marriage to Master Talboy, pursued by Martin, the justice's clerk, who saw an opportunity for self-advancement. Doubting her decision after spending time with Martin, she was unsure of her choice. Hungry and dejected, they met the group of beggars. Springlove offered them food and proposed to help arrange their marriage. Moved by his kindness, Amie decided to stay with the beggars for a time.

Meanwhile, a search party was looking for the runaways. Oliver and Talboy, the spurned suitor, were among those searching. They ended up at Oldrents' estate. Despite his daughters' absence, Oldrents was determined to maintain a jovial atmosphere, welcoming his guests with song and drink. However, Talboy's constant lamenting irritated him. On impulse, Oldrents chose to visit Master Clack, known for his eccentricity.

Authorities stopped the beggars on suspicion of harboring fugitives. This encounter marked the breaking point for the amateur beggars, who abandoned any pretense of enjoying this lifestyle. When the constable threatened to beat Springlove unless he revealed Amie's location, she, having developed feelings for him, stepped forward. Amie was taken home, and the beggars were arrested.

Upon their arrival at Master Clack's residence, where Oldrents was present, the justice initially considered harsh penalties for the vagrants. However, learning that they could perform a play, he opted to entertain Oldrents without incurring any costs. The play, featuring Rachel, Meriel, and Springlove in leading roles, centered on two lost daughters and a wayward steward. Oldrents was overjoyed to be reunited with his daughters, and his happiness increased when it was revealed that Springlove was his illegitimate son. Springlove, planning to marry Amie and having embraced his true identity, vowed to abandon his begging ways. Thus, Oldrents' last worry was resolved, restoring his sense of contentment.

Further Critical Evaluation of the Work:

Springlove's admiration for the happiness of the beggars—described as "a jovial crew"—echoes a sentiment that resonated with many. At the time of the play's production, England was on the brink of a tumultuous period marked by civil strife, regicide, and Cromwell's military rule. The carefree, tension-free life of the beggars offered a welcome escape to audiences of the era, contrasting with the somber realities of the day. The play was an alternative to the escapist romances Brome critiqued in his prologue, which were popular amidst "these sad and tragic days."

The motif of the merry beggars is a charming and longstanding theme in English literature. Drawing inspiration from earlier works such as Fletcher's "THE BEGGAR'S BUSH" and Middleton and Rowley's "THE SPANISH GYPSY," Brome crafted a comedic masterpiece that would later inspire writers like Gay in "THE BEGGAR'S OPERA" and Burns in "The Jolly Beggars." Frequently revived during the Restoration and eighteenth century, "A JOVIAL CREW" became Brome's most famous play. The underlying theme of such works is that the beggar's life of freedom, joy, and camaraderie is more rewarding than the mundane and onerous responsibilities of a respectable life. This romantic notion also suggests a kinship between "statute beggars" and "courtier beggars," with the former, driven by necessity rather than ambition, appearing more dignified and sympathetic.

Unlike some of Brome's earlier works, "A JOVIAL CREW" does not rely heavily on complex plot structures but instead thrives on its engaging characters, particularly the two pairs of lovers whose lively exchanges reveal their genuine humanity. Their attempts to adopt unfamiliar social roles humorously highlight their discomfort and inadequacies. The benevolence surrounding Springlove, the loyal steward and part-time beggar-king, and Oldrents, the generous and open-hearted landlord, enhances the nostalgic sense of social stability and goodwill that had become rare in the broader world.

The play has traditionally been viewed as cheerful and lighthearted; however, contemporary critics have discerned underlying grim realities that occasionally surface. The beggars' community represents an escape from the world's anxieties, a world that even the utopian Oldrents cannot entirely avoid. Outside his protected domain, society is rife with thieves, swindlers, corrupt officials, and exploitative landlords. Although Justice Clack is comically portrayed, he embodies a petty tyrant whose philosophy is to "punish 'em first and be compassionate afterwards." Moreover, the romanticized vision of jolly beggars is tempered by the harsher realities the lovers encounter, revealing a life fraught with the threat of arrest and persecution.

The play's light-hearted nature and happy resolution provided audiences with some of the final vestiges of joy before the Puritans closed theaters the following year, not to reopen them for eighteen years. The nation's subsequent turmoil eerily mirrored the poet-beggar's prediction in "A JOVIAL CREW": "I would have the country, the city, and the court, be at great variance for superiority. Then I would have Divinity and Law stretch their wide throats to appease and reconcile them; then would I have the soldier cudgel them all together and overtop them all."