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Read Ebook: The Beggar's Opera; to Which is Prefixed the Musick to Each Song by Gay John Fraser Claud Lovat Editor
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Ebook has 89 lines and 21725 words, and 2 pages
You'll think ere many Days ensue This Sentence not severe; I hang your Husband, Child, 'tis true, But with him hang your Care. Twang dang dillo dee.
Like a good Wife, go moan over your dying Husband. That, Child is your Duty-- Consider, Girl, you can't have the Man and the Money too-- so make yourself as easy as you can, by getting all you can from him.
If you at an Office solicit your Due, And would not have Matters neglected; You must quicken the Clerk with the Perquisite too, To do what his Duty directed.
Or would you the Frowns of a Lady prevent, She too has this palpable Failing, The Perquisite softens her into Consent; That Reason with all is prevailing.
Thus when the Swallow seeking Prey, Within the Sash is closely pent, His Consort, with bemoaning Lay, Without sits pining for th' Event. Her chatt'ring Lovers all around her skim; She heeds them not her Soul's with him.
AIR XL. If Love's a sweet Passion, &c.
When young at the Bar you first taught me to score, And bid me be free of my Lips, and no more; I was kiss'd by the Parson, the Squire, and the Sot, When the Guest was departed, the Kiss was forgot. But his Kiss was so sweet, and so closely he prest, That I languish'd and pin'd till I granted the rest.
If you can forgive me, Sir, I will make a fair Confession, for to be sure he hath been a most barbarous Villain to me.
Thus Gamesters united in Friendship are found, Though they know that their Industry all is a Cheat; They flock to their Prey at the Dice-Box's Sound, And join to promote one another's Deceit. But if by mishap They fail of a Chap, To keep in their Hands, they each other entrap. Like Pikes, lank with Hunger, who miss of their Ends, They bite their Companions, and prey on their Friends.
The Modes of the Court so common are grown, That a true Friend can hardly be met; Friendship for Interest is but a Loan, Which they let out for what they can get. 'Tis true, you find Some Friends so kind, Who will give you good Counsel themselves to defend. In sorrowful Ditty, They promise, they pity, But shift for your Money, from Friend to Friend.
But we, Gentlemen, have still Honour enough to break through the Corruptions of the World. --And while I can serve you, you may command me.
The Bird that hath been trapt, When he hears his calling Mate, To her he flies, again he's clapt Within the wiry Grate.
I have the Rats-bane ready. --I run no Risque; for I can lay her Death upon the Ginn, and so many die of that naturally that I shall never be call'd in question. --But say, I were to be hang'd. --I never could be hang'd for any thing that would give me greater Comfort, than the poisoning that Slut.
Dear Madam, your Servant. --I hope you will pardon my Passion, when I was so happy to see you last. --I was so over-run with the Spleen, that I was perfectly out of myself. And really when one hath the Spleen, every thing is to be excus'd by a Friend.
When a Wife's in her Pout, The good Husband as meek as a Lamb, Her Vapours to still, First grants her her Will, And the quieting Draught is a Dram. Poor Man! And the quieting Draught is a Dram.
--I wish all our Quarrels might have so comfortable a Reconciliation.
Among the Men, Coquettes we find, Who court by turns all Woman-kind; And we grant all their Hearts desir'd, When they are flatter'd, and admir'd.
AIR L. Come, sweet Lass.
Come, sweet Lass, Let's banish Sorrow 'Till To-morrow; Come, sweet Lass, Let's take a chirping Glass. Wine can clear The Vapours of Despair And make us light as Air; Then drink, and banish Care.
I can't bear, Child, to see you in such low Spirits. --And I must persuade you to what I know will do you good. I shall now soon be even with the hypocrytical Strumpet.
Now, Gentlemen, I am ready to attend you.
But why is all this Musick?
O cruel, cruel, cruel Case! Must I suffer this Disgrace?
Of all the Friends in time of Grief, When threatning Death looks grimmer, Not one so sure can bring Relief, As this best Friend, a Brimmer.
Since I must swing,-- I scorn, I scorn to wince or whine.
But now again my Spirits sink; I'll raise them high with Wine.
But Valour the stronger grows, The stronger Liquor we'er drinking; And how can we feel our Woes, When we've lost the Trouble of Thinking?
If thus-- A Man can die Much bolder with Brandy.
So I drink off this Bumper. --And now I can stand the Test, And my Comrades shall see, that I die as brave as the Best.
But can I leave my pretty Hussies, Without one Tear, or tender Sigh?
Their Eyes, their Lips, their Busses Recall my Love,-- Ah must I die!
FINIS.
Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, Bungay, Suffolk.
Errata Noted by Transcriber:
Punctuation or Capitalization Unchanged:
The music in the printed book appears to be a hand-written copy of the 1765 original, retaining or adding assorted minor errors. In particular, the use of double bar lines or repeats seems to be almost entirely arbitrary. In the PDF and MIDI files, obvious errors such as missing dots after notes have been corrected, and a few ties have been added. Repeats are used only when required by the lyrics as printed.
If you want to change the tempo of a MIDI file, do this:
--Install the lilypond program
--Open the file you want to edit and scroll down to the bottom. The "make-moment" line works just like a metronome setting. Leave the second number alone--usually a 4 for quarter-note--and make the first number larger or smaller.
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