William Congreve

Name: The Way of the World — ACT III.
Author: William Congreve

Summary

“The Way of the World — ACT III.”, published in 1700, is a work by William Congreve. It explores elements such as Mirabell, Marwood and Rowland.

Quotes from The Way of the World — ACT III. (William Congreve)

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ SCENE V. LADY WISHFORT, FOIBLE.
LADY. O Foible, where hast thou been? What hast thou been doing?
FOIB. Madam, I have seen the party.
LADY. But what hast thou done?
FOIB. Nay, 'tis your ladyship has done, and are to do; I have only promised. But a man so enamoured—so transported! Well, if worshipping of pictures be a sin—poor Sir Rowland, I say.
LADY. The miniature has been counted like. But hast thou not betrayed me, Foible? Hast thou not detected me to that faithless Mirabell? What hast thou to do with him in the park? Answer me, has he got nothing out of thee? ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ SIR WIL. 'Sheart, sir, but there is, and much offence. A pox, is this your inns o' court breeding, not to know your friends and your relations, your elders, and your betters?
WIT. Why, brother Wilfull of Salop, you may be as short as a Shrewsbury cake, if you please. But I tell you 'tis not modish to know relations in town. You think you're in the country, where great lubberly brothers slabber and kiss one another when they meet, like a call of sergeants. 'Tis not the fashion here; 'tis not, indeed, dear brother.
SIR WIL. The fashion's a fool and you're a fop, dear brother. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ I look like an old peeled wall. Thou must repair me, Foible, before Sir Rowland comes, or I shall never keep up to my picture.
FOIB. I warrant you, madam: a little art once made your picture like you, and now a little of the same art must make you like your picture. Your picture must sit for you, madam.
LADY. But art thou sure Sir Rowland will not fail to come? Or will a not fail when he does come? Will he be importunate, Foible, and push? For if he should not be importunate I shall never break decorums. I shall die with confusion if I am forced to advance—oh no, I can never advance ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ If there's delight in love, 'tis when I see
That heart, which others bleed for, bleed for me.
SCENE XIII. [To them] PETULANT, WITWOUD.
MILLA. Is your animosity composed, gentlemen?
WIT. Raillery, raillery, madam; we have no animosity. We hit off a little wit now and then, but no animosity. The falling out of wits is like the falling out of lovers:- we agree in the main, like treble and bass. Ha, Petulant?
PET. Ay, in the main. But when I have a humour to contradict -
WIT. Ay, when he has a humour to contradict, then I contradict too. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ Foible's integrity.
LADY. Oh, he carries poison in his tongue that would corrupt integrity itself. If she has given him an opportunity, she has as good as put her integrity into his hands. Ah, dear Marwood, what's integrity to an opportunity? ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ Man should have his head and horns, and woman the rest of him. Poor, simple fiend! 'Madam Marwood has a month's mind, but he can't abide her.' 'Twere better for him you had not been his confessor in that affair, without you could have kept his counsel closer. I shall not prove another pattern of generosity; he has not obliged me to that with those excesses of himself, and now I'll have none of him. Here comes the good lady, panting ripe, with a heart full of hope, and a head full of care, like any chymist upon the day of projection. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ MRS. MAR. What pity 'tis so much fine raillery, and delivered with so significant gesture, should be so unhappily directed to miscarry.
MILLA. Heh? Dear creature, I ask your pardon. I swear I did not mind you.
MRS. MAR. Mr. Mirabell and you both may think it a thing impossible, when I shall tell him by telling you -
MILLA. Oh dear, what? For it is the same thing, if I hear it. Ha, ha, ha! ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ My man's with his horses, I warrant.
LADY. Fie, fie, nephew, you would not pull off your boots here? Go down into the hall:- dinner shall stay for you. My nephew's a little unbred: you'll pardon him, madam. Gentlemen, will you walk? Marwood?
MRS. MAR. I'll follow you, madam,—before Sir Wilfull is ready.
SCENE XVIII. MRS. MARWOOD, FAINALL.
FAIN. Why, then, Foible's a bawd, an errant, rank match-making bawd. And I, it seems, am a husband, a rank husband, and my wife a very errant, rank wife,—all in the way of the world. 'Sdeath, to be a cuckold by anticipation, a cuckold in embryo! ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ Sir Rowland's a brisk man.
LADY. Is he? Oh, then, he'll importune, if he's a brisk man. I shall save decorums if Sir Rowland importunes. I have a mortal terror at the apprehension of offending against decorums. Oh, I'm glad he's a brisk man. Let my things be removed, good Foible.
SCENE VI. MRS. FAINALL, FOIBLE.
MRS. FAIN. O Foible, I have been in a fright, lest I should come too late. That devil, Marwood, saw you in the park with Mirabell, and I'm afraid will discover it to my lady. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ PET. Why should a man be any further from being married, though he can't read, than he is from being hanged? The ordinary's paid for setting the psalm, and the parish priest for reading the ceremony. And for the rest which is to follow in both cases, a man may do it without book. So all's one for that.
MILLA. D'ye hear the creature? Lord, here's company; I'll begone.
SCENE XIV. SIR WILFULL WITWOUD in a riding dress, MRS. MARWOOD, PETULANT, WITWOUD, FOOTMAN.
WIT. In the name of Bartlemew and his Fair, what have we here?
MRS. MAR. 'Tis your brother, I fancy. Don't you know him? ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ However, I thank you for your courteous offer. 'Sheart, I was afraid you would have been in the fashion too, and have remembered to have forgot your relations. Here's your cousin Tony, belike, I mayn't call him brother for fear of offence.
LADY. Oh, he's a rallier, nephew. My cousin's a wit: and your great wits always rally their best friends to choose. When you have been abroad, nephew, you'll understand raillery better. [FAINALL and MRS. MARWOOD talk apart.] ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ He may travel afterwards. 'Tis a thing very usual with young gentlemen.
LADY. I promise you I have thought on't—and since 'tis your judgment, I'll think on't again. I assure you I will; I value your judgment extremely. On my word, I'll propose it.
SCENE IX. [To them] FOIBLE.
LADY. Come, come, Foible—I had forgot my nephew will be here before dinner—I must make haste.
FOIB. Mr. Witwoud and Mr. Petulant are come to dine with your ladyship.
LADY. Oh dear, I can't appear till I am dressed. Dear Marwood, shall I be free with you again, and beg you to entertain em? I'll make all imaginable haste. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ Sure I was born with budding antlers like a young satyr, or a citizen's child, 'sdeath, to be out-witted, to be out-jilted, out-matrimonied. If I had kept my speed like a stag, 'twere somewhat, but to crawl after, with my horns like a snail, and be outstripped by my wife—'tis scurvy wedlock.
MRS. MAR. Then shake it off: you have often wished for an opportunity to part, and now you have it. But first prevent their plot:- the half of Millamant's fortune is too considerable to be parted with to a foe, to Mirabell. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ True, I wear the badge, but I'll disown the order. And since I take my leave of 'em, I care not if I leave 'em a common motto to their common crest.
All husbands must or pain or shame endure;
The wise too jealous are, fools too secure. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

William Congreve, The Way of the World — ACT III. (1700)

“ For a fool's visit is always a disguise, and never admitted by a woman of wit, but to blind her affair with a lover of sense. If you would but appear barefaced now, and own Mirabell, you might as easily put off Petulant and Witwoud as your hood and scarf. And indeed 'tis time, for the town has found it, the secret is grown too big for the pretence. 'Tis like Mrs. ”

William Congreve

Summary

Quotes from The Way of the World — ACT III. (William Congreve)

Common terms

Similar works

Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature