occasion to notice those lawless ruffians, who, to the disgrace of the city, under the various names of mohawks, roarers, circlingboys, twi-bills, blades,Tityre-tu's, oatmeals,&c., infested the streets, almost with impunity, from the days of Elizabeth, down to the beginning of the last century. Some of the Tityre-tu's, not long after the appearance of this drama, (1624,) appear to have been brought before the Council, and committed on a suspicion of state delinquency: had they been sent to be flogged in Bridewell, it would have been at least as wise. The names of two of them incidentally appear A. Windsor, and George Chambers :-" madcaps," they call themselves. The badge of their order was a blue ribbon : the Oatmeals are usually coupled with them. "So! now I am a Blade, and of a better row" (higher class?)" than those of Tityre-tu, or Oatmeal-ho!" Covent Garden weeded.

The Oatmeals are alluded to by Cartwright, under a pretended mistake, for Ottomans. "My sou (a roaring boy) shall have the Turkish monarchy! Great Andrew Mahomet! Andrew Oatmealman! Oatmeal-man Andrew!" &c.

The Tityre-tu's were committed to prison, on the charge (they say) of "my Lord of Canterbury;" and they do not forget to triumph over the misfortune which embittered his declining years.

"If he were but behind me now,
And should this ballad hear,

Sure he'd revenge with bended bow,
And I die like a deer."

3 Though I die in totters.] i. e. tatters. So the word was usually written by our old dramatists.

And what think you of this, you old doating, moth-eaten, bearded rascal! as I am Folly by the mother's side, and a true-bred gentleman, I will sing thee to death, if thou vex me. Cannot a man of fashion, for his pleasure, put on, now and then, his working-day robes of humility, but he must presently be subject to a beadle's rod of correction? Go, mend thyself, cannibal! 'tis not without need ; I am sure the times were never more beggarly and proud: waiting women flaunt it in east-suits, and their ladies fall for 'em; knaves over-brave wise men, while wise men stand with cap and knee to fools. Pitiful Time! pitiful Time!

Time. Out, foul, prodigious and abortive birth!
Behold, the sand-glass of thy days is broke.
Fol. Bring me another; I'll shatter that too.
Time. No, thou'st mis-spent thy hours, lavish ['d,]
fool-like,

The circuit of thy life, in ceaseless riots;
It is not therefore fit, that thou shouldst live
In such a court, as the Sun's majesty

Vouchsafes to illuminate with his bright beams.

Fol. In any court, father bald-pate, where my grannam the Moon shows her horns, except the Consistory Court; and there she need not appear, cuckolds carry such sharp stilettos in their foreheads. I'll live here and laugh at the bravery of ignorance, maugre thy scurvy and abominable beard.

Time. Priest of the Sun, 'tis near about the minute

Thy patron will descend; scourge hence this

trifle:

Time is ne'er lost, till, in the common schools
Of impudence, time meets with wilful fools.

[Exit.

Fol. Farewell 1538! I might have said 5000, but the other's long enough o'conscience, to be honest-condition'd-pox on him! it's a notable railing whipper, of a plain Time-whipper. Priest. You heard the charge he left.

Fol. Ay, ay, he may give a charge; he has been a petty court-holder ever since he was a minute old; he took you for a foreman of a jury.

Ray. Pray, sir, what are you?

Fol. No matter what; what are you?

Ray. Not as you are, I thank my better fates; I am grandchild to the Sun.

Fol. And I am cousin-german, some two or three hundred removes off, to the Moon, and my name is Folly.

Ray. Folly, sir! of what quality?

Fol. Quality! any quality in fashion; drinking, whoring, singing, dancing, dicing, swearing, roaring, foisting, lying, cogging, canting, et catera. Will you have any more?

cæ

Ray. You have a merry heart, if you can guide

it.

Fol. Yes, 'faith; so, so: I laugh not at those whom I fear; I fear not those whom I love; and I love not any whom I laugh not at: pretty strange humour, is't not?

Ray. To any one, that knows you not, it is.
Priest. You must avoid.

Fol. Away, away! I have no such meaning, indeed, la! [Music of Recorders. Priest. Hark! the fair hour is come; draw to the altar,

And, with amazement, reverence and comfort, Behold the broad eyed lamp of heaven descending! Stand!

.

The SUN appears above.

Fol. Oh, brave!

Priest. Stand.

SONG.

Glorious and bright! lo, here we bend
Before thy throne, trembling, attend
Thy sacred pleasures: be pleas'd then
To shower thy comforts down, that men
May freely taste, in life's extremes,
The influence of thy powerful beams.*

Ray. Let not my fate too swiftly run,
Till thou acknowledge me thy son;
Oh! there's no joy even from the womb
Of frailty; till we be call'd home.

The influence of thy powerful beams.] For beams, the old copy reads dreams,—an evident mis-print; of which there are far too many in this piece.

Fol. Now am I an arrant rascal, and cannot speak one word for myself, if I were hanged.

Sun. Raybright!

Priest. It calls you; answer.

Ray. Lord and Father!

Sun. We know thy cares; appear to give re

lease:

Boldly make thy demands, for we will please
To grant whate'er thou su'st for.

Ray. Fair-beam'd sir!

I dare not greedily prefer
Eternity of Earth's delights,

Before that duty which invites

My filial piety in this

Your love shall perfect my heart's bliss,

If I but for one only year,

Enjoy the several pleasures here,

Which every season in his kind,
Can bless a mortal with.

Sun. I find

Thy reason breeds thy appetite, and grant it;
Thou master'st thy desire, and shalt not want it.
To the Spring garden let him be convey'd,
And entertain❜d there by that lovely maid;
All the varieties the Spring can show,

Be subject to his will.

Priest. Light's lord! we go.

[Exeunt PRIEST and RAYBRIGHT.

Fol. And I will follow, that am not in love with

such fopperies.

[Exit.