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MAJOR MOLINEUX
with a sailor in the stern,
sailing, sailing over the bounding sea
to the land of hope and glory.
Hem, hem, I have authority,
I wish my lady had a firm,
hard-chested figure like a mast,
but what has love to do with fact?
A lover loves his nemesis;
the patriotic act.
567
(The
MAN WITH THE PERIWIG
gives the
LADy
the crown and passes
in. The lights go out.)
BARBER
Once to every man and nation
comes the time a gentleman
wants to clear
his
reputation.
TAVERN KEEPER
BARBER
Once to every man and nation
comes the time a man's a man.
His Honor's perished on the blast.
(The
BARBERS
saunter off along with the tavern keeper. The
Boy
turns to
RomN,
who is lost in thought.)
Boy
ROBIN
Boy
ROBIN
What are they doing, Robin? Why
have they let that chirping man
into the lady's house? He'll wake
our kinsman.
No, I think the Major
has left. By watching I have learned
to read the signs. The Rattlesnake
means Major Molineux is out.
A
British flag means he is at home.
You talk in riddles like the town.
Say what you mean; mean what you say:
that's how we used to talk in Deerfield.
It's not so simple here in Boston.