English drama (Comedy); English drama -- 17th century
_Hip._ Well, I am his daughter, and may make the bolder with him, I
hope.
_Ger._ And I am his son-in-law, that shall be; and therefore may claim
my privilege too of making bold with him, I hope.
_Hip._ Methinks you should be contented in making bold with his
daughter (for you have made very bold with her) sure.
_Ger._ I hope I shall make bolder with her yet.
_Hip._ I do not doubt your confidence, for you are a dancing-master.
_Ger._ Why, miss, I hope you would not have me a fine, senseless,
whining, modest lover; for modesty in a man is as ill as the want of it
in a woman.
_Hip._ I thank you for that, sir, now you have made bold with me
indeed; but if I am such a confident piece, I am sure you made me so:
if you had not had the confidence to come in at the window, I had not
had the confidence to look upon a man: I am sure I could not look upon
a man before.
_Ger._ But that I humbly conceive, sweet miss, was your father's
fault, because you had not a man to look upon. But, dearest miss, I do
not think you confident, you are only innocent; for that which would
be called confidence, nay impudence, in a woman of years, is called
innocency in one of your age; and the more impudent you appear, the
more innocent you are thought.
_Hip._ Say you so? has youth such privileges? I do not wonder then,
most women seem impudent, since it is to be thought younger than they
are, it seems. But indeed, master, you are as great an encourager of
impudence, I see, as if you were a dancing-master in good earnest.
_Ger._ Yes, yes, a young thing may do anything; may leap out of the
window and go away with her dancing master, if she please.
_Hip._ So, so, the use follows the doctrine very suddenly.
_Ger._ Well, dearest, pray let us make the use we should of it; lest
your father should make too bold with us, and come in before we would
have him.
_Hip._ Indeed, old relations are apt to take that ill-bred freedom of
pressing into young company at unseasonable hours.
_Ger._ Come, dear miss, let me tell you how I have designed matters;
for in talking of anything else we lose time and opportunity. People
abroad indeed say, the English women are the worst in the world in
using an opportunity, they love tittle-tattle and ceremony.
_Hip._ 'Tis because, I warrant, opportunities are not so scarce here as
abroad, they have more here than they can use; but let people abroad
say what they will of English women, because they do not know 'em, but
what say people at home?
_Ger._ Pretty innocent! ha! ha! ha!--Well, I say you will not make use
of your opportunity.
_Hip._ I say, you have no reason to say so yet.
_Ger._ Well then, anon at nine of the clock at night I'll try you: for
I have already bespoke a parson, and have taken up the three back-rooms
of the tavern, which front upon the gallery-window, that nobody may see
us escape; and I have appointed (precisely betwixt eight and nine of
the clock when it is dark) a coach and six to wait at the tavern-door
for us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account