BELLMOUR, BELINDA, ARAMINTA, and VAINLOVE.
VAIN.Oh, 'twas frenzy all: cannot you forgive it? Men in madness have a title to your pity.[To ARAMINTA.]
ARAM.Which they forfeit, when they are restored to their senses.
VAIN.I am not presuming beyond a pardon.
ARAM.You who could reproach me with one counterfeit, how insolent would a real pardon make you! But there's no need to forgive what is not worth my anger.
BELIN.O' my conscience, I could find in my heart to marry thee, purely to be rid of thee--at least thou art so troublesome a lover, there's hopes thou'lt make a more than ordinary quiet husband.[To BELLMOUR.]
BELL.Say you so? Is that a maxim among ye?
BELIN.Yes: you fluttering men of the MODE have made marriage a mere French dish.
BELL.I hope there's no French sauce.[Aside.]
BELIN.You are so curious in the preparation, that is, your courtship, one would think you meant a noble entertainment--but when we come to feed, 'tis all froth, and poor, but in show.Nay, often, only remains, which have been I know not how many times warmed for other company, and at last served up cold to the wife.
BELL.That were a miserable wretch indeed, who could not afford one warm dish for the wife of his bosom.But you timorous virgins form a dreadful chimaera of a husband, as of a creature contrary to that soft, humble, pliant, easy thing, a lover; so guess at plagues in matrimony, in opposition to the pleasures of courtship.Alas!
courtship to marriage, is but as the music in the play-house, until the curtain's drawn; but that once up, then opens the scene of pleasure.
BELIN.Oh, foh,--no: rather courtship to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play.
