The Works of Aphra Behn Volume Ii Part 70

_Another Room in Lady_ Galliard's _House_.

Enter Sir_ Charles Meriwill _and Sir_ Anthony, _Sir_ Charles _drunk_.

Sir _Anth_. A Dog, a Rogue, to leave her!

Sir _Char_. Why, look ye, Uncle, what wou'd you have a Man do? I brought her to her Coach--

Sir _Anth_. To her Coach! to her Coach! Did not I put her into your Hand, follow'd you out, wink'd, smil'd and nodded; cry'd 'bye _Charles_, 'bye Rogue; which was as much as to say, Go home with her, _Charles_, home to her Chamber, _Charles_; nay, as much as to say, Home to her Bed, _Charles_; nay, as much as to say--Hum, hum, a Rogue, a Dog, and yet to be modest too! That I shou'd bring thee up with no more Fear of G.o.d before thy Eyes!

Sir _Char_. Nay, dear Uncle, don't break my Heart now! Why, I did proffer, and press, and swear, and ly'd, and--but a pox on her, she has the d.a.m.n'dst wheedling way with her, as dear _Charles_, nay prithee, fie, 'tis late, to morrow, my Honour, which if you lov'd you wou'd preserve; and such obliging Reasons.

Sir _Anth_. Reasons! Reason! a Lover, and talk of Reason! You lye, Sirrah, you lye. Leave a Woman for Reason, when you were so finely drunk too, a Rascal!

Sir _Char_. Why look ye, d'ye see, Uncle, I durst not trust my self alone with her in this pickle, lest I shou'd ha' fallen foul on her.

Sir _Anth_. Why, there's it; 'tis that you shou'd have done; I am mistaken if she be not one of those Ladies that love to be ravisht of a Kindness. Why, your willing Rape is all the Fas.h.i.+on, _Charles_.

Sir _Char_. But hark ye, Uncle.

Sir _Anth_. Why, how now, Jack-sauce, what, capitulate?

Sir _Char_. Why, do but hear me, Uncle; Lord, you're so hasty! Why, look ye, I am as ready, d'ye see, as any Man on these Occasions.

Sir _Anth_. Are you so, Sir? and I'll make you willing, or try Toledo with you, Sir--Why, what, I shall have you whining when you are sober again, traversing your Chamber with Arms across, railing on Love and Women, and at last defeated, turn whipping _Tom_, to revenge your self on the whole s.e.x.

Sir _Char_. My dear Uncle, come kiss me and be friends; I will be rul'd.

[_Kisses him_.

Sir _Anth_.--A most admirable good-natur'd Boy this! [_Aside_.

Well then, dear _Charles_, know, I have brought thee now hither to the Widow's House, with a Resolution to have thee order matters so, as before thou quitst her, she shall be thy own, Boy.

Sir _Char_. Gad, Uncle, thou'rt a Cherubin! Introduce me, d'ye see, and if I do not so woo the Widow, and so do the Widow, that e'er morning she shall be content to take me for better for worse--Renounce me! Egad, I'll make her know the Lord G.o.d from _Tom Bell_, before I have done with her.

Nay, backt by my n.o.ble Uncle, I'll venture on her, had she all Cupid's Arrows, genus's Beauty, and Messalina's Fire, d'ye see.

Sir _Anth_. A sweet Boy, a very sweet Boy! Hum, thou art d.a.m.nable handsome to Night, _Charles_--Ay, thou wilt do't; I see a kind of resistless Leudness about thee, a most triumphant Impudence, loose and wanton.

[_Stands looking on him_.

_Enter_ Closet.

_Clos_. Heavens, Gentlemen, what makes you here at this time of Night?

Sir _Char_. Where's your Lady?

_Clos_. Softly, dear Sir.

Sir _Char_. Why, is she asleep? Come, come, I'll wake her.

[_Offers to force in as to the Bed-chamber_.

_Clos_. Hold, hold, Sir; No, no, she's a little busy, Sir.

Sir _Char_. I'll have no Business done to Night, Sweetheart.

_Clos_. Hold, hold, I beseech you, Sir, her Mother's with her; For Heaven's sake, Sir, be gone.

Sir _Char_. I'll not budge.

Sir _Anth_. No, not a Foot.

_Clos_. The City you know, Sir, is so censorious--

Sir _Char_. d.a.m.n the City.

Sir _Anth_. All the Whigs, _Charles_, all the Whigs.

Sir _Char_. In short, I am resolv'd, d'ye see, to go to the Widow's Chamber.

Sir _Anth_. Harkye, Mrs. Closet I thought I had entirely engag'd you this Evening.

_Clos_. I am perfectly yours, Sir; but how it happens so, her Mother being there--Yet if you wou'd withdraw for half an hour, into my Chamber, till she were gone--

Sir _Anth_. This is the Reason, _Charles_. Here, here's two Pieces to buy thee a Gorget.

[_Gives her Money_.

Sir _Char_. And here's my two, because thou art industrious.

[_Gives her Money, and they go out with her_.

_Enter Lady_ Galliard _in rage, held by_ Wilding.

L. _Gal_. What have I done? Ah, whither shall I fly?

[_Weeps_.

_Wild_. Why all these Tears? Ah, why this cruel Pa.s.sion?

L. _Gal_. Undone, undone! Unhand me, false, forsworn; Be gone, and let me rage till I am dead.

What shou'd I do with guilty Life about me?

_Wild_. Why, where's the harm of what we two have done?

L. _Gal_. Ah, leave me-- Leave me alone to sigh to flying Winds, That the Infection may be borne aloft, And reach no human Ear.

_Wild_. Cease, lovely Charmer, cease to wound me more.

L. _Gal_. Shall I survive this Shame? No, if I do, Eternal Blushes dwell upon my Cheeks, To tell the World my Crime.

--Mischief and h.e.l.l, what Devil did possess me?

_Wild_. It was no Devil, but a Deity; A little gay wing'd G.o.d, harmless and innocent, Young as Desire, wanton as Summer-breezes, Soft as thy Smiles, resistless as thy Eyes.

L. _Gal_. Ah, what malicious G.o.d, Sworn Enemy to feeble Womankind, Taught thee the Art of Conquest with thy Tongue?