The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 05Dryden, John
History
The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 05
Dryden, John
English literature
_Fisc._ Yes, mine you shall, I'll help you. This evening, as he goes
from the castle, we'll find some way to meet him in the dark, and then
make sure of him for getting maidenheads to-night; to-morrow I'll
bestow a pill upon my Spanish Don, lest he discover what he knows.
_Har. Jun._ Give me your hand, you'll help me.
_Fisc._ By all my hopes I will: in the mean time, with a feigned mirth
'tis fit we gild our faces; the truth is, that we may smile in
earnest, when we look upon the Englishman, and think how we will use
him.
_Har. Jun._ Agreed; come to the castle. [_Exeunt._
SCENE III.--_The Castle._
_Enter_ HARMAN _Senior,_ TOWERSON, _and_ ISABINDA, BEAMONT, COLLINS,
VAN HERRING. _They seat themselves._
EPITHALAMIUM.
_The day is come, I see it rise,
Betwixt the bride and bridegroom's eyes;
That golden day they wished so long,
Love picked it out amidst the throng;
He destined to himself this sun,
And took the reins, and drove him on;
In his own beams he drest him bright,
Yet bid him bring a better night._
_The day you wished arrived at last,
You wish as much that it were past;
One minute more, and night will hide
The bridegroom and the blushing bride.
The virgin now to bed does go--
Take care, oh youth, she rise not so--
She pants and trembles at her doom,
And fears and wishes thou wouldst come._
_The bridegroom comes, he comes apace,
With love and fury in his face;
She shrinks away, he close pursues,
And prayers and threats at once does use.
She, softly sighing, begs delay,
And with her hand puts his away;
Now out aloud for help she cries,
And now despairing shuts her eyes._
_Har. Sen._ I like this song, 'twas sprightly; it would restore me
twenty years of youth, had I but such a bride.
_A Dance._
_After the Dance, enter_ HARMAN _Junior, and_ FISCAL.
_Beam._ Come, let me have the Sea-Fight; I like that better than a
thousand of your wanton epithalamiums.
_Har. Jun._ He means that fight, in which he freed me from the
pirates.
_Tow._ Pr'ythee, friend, oblige me, and call not for that song; 'twill
breed ill blood. [_To_ BEAMONT.
_Beam._ Pr'ythee be not scrupulous, ye fought it bravely. Young Harman
is ungrateful, if he does not acknowledge it. I say, sing me the
Sea-Fight.
THE SEA-FIGHT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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