The Works of Aphra Behn Volume I Part 32

_Ped._ Sooner than a Woman's Will, therefore I forgive you all-- and wish you may get my Father's Pardon as easily; which I fear.

Enter _Blunt_ drest in a _Spanish_ Habit, looking very ridiculously; his Man adjusting his Band.

_Man._ 'Tis very well, Sir.

_Blunt._ Well, Sir, 'dsheartlikins I tell you 'tis d.a.m.nable ill, Sir-- a Spanish Habit, good Lord! cou'd the Devil and my Taylor devise no other Punishment for me, but the Mode of a Nation I abominate?

_Belv._ What's the matter, _Ned_?

_Blunt._ Pray view me round, and judge-- [Turns round.

_Belv._ I must confess thou art a kind of an odd Figure.

_Blunt._ In a Spanish Habit with a Vengeance! I had rather be in the Inquisition for Judaism, than in this Doublet and Breeches; a Pillory were an easy Collar to this, three Handfuls high; and these Shoes too are worse than the Stocks, with the Sole an Inch shorter than my Foot: In fine, Gentlemen, methinks I look altogether like a Bag of Bays stuff'd full of Fools Flesh.

_Belv._ Methinks 'tis well, and makes thee look _en Cavalier:_ Come, Sir, settle your Face, and salute our Friends, Lady--

_Blunt._ Hah! Say'st thou so, my little Rover? [To _h.e.l.l._] Lady-- (if you be one) give me leave to kiss your Hand, and tell you, adsheartlikins, for all I look so, I am your humble Servant-- A Pox of my _Spanish_ Habit.

_Will._ Hark-- what's this? [Musick is heard to Play.

Enter _Boy_.

_Boy._ Sir, as the Custom is, the gay People in Masquerade, who make every Man's House their own, are coming up.

Enter several Men and Women in masquing Habits, with Musick, they put themselves in order and dance.

_Blunt._ Adsheartlikins, wou'd 'twere lawful to pull off their false Faces, that I might see if my Doxy were not amongst 'em.

_Belv._ Ladies and Gentlemen, since you are come so _a propos_, you must take a small Collation with us.

[To the Masquers.

_Will._ Whilst we'll to the Good Man within, who stays to give us a Cast of his Office. [To _h.e.l.l._] --Have you no trembling at the near approach?

_h.e.l.l._ No more than you have in an Engagement or a Tempest.

_Will._ Egad, thou'rt a brave Girl, and I admire thy Love and Courage.

Lead on, no other Dangers they can dread, Who venture in the Storms o'th' Marriage-Bed. [Exeunt.

EPILOGUE

_The banisht Cavaliers! a Roving Blade!

A popish Carnival! a Masquerade!

The Devil's in't if this will please the Nation, In these our blessed Times of Reformation, When Conventicling is so much in Fas.h.i.+on.

And yet-- That mutinous Tribe less Factions do beget, Than your continual differing in Wit; Your Judgment's (as your Pa.s.sions) a Disease: Nor Muse nor Miss your Appet.i.te can please; You're grown as nice as queasy Consciences, Whose each Convulsion, when the Spirit moves, d.a.m.ns every thing that Maggot disapproves._ _With canting Rule you wou'd the Stage refine, And to dull Method all our Sense confine.

With th' Insolence of Common-wealths you rule, Where each gay Fop, and politick brave Fool, On Monarch Wit impose without controul.

As for the last who seldom sees a Play, Unless it be the old Black-Fryers way, Shaking his empty Noddle o'er _Bamboo_, He crys-- Good Faith, these Plays will never do.

--Ah, Sir, in my young days, what lofty Wit, What high-strain'd Scenes of Fighting there were writ: These are slight airy Toys. But tell me, pray, What has the _House of Commons_ done to day?

Then shews his Politicks, to let you see Of State Affairs he'll judge as notably, As he can do of Wit and Poetry._ _The younger Sparks, who hither do resort, Cry-- Pox o' your gentle things, give us more Sport; --d.a.m.n me, I'm sure 'twill never please the Court._ _Such Fops are never pleas'd, unless the Play Be stuff'd with Fools, as brisk and dull as they: Such might the Half-Crown spare, and in a Gla.s.s At home behold a more accomplisht a.s.s, Where they may set their Cravats, Wigs and Faces, And practice all their Buffoonry Grimaces; See how this-- Huff becomes-- this Dammy-- flare-- Which they at home may act, because they dare, But-- must with prudent Caution do elsewhere.

Oh that our _Nokes_, or _Tony Lee_ could show A Fop but half so much to th' Life as you._

POST-SCRIPT

_This Play had been sooner in Print, but for a Report about the Town (made by some either very Malitious or very Ignorant) that 'twas _Thomaso_ altered; which made the Book-sellers fear some trouble from the Proprietor of that Admirable Play, which indeed has Wit enough to stock a Poet, and is not to be piec't or mended by any but the Excellent Author himself; That I have stol'n some hints from it may be a proof, that I valu'd it more than to pretend to alter it: had I had the Dexterity of some Poets who are not more expert in stealing than in the Art of Concealing, and who even that way out-do the _Spartan-_Boys I might have appropriated all to myself, but I, vainly proud of my Judgment hang out the Sign of _ANGELICA_ (the only Stol'n Object) to give Notice where a great part of the Wit dwelt; though if the Play of the _Novella_ were as well worth remembring as _Thomaso_, they might (bating the Name) have as well said, I took it from thence: I will only say the Plot and Bus'ness (not to boast on't) is my own: as for the Words and Characters, I leave the Reader to judge and compare 'em with _Thomaso_, to whom I recommend the great Entertainment of reading it, tho' had this succeeded ill, I shou'd have had no need of imploring that Justice from the Critics, who are naturally so kind to any that pretend to usurp their Dominion, they wou'd doubtless have given me the whole Honour on't. Therefore I will only say in _English_ what the famous _Virgil_ does in Latin: _I make Verses and others have the Fame_._

NOTES: The Rover, Part I

[Transcriber's Note:

The Notes in the printed text give only page and line numbers.

Act-and-scene designations shown between +marks+ have been added by the transcriber. Labels such as "Scene IIa" refer to points where the scene description changes without a new scene number.]

NOTES ON THE TEXT.

+Dramatis Personae+

p. 9 _Diego, Page to Don Antonio._ Neither 4tos nor 1724 give the page's name, but it is furnished by the stage direction Act ii. I, p. 32. I have added h.e.l.lena's page, Belvile's page, and Blunt's man to the list as it appears in 4tos and 1724.

p. 9 _Angelica._ 4tos give 'Angellica' throughout. I have retained 1724 'Angelica' as more correct.

+Act I: Scene i+

p. 12, l. 5 _my things._ 1724 misprints 'methinks'.

+Act I: Scene ii+

p. 17, l. 14 _as those which ..._ 4to 1677 prints this as a separate line of blank verse. 4to 1709 italicizes it.

p. 23, l. 12 _She often pa.s.ses ..._ 4to 1709 puts this stage direction before Blunt's speech.

p. 24, l. 18 _Ex. all the Women._ I have added 'except Lucetta' as she is individually directed to make her exit with Blunt later and not at this point.

+Act II: Scene i+

p. 32, l. 23 _Pedro. Ha!_ 1724 omits.