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the way of the world-第10部分
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impossible; when I shall tell him by telling you …
MILLA。 Oh dear; what? For it is the same thing; if I hear it。 Ha;
ha; ha!
MRS。 MAR。 That I detest him; hate him; madam。
MILLA。 O madam; why; so do I。 And yet the creature loves me; ha;
ha; ha! How can one forbear laughing to think of it? I am a sibyl
if I am not amazed to think what he can see in me。 I'll take my
death; I think you are handsomer; and within a year or two as young。
If you could but stay for me; I should overtake youbut that cannot
be。 Well; that thought makes me melancholic。Now I'll be sad。
MRS。 MAR。 Your merry note may be changed sooner than you think。
MILLA。 D'ye say so? Then I'm resolved I'll have a song to keep up
my spirits。
SCENE XII。
'To them' MINCING。
MINC。 The gentlemen stay but to comb; madam; and will wait on you。
MILLA。 Desire Mrs。that is in the next room; to sing the song I
would have learnt yesterday。 You shall hear it; madam。 Not that
there's any great matter in itbut 'tis agreeable to my humour。
SONG。
Set by Mr。 John Eccles。
I
Love's but the frailty of the mind
When 'tis not with ambition joined;
A sickly flame; which if not fed expires;
And feeding; wastes in self…consuming fires。
II
'Tis not to wound a wanton boy
Or am'rous youth; that gives the joy;
But 'tis the glory to have pierced a swain
For whom inferior beauties sighed in vain。
III
Then I alone the conquest prize;
When I insult a rival's eyes;
If there's delight in love; 'tis when I see
That heart; which others bleed for; bleed for me。
SCENE XIII。
'To them' PETULANT; WITWOUD。
MILLA。 Is your animosity composed; gentlemen?
WIT。 Raillery; raillery; madam; we have no animosity。 We hit off a
little wit now and then; but no animosity。 The falling out of wits
is like the falling out of lovers:… we agree in the main; like
treble and bass。 Ha; Petulant?
PET。 Ay; in the main。 But when I have a humour to contradict …
WIT。 Ay; when he has a humour to contradict; then I contradict too。
What; I know my cue。 Then we contradict one another like two
battledores; for contradictions beget one another like Jews。
PET。 If he says black's blackif I have a humour to say 'tis blue…
…let that passall's one for that。 If I have a humour to prove it;
it must be granted。
WIT。 Not positively must。 But it may; it may。
PET。 Yes; it positively must; upon proof positive。
WIT。 Ay; upon proof positive it must; but upon proof presumptive it
only may。 That's a logical distinction now; madam。
MRS。 MAR。 I perceive your debates are of importance; and very
learnedly handled。
PET。 Importance is one thing and learning's another; but a debate's
a debate; that I assert。
WIT。 Petulant's an enemy to learning; he relies altogether on his
parts。
PET。 No; I'm no enemy to learning; it hurts not me。
MRS。 MAR。 That's a sign; indeed; it's no enemy to you。
PET。 No; no; it's no enemy to anybody but them that have it。
MILLA。 Well; an illiterate man's my aversion; I wonder at the
impudence of any illiterate man to offer to make love。
WIT。 That I confess I wonder at; too。
MILLA。 Ah; to marry an ignorant that can hardly read or write!
PET。 Why should a man be any further from being married; though he
can't read; than he is from being hanged? The ordinary's paid for
setting the psalm; and the parish priest for reading the ceremony。
And for the rest which is to follow in both cases; a man may do it
without book。 So all's one for that。
MILLA。 D'ye hear the creature? Lord; here's company; I'll begone。
SCENE XIV。
SIR WILFULL WITWOUD in a riding dress; MRS。 MARWOOD; PETULANT;
WITWOUD; FOOTMAN。
WIT。 In the name of Bartlemew and his Fair; what have we here?
MRS。 MAR。 'Tis your brother; I fancy。 Don't you know him?
WIT。 Not I:… yes; I think it is he。 I've almost forgot him; I have
not seen him since the revolution。
FOOT。 Sir; my lady's dressing。 Here's company; if you please to
walk in; in the meantime。
SIR WIL。 Dressing! What; it's but morning here; I warrant; with
you in London; we should count it towards afternoon in our parts
down in Shropshire:… why; then; belike my aunt han't dined yet。 Ha;
friend?
FOOT。 Your aunt; sir?
SIR WIL。 My aunt; sir? Yes my aunt; sir; and your lady; sir; your
lady is my aunt; sir。 Why; what dost thou not know me; friend?
Why; then; send somebody hither that does。 How long hast thou lived
with thy lady; fellow; ha?
FOOT。 A week; sir; longer than anybody in the house; except my
lady's woman。
SIR WIL。 Why; then; belike thou dost not know thy lady; if thou
seest her。 Ha; friend?
FOOT。 Why; truly; sir; I cannot safely swear to her face in a
morning; before she is dressed。 'Tis like I may give a shrewd guess
at her by this time。
SIR WIL。 Well; prithee try what thou canst do; if thou canst not
guess; enquire her out; dost hear; fellow? And tell her her nephew;
Sir Wilfull Witwoud; is in the house。
FOOT。 I shall; sir。
SIR WIL。 Hold ye; hear me; friend; a word with you in your ear:
prithee who are these gallants?
FOOT。 Really; sir; I can't tell; here come so many here; 'tis hard
to know 'em all。
SCENE XV。
SIR WILFULL WITWOUD; PETULANT; WITWOUD; MRS。 MARWOOD。
SIR WIL。 Oons; this fellow knows less than a starling: I don't
think a knows his own name。
MRS。 MAR。 Mr。 Witwoud; your brother is not behindhand in
forgetfulness。 I fancy he has forgot you too。
WIT。 I hope so。 The devil take him that remembers first; I say。
SIR WIL。 Save you; gentlemen and lady。
MRS。 MAR。 For shame; Mr。 Witwoud; why won't you speak to him?And
you; sir。
WIT。 Petulant; speak。
PET。 And you; sir。
SIR WIL。 No offence; I hope? 'Salutes MARWOOD。'
MRS。 MAR。 No; sure; sir。
WIT。 This is a vile dog; I see that already。 No offence? Ha; ha;
ha。 To him; to him; Petulant; smoke him。
PET。 It seems as if you had come a journey; sir; hem; hem。
'Surveying him round。'
SIR WIL。 Very likely; sir; that it may seem so。
PET。 No offence; I hope; sir?
WIT。 Smoke the boots; the boots; Petulant; the boots; ha; ha; ha!
SIR WILL。 Maybe not; sir; thereafter as 'tis meant; sir。
PET。 Sir; I presume upon the information of your boots。
SIR WIL。 Why; 'tis like you may; sir: if you are not satisfied
with the information of my boots; sir; if you will step to the
stable; you may enquire further of my horse; sir。
PET。 Your horse; sir! Your horse is an ass; sir!
SIR WIL。 Do you speak by way of offence; sir?
MRS。 MAR。 The gentleman's merry; that's all; sir。 'Slife; we shall
have a quarrel betwixt an horse and an ass; before they find one
another out。You must not take anything amiss from your friends;
sir。 You are among your friends here; though itmay be you don't
know it。 If I am not mistaken; you are Sir Wilfull Witwoud?
SIR WIL。 Right; lady; I am Sir Wilfull Witwoud; so I write myself;
no offence to anybody; I hope? and nephew to the Lady Wishfort of
this mansion。
MRS。 MAR。 Don't you know this gentleman; sir?
SIR WIL。 Hum! What; sure 'tis notyea by'r lady but 'tis
'sheart; I know not whether 'tis or no。 Yea; but 'tis; by the
Wrekin。 Brother Antony! What; Tony; i'faith! What; dost thou not
know me? By'r lady; nor I thee; thou art so becravated and so
beperiwigged。 'Sheart; why dost not speak? Art thou o'erjoyed?
WIT。 Odso; brother; is it you? Your servant; brother。
SIR WIL。 Your servant? Why; yours; sir。 Your servant again
'sheart; and your friend and servant to thatand a'puff' and a
flap…dragon for your service; sir; and a hare's foot and a hare's
scut for your service; sir; an you be so cold and so courtly!
WIT。 No offence; I hope; brother?
SIR WIL。 'Sheart; sir; but there is; and much offence。 A pox; is
this your inns o' court breeding; not to know your friends and your
relations; your elders; and your betters?
WIT。 Why; brother Wilfull of Salop; you may be as short as a
Shrewsbury cake; if you please。 But I tell you 'tis not modish to
know relations in town。 You think you're in the country; where
great lubberly brothers slabber and kiss one another when they meet;
like a call of sergeants。 'Tis not the fashion here; 'tis not;
indeed; dear brother。
SIR WIL。 The fashion's a fool and you're a fop; dear brother。
'Sheart; I've suspected thisby'r lady I conjectured you were a
fop; since you began to change the style of your letters; and write
in a scrap of paper gilt round the edges; no bigger than a subpoena。
I might expect this when you left off 'Honoured brother;' and
'Hoping you are in good healt
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