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Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744

"A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 2"


Yet of fresh the next morrow forth he will again,
And sometime not come home in a whole night or twain:
Nor no delight he hath, no appetite nor mind.
But to the wild forest, to hunt the hart or hind,
The roebuck, the wild boar, the fallow-deer, or hare:
But how poor Ragan shall dine, he hath no care.
Poor I must eat acorns or berries from the tree.
But if I be found slack in the suit following,
Or if I do fail in blowing or hallooing;
Or if I lack my staff or my horn by my side:
He will be quick enough to fume, chafe, and chide.
Am I not well at ease such a master to serve,
As must have such service, and yet will let me starve?
But, in faith, his fashions displease mo than me,
And will have but a mad end one day, we shall see.
He passeth nothing on Rebecca his mother,
And much less passeth he on Jacob his brother.
But peace, mum, no more: I see master Esau.
[_Here Esau appeareth in sight, and bloweth his horn, ere he enter_.
ESAU. How now, are we all ready, servant Ragan?
Art thou up for all day, man? art thou ready now?
RAGAN. I have been here this half-hour, sir, waiting for you,
ESAU. And is all thing ready, as I bad, to my mind?
RAGAN. Ye have no cause, that I know, any fault to find:
Except that we disease our tent and neighbours all
With rising over early each day, when ye call.
ESAU. Ah, thou drowsy draffsack, wouldest thou rise at noon?
Nay, I trow the sixth hour with thee were over-soon.


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