And therefore because for fear she'd be lack'd
I ordred the Drummer to beat a long Act.
He beat and he beat, but no Queen appear'd,
He beat till at length the house was all clear'd:
By my Troath a sad loss, but to make 'em amends,
I threw 'em a Crown, and we were all Friends:
And so this Renowned History ends.
[143] Sixpence—the 6 on dice being called "size."
[144] Footman or footboy.
[145] This is an allusion to the custom of the gallants sitting on stools on the stage, so frequently spoken of by the dramatists of the sixteenth century. Indeed Queen Anne found it necessary to issue two proclamations forbidding people other than actors to go on the stage.