Ben Jonson - Bartholomew Fayre Act 1. Scene 6 lyrics

Purecraft, Win, John, Busy, Salomon. Now, the blaze of the beauteous Discipline, fright away this evil from our House! how now Win- the-fight, Child: how do you? Sweet Child, speak to me. Win. Yes, forsooth. Pur. Look up, sweet Win-the-fight, and suffer not the Enemy to enter you at this Door, remember that your Education has bin with the purest; what polluted one was it, that nam'd first the unclean Beast, Pig, to you, Child? Win. (Uh, uh.) Joh. Not I, o' my sincerity Mother: she long'd above three hours e'er she would let me know it; who was it Win? Win. A prophane black thing with a Beard, John. Pur. O! resist it, Win-the-fight, it is the Tempter, the wicked Tempter, you may know it by the fleshly mo- tion of Pig, be strong against it, and it's foul temptati- ons, in these a**aults, whereby it broacheth Flesh and Blood, as it were on the weaker side, and pray against it's carnal provocations; good Child, sweet Child, pray. Joh. Good Mother, I pray you, that she may eat some Pig, and her belly full too; and do not you cast away your own Child, and perhaps one of mine, with your tale of the Tempter: how do you, Win? Are you not sick? Win. Yes, a great deal, John, (uh, uh.) Pur. What shall we do? call our zealous Brother Bu- sy hither, for his faithful fortification in this charge of the adversary; Child, my dear Child, you shall eat Pig, be comforted, my sweet Child. Win. I, but i' the Fair, Mother. Pur. I mean i' the Fair, if it can be any way made or found lawful; where is our Brother Busy? Will he not come? look up, Child. Joh. Presently, Mother, as soon as he has cleans'd his Beard. I found him fast by the Teeth, i' the cold Turkey-pie i' the Cupboard, with a great white Loaf on his left-hand, and a Gla** of Malmsey on his right. Pur. Slander not the Brethren, wicked one. Joh. Here he is now, purified Mother. Pur. O Brother Busy! your help here to edifie and raise us up in a scruple; my Daughter Win-the-fight is visited with a natural Disease of Women; call'd, A long- ing to eat Pig. Joh. I Sir, a Bartholmew-Pig: and in the Fair. Pur. And I would be satisfied from you, Religiously- wise, whether a Widow of the sanctified Assembly, or a Widows Daughter, may commit the act without of- fence to the weaker Sisters. Bus. Verily, for the Disease of Longing, it is a Disease, a carnal Disease, or Appetite, incident to Women: and as it is carnal, and incident, it is natural, very natu- ral: Now Pig, it is a Meat, and a Meat that is nourish- ing, and may be long'd for, and so consequently eaten; it may be eaten; very exceeding well eaten: but in the Fair, and as a Bartholmew-Pig, it cannot be eaten; for the very calling it a Bartholmew-Pig; and to eat it so, is a spice of Idolatry, and you make the Fair no better than one of the high Places. This I take it is the state of the question. A high place. Joh. I, but in state of necessity: Place should give place, Mr. Busy, (I have a conceit left yet.) Pur. Good Brother, Zeal-of-the-land, think to make it as lawful as you can. Joh. Yes Sir, and as soon as you can: for it must be Sir; you see the danger my little Wife is in, Sir. Pur. Truly, I do love my Child dearly, and I would not have her miscarry, or hazard her first fruits, if it might be otherwise. Bus. Surely, it may be otherwise, but it is subject to construction, subject, and hath a face of offence with the weak, a great face, a foul face, but that face may have a veil put over it, and be shaddowed as it were, it may be eaten, and in the Fair, I take it, in a Booth, the Tents of the wicked: the place is not much, not very much, we may be Religious in midst of the prophane, so it be eaten with a reformed Mouth, with sobriety, and humbleness; not gorg'd in with gluttony, or greediness; there's the fear: for, should she go there, as taking pride in the place, or delight in the unclean dressing, to feed the vanity of the Eye, or the lust of the Palate, it were not well, it were not fit, it were abominable, and not good. Joh. Nay, I knew that afore, and told her on't; but courage, Win, we'll be humble enough, we'll seek out the homeliest Booth i' the Fair; that's certain, rather then fail, we'll eat it o' the Ground. Pur. I, and I'll go with you my self, Win-the-fight, and my Brother Zeal of-the-land shall go with us too, for our better consolation. Win. Uh, uh. Joh. I, and Salomon too Win, (the more the merrier) Win, we'll leave Rabby Busy in a Booth. Salomon, my Cloke. Sal. Here, Sir. Bus. In the way of comfort to the weak, I will go and eat. I will eat exceedingly, and prophesie; there may be a good use made of it too, now I think on't: by the publick eating of Swines Flesh, to profess our hate and loathing of Judaism, whereof the Brethren stand taxed. I will therefore eat, yea I will eat exceed- ingly. Joh. Good i' faith, I will eat heartily too, because I will be no Jew, I could never away with that stiffnecked generation: and truly, I hope my little one will be like me, that cries for Pig so i' the Mothers Belly. Bus. Very likely, exceeding likely, very exceeding likely.