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Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744

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



[_Esau cometh in so faint, that he can scarce go_.
ESAU. O, what a grievous pain is hunger to a man?
Take all that I have for meat, help who that can.
O Lord, some good body, for God's sake, give me meat.
I force not what it were, so that I had to eat.
Meat or drink, save my life--or bread, I reck not what:
If there be nothing else, some man give me a cat.
If any good body on me will do so much cost,
I will tear and eat her raw, she shall ne'er be rost;
I promise of honesty I will eat her raw.
And what a noddy was I, and a whoreson daw,
To let Ragan go with all my dogs at once:
A shoulder of a dog were now meat for the nonce.
O, what shall I do? my teeth I can scarcely charm
From gnawing away the brawn of my very arm.
I can no longer stand for faint, I must needs lie.
And except meat come soon, remediless I die.
And where art thou, Ragan, whom I sent before?
Unless thou come at once, I never see thee more.
Where art thou, Ragan; I hear not of thee yet?
RAGAN. Here, as fast as I can, but no meat can I get.
Not one draught of drink, not one poor morsel of bread.
Not one bit or crumb, though I should straightway be dead.
Therefore ye may now see, how much ye are to blame,
That will thus starve yourself for following your game.
ESAU. Ah, thou villain, tellest thou me this now?
If [I] had thee, I would eat thee, to God I vow.
Ah, meat, thou whoreson, why hast thou not brought me meat?
RAGAN.


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