The Works of Aphra Behn Volume Iii Part 15

[_Exeunt_.

_Enter_ Bellmour, _Sir_ Tim. Sham, _and_ Sharp.

Sir _Tim_. Lord, Lord, that you should not know your Friend and humble Servant, _Tim. Tawdrey_--But thou look'st as if thou hadst not been a-bed yet.

_Bel_. No more I have.

Sir _Tim_. Nay, then thou losest precious time, I'll not detain thee.

[_Offers to go_.

_Bel_. Thou art mistaken, I hate all Woman-kind--

Sir _Tim_. How, how!

_Bel_, Above an Hour--hark ye, Knight--I am as leud, and as debaucht as thou art.

Sir _Tim_. What do you mean, _Frank_?

_Bel_. To tell a Truth, which yet I never did.

--I wh.o.r.e, drink, game, swear, lye, cheat, rob, pimp, hector, all, all I do that's vitious.

Sir _Tim_. Bless me!

_Bel_. From such a Villian, hah!

Sir _Tim_. No, but that thou should'st hide it all this while.

_Bel_. Till I was married only, and now I can dissemble it no longer-- come--let's to a Baudy-House.

Sir _Tim_. A Baudy-house! What, already!

This is the very quintessence of Leudness.

--Why, I thought that I was wicked, but, by Fortune, This dashes mine quite out of Countenance.

_Bel_. Oh, thou'rt a puny Sinner!--I'll teach thee Arts (so rare) of Sin, the least of them shall d.a.m.n thee.

Sir _Tim_. By Fortune, _Frank_, I do not like these Arts.

_Bel_. Then thou'rt a Fool--I'll teach thee to be rich too.

Sir _Tim_. Ay, that I like.

_Bel_. Look here, my Boys!

[_Hold up his Writings, which he takes out of his Pockets_.

The Writings of 3000 pounds a Year: --All this I got by Perjury.

Sir _Tim_. By Fortune, a thriving Sin.

_Bel_. And we will live in Sin while this holds out.

_And then to my cold Home--Come let's be gone: Oh, that I ne'er might see the rising Sun_.

[_Exeunt_.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Celinda's _Chamber_.

_Discovers_ Celinda _as before sitting in a Chair_, Diana _by her in another, who sings_.

SONG.

I.

Celinda, _who did Love disdain, For whom had languished many a Swain, Leading her bleating Flocks to drink, She spy'd upon the River's brink A Youth, whose Eyes did well declare How much he lov'd, but lov'd not her_.

II.

_At first she laugh'd, but gaz'd the while, And soon it lessen'd to a Smile; Thence to surprize and wonder came, Her Breast to heave, her Heart to flame; Then cry'd she out, Ah, now I prove Thou art a G.o.d, Almighty Love_.

III.

_She wou'd have spoke, but Shame deny'd, And bad her first consult her Pride; But soon she found that Aid was gone, For Love, alas, had left her none.

Oh, how she burns, but 'tis too late, For in his Eyes she reads her Fate_.

_Cel_. Oh, how numerous are her Charms --How shall I pay this generous Condescension?

Fair lovely Maid--

_Dia_. Why do you flatter, Sir?

_Cel_. To say you're lovely, by your self I do not, I'm young, and have not much convers'd with Beauty: Yet I'll esteem my Judgment, since it knows Where my Devotions shou'd be justly paid.

--But, Madam, may I not yet expect To hear the Story, you so lately promis'd me?

_Dia_. I owe much to your Goodness, Sir--but--

_Cel_. I am too young, you think, to hear a Secret; Can I want Sense to pity your Misfortunes, Or Pa.s.sion to incite me to revenge 'em?

_Dia_. Oh, would he were in earnest!

_Cel_. She's fond of me, and I must blow that flame, Do any thing to make her hate my _Bellmour_. [_Aside_.

--But, Madam, I'm impatient for your Story, That after that, you may expect my Service.

_Dia_. The Treatment you this night have given a distressed Maid, enough obliges me; nor need I tell you, I'm n.o.bly born; something about my Dress, my Looks and Mien, will doubtless do me reason.

_Cel_. Sufficiently--

_Dia_. But in the Family where I was educated, a Youth of my own Age, a Kinsman too, I chanc'd to fall in love with, but with a Pa.s.sion my Pride still got the better of; and he, I thought, repaid my young Desires. But Bashfulness on his part, did what Pride had done on mine, And kept his too conceal'd--At last my Uncle, who had the absolute Dominion of us both, thought good to marry us together.