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Show 6 0 The Recruiting Officer. SCENE, A Court of Juftice: Ballance, Scale, and Scruple, upon the Bench : Conftable, Kite, Mob. Kite and Conftable advance forward. Kite. Pray, w h o are thofe honourable Gentlemen upon the Bench ? Conft. He in the middle is Juftice Ballance, he on the right is Juftice Scale, and he on the left is Juftice Scruple; and I a m Mr. Conftable, four very honeft Gentlemen. Kite. O dear Sir! I a m your moft obedient Servant: [Saluting the Conftable.] I fancy, Sir, that your Employment and mine are much the fame ; for m y bufinefs is to keep People in order, and if they difobey, to knock 'em d o w n ; and then w e are both Staff-Officers. Conft. Nay, I'm a Serjeant m y felf of the Militia • Come, Brother, you fhall fee me Exercife: Suppofe this a Musket now : N o w I a m fhoulder'd. [Puts his Staff on s Right Shoulder. Kite. Ay, you are fhoulder'd pretty well for a Conftable's Staff; but for a Musket you muft put it on the other Shoulder, m y Dear. Conft. Adfo! that's true Come, n o w give the W o rd of Command. Kite. Silence. Conft. Ay, ay, fo w e will We will be filent. Kite. Silence, you Dog, filence ! [Strikes him over the Head with his Halberd. Conft. That's the w a y to filence a M a n with a witnefs What d'ye mean, Friend ? Kite. Only to Exercife you, Sir. Con (I. Your Exercife differs fo from ours, that w e fhall ne'er agree about it; if m y o w n Captain had given m e fuch a Rap, I had taken the L a w of him. Enter Plume. Fall. Captain, you're welcome. Plume. Gentlemen, I thank you. Ser. Come, honeft Captain, fit by me. (Plume afcends, and fits upon the Bench.), N o w produce your Prifoners Here, that Fellow there ' fet him up Mr. Conftable, what have you to fay againft this M a n ? Conft. I have nothing to fay againft him, an' pleafe you. Ball. N o ! what made you bring him hither? Conft. I don't know, an' pleafe your Worfhip. Scale. |