John Gay (1685-1732)
The Beggar's Opera
(excerpt)
Air I
An old woman clothed in gray, &c.
1.1 Through all the employments of life
1.2 Each neighbour abuses his brother;
1.3Whore and rogue they call husband and wife:
1.4 All professions be-rogue one another.
1.5The priest calls the lawyer a cheat,
1.6 The lawyer be-knaves the divine;
1.7And the statesman, because he's so great,
1.8 Thinks his trade as honest as mine.
Air XI
A Soldier and a Sailor
11.1 A fox may steal your hens, sir,
11.2A whore your health and pence, sir,
11.3Your daughter rob your chest, sir,
11.4Your wife may steal your rest, sir,
11.5 A thief your goods and plate.
11.6 But this is all but picking,
11.7With rest, pence, chest and chicken;
11.8It ever was decreed, sir,
11.9If lawyer's hand is fee'd, sir,
11.10 He steals your whole estate.
Air XXII
Cotillon
22.1 Youth's the season made for joys,
22.2 Love is then our duty,
22.3She alone who that employs,
22.4 Well deserves her beauty.
22.5 Let's be gay,
22.6 While we may,
22.7 Beauty's a flower, despised in decay.
CHORUS.
22.8 Youth's the season, &c.
Cotillon
22.9Let us drink and sport to-day,
22.10 Ours is not to-morrow.
22.11Love with youth flies swift away,
22.12 Age is nought but sorrow.
22.13 Dance and sing,
22.14 Time's on the wing,
22.15Life never knows the return of spring.
CHORUS.
22.16 Let us drink, &c.
Air XXVI
26.1Courtiers, Courtiers think it no harm, &c.
26.2 Man may escape from rope and gun;
26.3Nay, some have out-liv'd the doctor's pill;
26.4Who takes a woman must be undone,
26.5 That basilisk is sure to kill.
26.6The fly that sips treacle is lost in the sweets,
26.7So he that tastes woman, woman, woman,
26.8 He that tastes woman, ruin meets.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text:
First publication date:
1728
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 2RP 1.560-61.
Recent editing: 4:2002/4/20
Rhyme: rhyming variously
Other poems by John Gay
