Thai. Lord Cerymon, my Lord, this Man, through whom The Gods have fhewn their Power, that can from firft

To laft refolve you.

Per. Reverend Sir,

The Gods can have no mortal Officer

More like a God than you,

Will you deliver how this dead Queen re-lives?
Cer. I will, my Lord, befeech you firft go with me
Unto my House, where fhall be fhewn you all
Was found with her;

How the came plac'd here in the Temple,
No needful thing omitted.

Per. Pure Dian! bless thee for thy Vision,
I will offer Night Oblations to thee.

Thaifa, this Prince, the fair betroth'd of your Daughter,
Shall marry at Pentapolis,

And now this Ornament that makes me look difmal,
Will I clip to form,

And what this fourteen Years no Razor touch'd,
To grace thy Marriage Day, I'll beautifie.

Thai. Lord Cerymon hath Letters of good Credit,

Sir, my Father's dead.

Per. Heav'ns make a Star of him; yet here, my Queen, We'll celebrate their Nuptials, and our felves

Will in that Kingdom fpend our following Days;

Our Son and Daughter fhall in Tyrus reign.

Lord Cerymon, we do our longing ftay,

To hear the reft untold, Sir, lead's the way. [Ex. omnes.

Enter Gower.

In Antiochus and his Daughter, you have heard
Of monstrous Luft, the due and just Reward:
In Pericles, his Queen and Daughter feen,
Although affail'd with Fortunes fierce and keen,
Virtue preferr'd from fell Destruction's blast,
Led on by Heav'n, and crown'd with Joy at last.
In Hellicanus may you well defcry,
A Figure of Truth, of Faith, of Loyalty
In reverend Ceymon there well appears,
The worth that learned Charity aye wears.

R 2

For

For wicked Cleon and his Wife, when Fame
Had fpread their curfed Deed, and honour'd Name
Of Pericles, to rage the City turn,

That him and his, they in his Palace burn.
The Gods for Murder feemed fo content,
To punish, although not done, but meant.
So on your Patiences ever more attending,
New Joy wait on you, here our Play bath ending,

THE

LONDON

PRODIGAL.

A

COMEDY.

Printed in the YEAR 1709.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

R. Flowerdale, a Merchant, trading at
Venice.

MR

Matthew Flowerdale, his Prodigal Son.

Mr. Flowerdale, Brother to the Merchant.
Sir Lancelot Spurcock, of Lewfome in Kent.
Sir Arthur Greenfhood, a Commander,

Oliver, a Cornish Clothier,

In love

with Luce.

Weathercock, a Parafite to Sir Lancelot Spurcock. Tom Civet, in love with Frances.

Ruffin, a Pander to Miftrefs Apricock a Bawd.

THE

London Prodigal.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Enter Flowerdale the Merchant, and his Brother.

B

FATHER.

Rother, from Venice, being thus difguis'd, I come, to prove the humours of my Son: How hath he born himself fince my departure, I leaving you his Patron and his Guide? Unc. I'faith, Brother, fo, as you will grieve to hear, And I almoft afhamed to report it.

Fath. Why how is't, Brother? What, doth he fpend Beyond the allowance I left him?

Unc. How! beyond that? and far more; why, your Exhibition is nothing, he hath spent that, and fince hath borrow'd, protefted with Oaths, alledged Kindred to wring Mony from me, by the love I bore his Father, by the Fortunes might fall upon himself, to furnish his Wants: That done, I have had fince his Bond, his Friend and Friends Bond; although I know that he fpends is yours, yet it grieves me to fee the unbridled Wildnefs that reigns over him. Fath. Brother, what is the manner of his Life? how is the name of his Offences? if they do not relish altogether of Damnation, his Youth may privilege his Wantonnefs: self ran an unbridled Courfe 'till thirty, nay, almost 'till forty; well, you fee how I am: For Vice once looked

my

R 4.

into