the way of the world-第1部分

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The　Way　of　the　World







by　William　Congreve

























Audire　est　operae　pretium；　prcedere　recte



Qui　maechis　non　vultis。HOR。　Sat。　i。　2；　37。



…　Metuat　doti　deprensa。Ibid。















TO　THE　RIGHT　HONOURABLE　RALPH；　EARL　OF　MOUNTAGUE；　ETC。















My　Lord；Whether　the　world　will　arraign　me　of　vanity　or　not；　that　I



have　presumed　to　dedicate　this　comedy　to　your　lordship；　I　am　yet　in



doubt；　though；　it　may　be；　it　is　some　degree　of　vanity　even　to　doubt



of　it。　　One　who　has　at　any　time　had　the　honour　of　your　lordship's



conversation；　cannot　be　supposed　to　think　very　meanly　of　that　which



he　would　prefer　to　your　perusal。　　Yet　it　were　to　incur　the



imputation　of　too　much　sufficiency　to　pretend　to　such　a　merit　as



might　abide　the　test　of　your　lordship's　censure。







Whatever　value　may　be　wanting　to　this　play　while　yet　it　is　mine；



will　be　sufficiently　made　up　to　it　when　it　is　once　become　your



lordship's；　and　it　is　my　security；　that　I　cannot　have　overrated　it



more　by　my　dedication　than　your　lordship　will　dignify　it　by　your



patronage。







That　it　succeeded　on　the　stage　was　almost　beyond　my　expectation；　for



but　little　of　it　was　prepared　for　that　general　taste　which　seems　now



to　be　predominant　in　the　palates　of　our　audience。







Those　characters　which　are　meant　to　be　ridiculed　in　most　of　our



comedies　are　of　fools　so　gross；　that　in　my　humble　opinion　they



should　rather　disturb　than　divert　the　well…natured　and　reflecting



part　of　an　audience；　they　are　rather　objects　of　charity　than



contempt；　and　instead　of　moving　our　mirth；　they　ought　very　often　to



excite　our　compassion。







This　reflection　moved　me　to　design　some　characters　which　should



appear　ridiculous　not　so　much　through　a　natural　folly　（which　is



incorrigible；　and　therefore　not　proper　for　the　stage）　as　through　an



affected　wit：　　a　wit　which；　at　the　same　time　that　it　is　affected；　is



also　false。　　As　there　is　some　difficulty　in　the　formation　of　a



character　of　this　nature；　so　there　is　some　hazard　which　attends　the



progress　of　its　success　upon　the　stage：　　for　many　come　to　a　play　so



overcharged　with　criticism；　that　they　very　often　let　fly　their



censure；　when　through　their　rashness　they　have　mistaken　their　aim。



This　I　had　occasion　lately　to　observe：　　for　this　play　had　been　acted



two　or　three　days　before　some　of　these　hasty　judges　could　find　the



leisure　to　distinguish　betwixt　the　character　of　a　Witwoud　and　a



Truewit。







I　must　beg　your　lordship's　pardon　for　this　digression　from　the　true



course　of　this　epistle；　but　that　it　may　not　seem　altogether



impertinent；　I　beg　that　I　may　plead　the　occasion　of　it；　in　part　of



that　excuse　of　which　I　stand　in　need；　for　recommending　this　comedy



to　your　protection。　　It　is　only　by　the　countenance　of　your　lordship；



and　the　FEW　so　qualified；　that　such　who　write　with　care　and　pains



can　hope　to　be　distinguished：　　for　the　prostituted　name　of　poet



promiscuously　levels　all　that　bear　it。







Terence；　the　most　correct　writer　in　the　world；　had　a　Scipio　and　a



Lelius；　if　not　to　assist　him；　at　least　to　support　him　in　his



reputation。　　And　notwithstanding　his　extraordinary　merit；　it　may　be



their　countenance　was　not　more　than　necessary。







The　purity　of　his　style；　the　delicacy　of　his　turns；　and　the　justness



of　his　characters；　were　all　of　them　beauties　which　the　greater　part



of　his　audience　were　incapable　of　tasting。　　Some　of　the　coarsest



strokes　of　Plautus；　so　severely　censured　by　Horace；　were　more　likely



to　affect　the　multitude；　such；　who　come　with　expectation　to　laugh　at



the　last　act　of　a　play；　and　are　better　entertained　with　two　or　three



unseasonable　jests　than　with　the　artful　solution　of　the　fable。







As　Terence　excelled　in　his　performances；　so　had　he　great　advantages



to　encourage　his　undertakings；　for　he　built　most　on　the　foundations



of　Menander：　　his　plots　were　generally　modelled；　and　his　characters



ready　drawn　to　his　hand。　　He　copied　Menander；　and　Menander　had　no



less　light　in　the　formation　of　his　characters　from　the　observations



of　Theophrastus；　of　whom　he　was　a　disciple；　and　Theophrastus；　it　is



known；　was　not　only　the　disciple；　but　the　immediate　successor　of



Aristotle；　the　first　and　greatest　judge　of　poetry。　　These　were　great



models　to　design　by；　and　the　further　advantage　which　Terence



possessed　towards　giving　his　plays　the　due　ornaments　of　purity　of



style；　and　justness　of　manners；　was　not　less　considerable　from　the



freedom　of　conversation　which　was　permitted　him　with　Lelius　and



Scipio；　two　of　the　greatest　and　most　polite　men　of　his　age。　　And；



indeed；　the　privilege　of　such　a　conversation　is　the　only　certain



means　of　attaining　to　the　perfection　of　dialogue。







If　it　has　happened　in　any　part　of　this　comedy　that　I　have　gained　a



turn　of　style　or　expression　more　correct；　or　at　least　more



corrigible；　than　in　those　which　I　have　formerly　written；　I　must；



with　equal　pride　and　gratitude；　ascribe　it　to　the　honour　of　your



lordship's　admitting　me　into　your　conversation；　and　that　of　a



society　where　everybody　else　was　so　well　worthy　of　you；　in　your



retirement　last　summer　from　the　town：　　for　it　was　immediately　after；



that　this　comedy　was　written。　　If　I　have　failed　in　my　performance；



it　is　only　to　be　regretted；　where　there　were　so　many　not　inferior



either　to　a　Scipio　or　a　Lelius；　that　there　should　be　one　wanting



equal　in　capacity　to　a　Terence。







If　I　am　not　mistaken；　poetry　is　almost　the　only　art　which　has　not



yet　laid　claim　to　your　lordship's　patronage。　　Architecture　and



painting；　to　the　great　honour　of　our　country；　have　flourished　under



your　influence　and　protection。　　In　the　meantime；　poetry；　the　eldest



sister　of　all　arts；　and　parent　of　most；　seems　to　have　resigned　her



birthright；　by　having　neglected　to　pay　her　duty　to　your　lordship；



and　by　permitting　others　of　a　later　extraction　to　prepossess　that



place　in　your　esteem；　to　which　none　can　pretend　a　better　title。



Poetry；　in　its　nature；　is　sacred　to　the　good　and　great：　　the



relation　between　them　is　reciprocal；　and　they　are　ever　propitious　to



it。　　It　is　the　privilege　of　poetry　to　address　them；　and　it　is　their



prerogative　alone　to　give　it　protection。







This　received　maxim　is　a　general　apology　for　all　writers　who



consecrate　their　labours　to　great　men：　　but　I　could　wish；　at　this



time；　that　this　address　were　exempted　from　the　common　pretence　of



all　dedications；　and　that　as　I　can　distinguish　your　lordship　even



among　the　most　deserving；　so　this　offering　might　become　remarkable



by　some　particular　instance　of　respect；　which　should　assure　your



lordship　that　I　am；　with　all　due　sense　of　your　extreme　worthiness



and　humanity；　my　lord；　your　lordship's　most　obedient　and　most



obliged　humble　servant；







WILL。　CONGREVE。















PROLOGUESpoken　by　Mr。　Betterton。















Of　those　few　fools；　who　with　ill　stars　are　curst；



Sure　scribbling　fools；　called　poets；　fare　the　worst：



For　they're　a　sort　of　fools　which　fortune　makes；



And；　after　she　has　made　'em　fools；　forsakes。



With　Nature's　oafs　'tis　quite　a　diff'rent　case；



For　Fortune　favours　all　her　idiot　race。



In　her　own　nest　the　cuckoo　eggs　we　find；



O'er　which　she　broods　to　hatch　the　changeling　kind：



No　portion　for　her　own　she　has　to　spare；



So　much　she　dotes　on　her　adopted　care。







Poets　are　bubbles；　by　the　town　drawn　in；



Suffered　at　first　some　trifling　stakes　to　win：



But　what　unequal　hazards　do　they　run！



Each　time　they　write　they　venture　all　they've　won：



The　Squire　that's　buttered　still；　is　sure　to　be　undone。



This　author；　heretofore；　has　found　your　favour；



But　pleads　no　merit　from　his　past　behaviour。



To　build　on　that　might　prove　a　vain　presumption；



Should　grants　to　poets　made　admit　resumption；



And　in　Parnassus　he　must　lose　his　seat；



If　that　be　found　a　forfeited　estate。







He　owns；　with　toil　he　wrought　the　following　scenes；



But　if　they're　naught　ne'er　spare　him　for　his　pains：



Damn　him　the　more；　have　no　commiseration



For　dulness　on　mature　deliberation。



He　swears　he'll　not　resent　one　hissed…off　scene；



Nor；　like　those　peevish　wits；　his　play　maintain；



Who；　to　assert　their　sense；　your　taste　arraign。



Some　plot　we　think　he　has；　and　some　new　thought；



Some　humour　too；　no　farcebut　that's　a　fault。



Satire；　he　thinks；　you　ought　not　to　expect；



For　so　reformed　a　town　who　dares　correct？



To　please；　this　time；　has　been　his　sole　pretence；



He'll　not　instruct；　lest　it　should　give　offence。



Should　he　by　chance　a　knave　or　fool　expose；



That　hurts　none　here；　sure　here　are　none　of　those。



In　short；　our　play　shall　（with　your　leave　to　show　it）



Give　you　one　instance　of　a　passive　poet；



Who　to　your　judgments　yields　all　resignation：



So　save　or　damn；　after　your　own　discretion。















DRAMATIS　PERSONAE。















MEN。











FAINALL；　in　love　with　Mrs。　Marwood；Mr。　Betterton



MIRABELL；　in　love　with　Mrs。　Millamant；Mr。　Verbruggen



WITWOUD；　　follower　of　Mrs。　Millamant；Mr。　Bowen



PETULANT；　follower　of　Mrs。　Millamant；Mr。　Bowman



SIR　WILFULL　WITWOUD；　half　brother　to　Witwoud；　and　nephew　to　Lady



Wishfort；Mr。　Underhill



WAITWELL；　servant　to　Mirabell；Mr。　Bright











WOMEN。











LADY　WISHFORT；　enemy　to　Mirabell；　for　having　falsely　pretended　love



to　her；Mrs。　Leigh