Plays, written by Sir John Vanbrugh, volume the firstVanbrugh, John
General
Plays, written by Sir John Vanbrugh, volume the first
Vanbrugh, John
Comedy plays; English drama -- 18th century; English drama -- Restoration, 1660-1700
[Pulling off his Hat,] _I Have only time to tell thee in three Lines,
or thereabouts, that here has been the Devil! That Rascal ~Tam~,
having stole the Letter thou hadst formerly writ for me to bring to
Sir ~Tunbelly~, form'd a damnable Design upon my Mistress, and was in
a fair way of Success when I arriv'd. But after having suffer'd some
Indignities (in which I have all daub'd my embroider'd Coat) I put him
to flight. I sent out a Party of Horse after him, in hopes to have made
him my Prisoner, which if I had done, I would have qualified him for
the Seraglio, stap my Vitals. The Danger I have thus narrowly 'scap'd,
has made me fortify myself against further Attempts, by entering
immediately into an Association with the young Lady, by which we engage
to stand by one another, as long as we both shall live. In short, the
Papers are seal'd, and the Contract is sign'd, so the Business of the
Lawyer is ~achevé~; but I defer the divine part of the thing till I
arrive at ~London~, not being willing to consummate in any other Bed
but my own._
Postscript,
_'Tis possible I may be in the Tawn as soon as this Letter; for I find
the Lady is so violently in love with me, I have determin'd to make her
happy with all the Dispatch that is practicable, without disardering my
Coach Harses._
So, here's rare Work, I'faith!
_Lo._ I'gad, Miss _Hoyden_ has laid about her bravely.
_Coup._ I think my Country-Girl has play'd her part, as well as if she
had been born and bred in St. _James_'s Parish.
_Young Fash._----That Rogue the Chaplain.
_Lo._ And then that Jade the Nurse, Sir.
_Young Fash._ And then that drunken Sot, _Lory_, Sir; that cou'd not
keep himself sober to be a Witness to the Marriage.
_Lo._ Sir----with respect----I know very few drunken Sots that do keep
themselves sober.
_Young Fash._ Hold your prating, Sirrah, or I'll break your Head; dear
_Coupler_, what's to be done?
_Coup._ Nothing's to be done till the Bride and Bridegroom come to Town.
_Young Fash._ Bride and Bridegroom! Death and Furies! I can't bear that
thou shouldst call them so.
_Coup._ Why, what shall I call them, Dog and Cat?
_Young Fash._ Not for the World, that sounds more like Man and Wife
than t'other.
_Coup._ Well, if you'll hear of them in no Language, we'll leave them
for the Nurse and the Chaplain.
_Young Fash._ The Devil and the Witch.
_Coup._ When they come to Town----
_Lo._ We shall have stormy Weather.
_Coup._ Will you hold your tongues, Gentlemen, or not?
_Lo._ Mum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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