! and art not thee a Mohock then, Peter ?
Gent. Have I been a Captive of the Mohocks — — — well — — — I vow, 'tis mighty happy, that I have preserv'd all my Features entire for the Ladies.
Emp. Pray, Gentlemen, give us our Liberty.
All the Mohocks. We'll ask Pardon.
Emp. Treat us like Gentlemen.
Wisem. Let them be brought before us by ten a Clock — — — You may assure your selves, Gentlemen — — — these Proceedings of yours shall be punished with the utmost Severity.
All the Mohocks. We'll submit, ask Pardon, or do any thing.
Const. Come, — let's call up the Musick that is below, and rejoice for our happy Deliverance — — — Let us show the Emperor here, that we can Dance without his Instructions.
All. Agreed.
A Dance of Watchmen.
Const. This is the Day — — — the joyful Night indeed
In which Great Britain's Sons from the Mo-hocks are freed .
Our Wives and Daughters they may walk the Street,
Nor Mohock now, nor Hawkubite shall meet .
Mohock and Hawkubite, both one and all ,
Shall from this very Night date their Down — — — fall.
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