A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 15Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 15
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
+Mir.+ 'Tis a rare diversion, to see what several
Ways my flock of lovers have in being
Ridiculous; some of them sigh so damnably,
That 'tis as troublesome as a windy day.
There's two of them that make their love together,
By languishing eye-casts; one of them has
One eye bigger than another, and looks
Like a tumbler; and that eye's like a musket
Bullet, and I expect every minute when he
Will hit me with it, he aims so right at me.
My other lover looks a-squint, and to
See him cast languishing eyes, would make a
Woman with child miscarry. There is also
A very fat man, master Pinguister, and
A very lean man that loves me; I tell the
Fat man I cannot marry him till he's
Leaner, and the lean man I cannot marry
Him till he's fat: so one of them purges
And runs heats every morning, to pull down
His sides, and th' other makes his tailor stuff
His clothes to make him show fatter. O, what
Pleasure do I take in fooling of mankind!
+Phil.+ Was there ever so witty a wench? 'tis the
Woman of women for my turn. I'll to her--
Thou most renowned female! I cannot hold--
+Mir.+ From what?
+Phil.+ From kissing thee, [from] loving thee, or what
Thou wilt.
+Mir.+ Troth, y'are very well acquainted, consid'ring
You never saw me before!
+Phil.+ Saw thee! I have
Heard thee talk this hour, like an angel of light.
+Mir.+ Well, d'ye love me for what you heard me say?
+Phil.+ Yes, faith, do I; why, you are just of my
Humour; when I heard thee say how many
Men you had fool'd, I was very glad to hear
You come one short of me, for I have fool'd
Six women, and you but five men.
+Mir.+ Why,
If you love me, you will be the sixth fool,
To make up my half dozen too.
+Phil.+ No, I
Won't, and yet I love thee too.
+Mir.+ Why, how will
You help it?
+Phil.+ Thus: you and I
Will love one another.
+Mir.+ What, whether I will or no?
+Phil.+ Nay, hear me, we two will love how we please,
When we please, and as long as
We please: do not
These propositions tickle your heart a little?
+Mir.+ I don't mislike them--Now could I take him
About the neck and kiss him for this humour
Of his. And do you say you will love me! [_Aside._
+Phil.+ Yes, marry, will I.
+Mir.+ Nay, hold, I won't marry
You.
+Phil.+ Nor I thee, for all the world.
+Mir.+ And yet
You say you will love me?
+Phil.+ I tell you
I will: make no more words on it.
+Mir.+ Why then,
Hark you, to be as absolute as you,
I will love you too, that is to say,
Upon the aforesaid conditions.
+Phil.+ With all my heart; prythee, don't think
That I
Will love thee upon any other terms. But come,
We must seal this
Bargain with hands, hearts, lips.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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