Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
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A36600
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The assignation, or, Love in a nunnery as it is acted, at the Theatre-Royal / written by John Dryden.
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Dryden, John, 1631-1700.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing D2241; ESTC R19769
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52,084
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89
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woman as her own wit is Cam. I look upon the Assignation as certain Will you promise me to go You and Benito shall walk in the Garden while I search the Nymph within the shade one thing I had forgot to tell you that our General of the Church the Duke of Mantoua and the Prince his Son are just approaching the Gates of Rome Will you go see the Ceremony of their Entrance Aur. With all my heart They say he has behav'd himself gallantly against the French at their return from Naples besides I have a particular knowledge of young Prince Frederick ever since he was last at our Venetian Carnival Cam. Away then quickly least we miss the Solemnity Exeunt Enter Laura and Violetta striving about a Letter which Laura holds Vio. Let it go I say Lau. I say let you go Vio. Nay sweet Sister Laura Lau. Nay dear Violetta 't is in vain to contend I am resolv'd I 'll see it Plucks the Paper from Violetta Vio. But I am resolv'd you shall not read it I know not what authority this is which you assume or what priviledge a year or two can give you to use this Soveraignty over me Lau. Do you rebell young Gentlewoman I 'll make you know I have a double right over you one as I have more years and the other as I have more wit Vio. Though I am not all Ayr and Fire as you are yet that little wit I have will serve to conduct my Affairs without a Governess Lau. No Gentlewoman but it shall not are you fit at Fifteen to be trusted with a Maidenhead 'T is as much your betters can manage at full twenty For 't is of a nature so subtil That if 't is not Luted with care The Spirit will work through the Bottel And vanish away into Ayr. To keep it there 's nothing so hard is 'T will go betwixt waking and sleeping The Simple too weak for a guard is And no Wit would be plagu'd with the keeping Vio. For ought I see you are as little to be trusted with your Madness as I with my Simplicity and therefore pray restore my Letter Lau. reading it What 's here An humble Petition for a private Meeting Are you twittering at that sport already Mistriss Novice Vio. How I a Novice at ripe Fifteen I would have you to know that I have kill'd my Man before I was Fourteen and now am ready for another execution Lau. A very forward Rose-bud you open apace Gentlewoman I find indeed your desires are quick enough but where will you have cunning to carry on your business with decency and secrecy Secrecy I say which is a main part of chastity in our Sex Where wit to be sensible of the delicacies of Love the tenderness of a farewell-sigh for an absence the joy of a return the zeal of a pressing-hand the sweetness of little quarrels caus'd and cur'd by the excess of Love and in short the pleasing disquiets of the Soul alwayes restless and wandring up and down in a paradise of thought of its own making Vio. If I understood not thus much before I find you are an excellent instructer and that argues you have had a feeling of the cause in your time too Sister Lau. What have I confess'd before I was aware She 'll find out my inclination to that stranger whom I have only seen and to whom I have never spoken Aside No good Violetta I never was in Love all my experience is from Playes and Romances But who is this man to whom you have promis'd an Assignation Vio. You 'll tell my Uncle Lau. I hate my Uncle more than you do Vio. You know the man 't is Signior Camillo his Birth and Fortunes are equal to what I can expect and he tells me his intentions are Honourable Lau. Have I not seen him lately in his Balcone which looks into our Garden with another handsome Gentleman in his Company who seems a stranger Vio. They are the same Do you think it a reasonable thing dear Laura that my Uncle should keep us up so strictly that we must be beholden to heresay to know a young Gallant is in the next house to us Lau. 'T is hard indeed to be mew'd like Hawks and never Man'd to be lock'd in like Nuns here Vio. They that look for Nuns flesh in me shall be mistaken Lau. Well What answer have you return'd to this Letter Vio. That I would meet him at eight this evening in the close walk in the Garden attended onely by Beatrix my Woman Lau. Who comes with him Vio. Only his friend's Man Benito the same who brought me the Letter which you took from me Lau. Stay let me think a little Do Camillo or this Benito know your Maid Beatrix Vio. They have never talk'd with her but only seen her Lau. 'T is concluded then you shall meet your Servant but I 'll be your Beatrix I 'll go in stead of her and counterfeit your waiting-woman in the dark I may easily pass for her By this means I shall be present to instruct you for you are yet a Callow Maid I must teach you to Peck a little you may come to Prey for your self in time Vio. A little teaching will serve my turn if the old one left me to my self I could go near to get my Living Lau. I find you are eager and Baiting to be gone already and I 'll not hinder you when your hour approaches In the mean time go in and sigh and think fondly and ignorantly of your approaching pleasures Love in young hearts is like the must of Wine 'T is sweetest then but elder 't is more fine Exeunt ACT. II. SCENE I. The Front of a Nunnery Prince Frederick Aurelian Camillo and Ascanio the Princes Page Fred. MY Fathers ' antient and may repose himself if he pleases after the Ceremony of his Entrance but we who are younger should think it a sin to spend any part of day-light in a Chamber What are your wayes of living here Cam. Why Sir we pass our time either in conversation alone or in Love alone or in Love and Conversation together Fred. Come explain explain my Counsel learned in the Laws of Living Cam. For conversation alone that 's either in going to Court with a Face of Business and there discoursing of the affairs of Europe of which Rome you know is the publick Mart or at best meeting the Vertuosi and there wearying one another with rehearsing our own works in Prose and Poetry Fred. Away with that dry method I will have none on 't To the next Cam. Love alone is either plain wenching where every Curtizan is your Mistriss and every Man your Rival or else what 's worse plain whining after one Woman that is walking before her door by day and haunting her street by night with Guittars dark Lanthorns and Rondaches Aur. Which I take it is or will be our case Camillo Fred. Neither of these will fit my humour if your third
Ascanio I hope he would not forswear himself when he has rail'd so much against it Fred. I hope I may love your mind Madam I may Love Spiritually Hip. That 's enough that 's enough let him love the mind without the body if he can Asca. Ay ay when the love is once come so far that Spiritual Mind will never leave pulling and pulling till it has drawn the beastly body after it Fred. VVell Madam since I must confess it though I expect to be laugh'd at after my railing against Love I do love you all over both Soul and Body Asca. Lord Sir VVhat a Tygress have you provok'd you may see she takes it to the death that you have made this declaration Hip. I thought where all her anger was VVhy do you not raile Madam Why do you not banish him the Prince expects it he has dealt honestly he has told you his Mind and you make your worst on 't Luc. Because he does expect it I am resolv'd I 'll neither satisfie him nor you I will neither raile nor laugh let him make his worst of that now Fred. If I understand you right Madam I am happy beyond either my deserts or expectation Luc. You may give my words what interpretation you please Sir I shall not envy you their meaning in the kindest sence But we are near the Jessamine-walk there we may talk with greater freedom because 't is farther from the House Fred. I wait you Madam Exeunt SCENE V. Aurelian with a dark Lanthorn Camillo and Benito Cam. So we are safe got over into the Nunnery-Garden for what 's to come trust Love and Fortune Aur. This must needs be the walk she mention'd yet to be sure I 'll hold the Lanthorn while you read the Ticket Cam. reads I prepar'd this Ticket hoping to see you in the Chappel come this evening over the Garden-wall on the right hand next the Tiber. Aur. We are right I see Cam. Bring only your discreet Benito with you and I will meet you attended by my faithful Beatrix Violetta Ben. Discreet Benito Did you hear that Sir Aur. Mortifie thy self for that vain thought and without enquiring into the mystery of these words which I assure thee were not meant to thee plant thy self by that Ladder without motion to secure our retreat and be sure to make no noise Ben. But Sir in case that Aur. Honest Benito no more questions Basta is the word Remember thou art only taken with us because thou hast a certain evil Daemon who conducts thy actions and would have been sure by some damn'd accident or other to have brought thee hither to disturb us Cam. I hear whispering not far from us and I think 't is Violetta's voice Aur. to Benito Retire to your Post avoid good Sathan Exit Benito Enter Laura with a dark Lanthorn hid and Violetta Cam. Ours is the honour of the Field Madam we are here before you Vio. Softly dear friend I think I hear some walking in the Garden Cam. Rather let us take this opportunity for your escape from hence all things are here in readiness Vio. This is the second time we e're have met let us discourse and know each other better first that 's the way to make sure of some love before-hand for as the world goes we know not how little we may have when we are Marry'd Cam. Losses of opportunity are fatal in war you know and Love 's a kind of warfare Vio. I shall keep you yet a while from close fighting Cam. But Do you know what an hour in Love is worth 'T is more precious than an Age of ordinary life 't is the very Quintesence and Extract of it Vio. I do not like your Chymical preparation of love yours is all Spirit and will fly too soon I must see it fix'd before I trust you But we are near the Arbor now our out guards are set let us retire a little if you please there we may talk more freely Exeunt Aur. to Laura My Ladies Woman methinks you are very reserv'd to night pray advance into the Lists though I have seen your countenance by day I can endure to hear you talk by night Be cunning and set your wit to show which is your best commodity it will help the better to put off that drug your Face Lau. The coursest ware will serve such customers as you are let it suffice Mr. Servingman that I have seen you too Your face is the original of the ugliest Vizors about Town and for wit I would advise you to speak reverently of it as a thing you are never like to understand Aur. Sure Beatrix you came lately from looking in your Glass and that has given you a bad opinion of all faces But since when am I become so notorious a fool Lau. Since yesterday for t'other night you talk'd like a man of sence I think your wit comes to you as the sight of Owles does only in the dark Aur. Why When did you discourse by day with me Lau. You have a short memory This afternoon in the great street Do you not remember when you talk'd with Laura Aur. But what was that to Beatrix Lau. aside ' Slife I had forgot that I am Beatrix But pray When did you find me out to be so ugly Aur. This afternoon in the Chappel Lau. That cannot be for I well remember you were not there Benito I saw none but Camillo and his friend the handsome stranger Aur. aside Curse on 't I have betray'd my self Lau. I find you are an Impostor you are not the same Benito your language has nothing of the Serving-man Aur. And yours methinks has not much of the Waiting-woman Lau. My Lady is abus'd and betray'd by you but I am resolv'd I 'll discover who you are Holds out a Lanthorn to him How the Stranger Aur. Nay Madam if you are good at that I 'll match you there too Holds out his Lanthorn O prodigy Is Beatrix turn'd to Laura Lau. Now the question is which of us two is the greatest cheat Aur. That 's hardly to be try'd at so short warning Let 's Marry one another and then twenty to one in a Twelve Moneth we shall know Lau. Marry Are you at that so soon Signior Benito and Beatrix I confess had some acquaintance but Aurelian and Laura are meer strangers Aur. That ground I have gotten as Benito I am resolv'd I 'll keep as Aurelian If you will take State upon you I have treated you with Ceremony already for I have woo'd you by Proxy Lau. But you would not be contented to bed me so or give me leave to put the Sword betwixt us Aur. Yes upon condition you 'll remove it Lau. Pray let our Friends be judge of it if you please we 'll find 'em in the Arbor Aur. Content I am then sure of the Verdict because the Jury is brib'd already Exeunt SCENE VI. Benito meeting Frederick Ascanio Lucreria and Hippolita Ben. Knowing my own merits