Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General editor’s preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Note on the text
- Volume the First
- Volume the Second
- Volume the Third
- Corrections and emendations
- Appendix A The History of England: facsimile
- Appendix B Marginalia in Oliver Goldsmith’s The History of England, from the Earliest Times to the Death of George II
- Appendix C Marginalia in Vicesimus Knox’s Elegant Extracts . . . in Prose
- Appendix D Sophia Sentiment’s letter in The Loiterer, 28 March 1789
- Appendix E Continuations of ‘Evelyn’ and ‘Catharine’ by James Edward Austen and Anna Lefroy
- Abbreviations
- Explanatory Notes
The first Act of a Comedy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General editor’s preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Note on the text
- Volume the First
- Volume the Second
- Volume the Third
- Corrections and emendations
- Appendix A The History of England: facsimile
- Appendix B Marginalia in Oliver Goldsmith’s The History of England, from the Earliest Times to the Death of George II
- Appendix C Marginalia in Vicesimus Knox’s Elegant Extracts . . . in Prose
- Appendix D Sophia Sentiment’s letter in The Loiterer, 28 March 1789
- Appendix E Continuations of ‘Evelyn’ and ‘Catharine’ by James Edward Austen and Anna Lefroy
- Abbreviations
- Explanatory Notes
Summary
Characters
Popgun
Charles
Postilion
Chorus of ploughboys
and
Strephon
Maria
Pistoletta
Hostess
Cook
and
Chloe
Scene—an Inn—
Enter Hostess, Charles, Maria, and Cook.
Hostss. to Maria) If the gentry in the Lion should want beds, shew them number 9.—
Maria) Yes Mistress. exit Maria—
Hostss. to Cook) If their Honours in the Moon ask for the bill of fare, give it to them.
Cook)—I wull, I wull. exit Cook.
Hostss. to Charles) If their Ladyships in the Sun ring their Bell—answer it.
Charles) Yes Ma’am.— Exeunt Severally—
Scene changes to the Moon, and discovers Popgun and Pistoletta.
Pistoltta.) Pray papa how far is it to London?
Popgun) My Girl, my Darling, my favourite of all my Children, who art the picture of thy poor Mother who died two months ago, with whom I am going to Town to marry to Strephon, and to whom I mean to bequeath my whole Estate, it wants seven Miles.
Scene changes to the Sun—
Enter Chloe and a chorus of ploughboys.
Chloe) Where am I? At Hounslow.—Where go I? To London—What to do? To be married—. Unto whom? Unto Strephon. Who is he? A Youth. Then I will sing a Song.
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- Information
- Juvenilia , pp. 218 - 221Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006