Aphra Behn

“ Dost know where my Erminia lies to night?
Alcan. I guess, Sir.
Phi. Where? Nay, prithee speak, Indeed I shall not be offended at it.
Alcan. I know not why you should, Sir; She’s where she ought, abed with young Alcippus.
Phi. Thou speak’st thy real Thoughts.
Alcan. Why should your Highness doubt it?
Phi. By Heaven, there is no faith in Woman-kind; Alcander, dost thou know an honest Woman?
Alcan. Many, Sir.
Phi. I do not think it, ‘tis impossible; Erminia, if it could have been, were she, But she has broke her Vows, which I held sacred, And plays the wanton in another’s arms. ”

“ But how grateful her Absence was to Philadelphia, we may judge by the Sequel. Madam, (said Gracelove) how do you like the Town? Have you yet seen any Man here whom you cou’d Love? Alas, Sir! (she reply’d) I have not seen the Town, only in a Coach, as I pass’d along, nor ever was in any House, except this and another, where my Brother lodg’d: And to your other Question I must Answer, that I Love all Men. That’s generous, indeed, Madam! (cry’d he) there is then some hope that I am one of the Number. No doubt, Sir, (she return’d) that I Love you as well as any, except Sir William. ”

“ Prithee, sweet Youth, talk on, thou may’st perhaps
Raise here a Storm that may undo my Passion,
And then I’ll grant thee any thing.
Hell. Madam,’tis to intreat you, (oh unreasonable!)
You wou’d not see this Stranger;
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For if you do, she vows you are undone,
Tho Nature never made a Man so excellent;
And sure he’ad been a God, but for Inconstancy.
Will. Ah, Rogue, how finely he’s instructed! [Aside.] —’Tis plain some Woman that has seen me en passant.
Ang. Oh, I shall burst with Jealousy! do you know the Man you speak of?—
Hell. Yes, Madam, he us’d to be in Buff and Scarlet. ”

“ Hell. I, I, ’tis he. Oh how this vexes me.
Belv. And how, and how, dear Lad, has Fortune smil’d? Are we to break her Windows, or raise up Altars to her! hah!
Will. Does not my Fortune sit triumphant on my Brow? dost not see the little wanton God there all gay and smiling? have I not an Air about my Face and Eyes, that distinguish me from the Croud of common Lovers? By Heav’n, Cupid’s Quiver has not half so many Darts as her Eyes—Oh such a Bona Rota, to sleep in her Arms is lying in Fresco, all perfum’d Air about me.
Hell. Here’s fine encouragement for me to fool on. ”

“ Car. All night with Clara say’st thou? that was lucky; But was she kind, my friend?
Ant. As I desir’d, or Honour wou’d permit her; Nor wou’d I press her farther.
Car. A very moderate Lover.
Ant. For some part of my Virtue, Sir, I owe to you; in midst of all my Love, even in the kindest moments of Delight, my Joys were broken by concern for you.—Julia this day, or very suddenly, leaves Cadiz.
Car. By Heaven, and so will Carlos then; for I’m so resolutely bent to possess that dear Creature, That I will do’t with hazard of my Life, Expence of Fortune, or what’s dear to me. ”

“ I’ll marry none whose Person and Courage shall not bear some Proportion to mine.
Feth. Your Mightiness I fear will die a Maid then.
Giant. I doubt you’ll scarce secure me from that Fear, who court my Fortune, not my Beauty.
Feth. Hu, how scornful she is, I’ll warrant you—why I must confess, your Person is something heroical and masculine, but I protest to your Highness, I love and honour ye.
Dwarf. Prithee, Sister, be not so coy, I like my Lover well enough; and if Seignior Mountebank keep his Word in making us of reasonable Proportions, I think the Gentlemen may serve for Husbands. ”

“ But don’t you love her, Henrique? (the other ask’d.) Too well, and cannot live without her, though I fear I may feel the cursed Effects of the same Inconstancy: However, I had quitted her all to you, but you see how she resents it. And you shall see, Sir, (cry’d Antonio, drawing his Sword in a Rage) how I resent it. Here, without more Words, they fell to Action; to bloody Action. (Ah! how wretched are our Sex, in being the unhappy Occasion of so many fatal Mischiefs, even between the dearest Friends!) ”

“ While we, alas! in dark Oblivion lye,
Thou ne'er wilt let thy lov'd Astrea dye.
No, my good Friend, Thy Works will mount the Skies,
And see their Author's learned Ashes rise.
Much to the Fame of thy fair Sex of Old,
By skilful Writers, has been greatly told:
But all the boasted Titles they have gain'd
By others Labours, weakly are sustain'd;
While thou look'st down, and scorn'st so mean a Praise:
Thy own just Hands do thy own Trophies raise.
Rich is the Soil, and vast thy Native Store ”

“ Flaunt. I know that, Simpleton; but when I went to enquire for you by your Name, and told her my Bus’ness, our Amours are not kept so secret, nor was she so dull, as not to understand how matters went between us.
Sir Tim. Now though I know this to be a damn’d Lye, yet the Devil has assisted her to make it look so like Truth, that I cannot in Honour but forgive her.
Flaunt. Forgive me!—Who shall forgive you your debauch’d Whoring and Drinking?—marry, ye had need so, you are such a Ruffler, at least if y’are every where as you are at home with me—No, Sirrah, I’ll never bed with you more ”

“ You are neither betray’d by your Husband nor me; I attest Heaven, and those Efforts I have made to leave Coimbra. Alas, my dear Princess, how little have you known her, whom you have so much honoured? Do not believe that when I have justify’d my self, I will have any more Communication with the World: No, no; there will be no Retreat far enough from hence for me. I will take care to hide this unlucky Face, where it shall be sure to do no more harm.’
The Princess touched at this Discourse, and the Tears of Agnes, press’d her hand, which she held in hers ”

“ Fran. Um, why, what have we here, pert Mrs. Jacinta and the Bassa? I hope the Jade will be Turkefied with a vengeance, and have Circumcision in abundance; and the Devil shall ransom her for old Francisco.
Jac. Hah, the old Gentleman!
Fran. What, the Frolick is to go round, I see, you Women have a happy time on’t.
Guz. Men that have kind Wives may be as happy; you’ll have the honour of being made a Cuckold, Heaven be prais’d.
Fran. Ay, Sir, I thank ye,—pray, under the Rose, how does my Wife please his Grace the Great Turk?
Guz. Murmuring again, thou Slave. ”

“ The knowledge, Madam, will not much surprise,
Which you have gain’d already from mine Eyes;
My timorous Heart that way my Tongue would spare,
And tells you of the Flames you’ve kindled there:
’Tis long I’ve suffered under this Constraint,
Have always suffer’d, but ne’er made Complaint;
And now against my will I must reveal
What Love and my Respect would fain conceal.
Ism. What mean you, Sir? what have you seen in me,
That should encourage this temerity?
Alb. A world of Beauties, and a world of Charms,
And every Smile and Frown begets new harms ”

“ I should have guest the first by your pertness; for your saucy thing of Quality acts the Man as impudently at fourteen, as another at thirty: nor is there any thing so hateful as to hear it talk of Love, Women and Drinking; nay, to see it marry too at that Age, and get itself a Play-fellow in its Son and Heir.
Aria. This Satyr on my Youth shall never put me out of countenance, or make me think you wish me one day older; and egad, I’ll warrant them that tries me, shall find me ne’er an hour too young.
La Nu. You mistake my Humour, I hate the Person of a fair conceited Boy. ”

“ At this time I had abundance of Intreagues upon my hands, for it was not with Bellinda and Bellimante, with whom I lived in this manner; and indeed it is impossible to remain at Intelligence and to make a Court but to two Persons only, where there are so many of the Fair and Young. I writ every day several Billets; and received every day as many: I had every day two or three Rendezvous; and one ought to manage matters very discreetly, that neither Party might come to the knowledge of the others concern; and one ought to be a Man of great Address and Subtilty to love more than one securely ”

“ Where hast thou been? I wanted thee but now.
Page. I fell asleep i’th’ Lobby, Sir, and had not waken’d Yet, but for the Musick which plays at the Lodgings Of my Lady Erminia.
Pis. Curse on them; will they not allow him nights to himself;
‘tis hard.
This night I’m wiser grown by observation,
My Love and Friendship taught me jealousy,
Which like a cunning Spy brought in intelligence
From every eye less wary than its own;
They told me that the charming Galatea,
In whom all power remains,
Is yet too feeble to encounter Love ”

“ Ay, ay, what you please, Gentlemen, since my Lord’s bound—Oh, what Recompence can I make for so unhospitable Usage? I am a most unfortunate Magistrate: hah, who’s there, Jervice? Alas, art thou here too? What, canst not speak? but ‘tis no matter and I were dumb too; for what Speech or Harangue will serve to beg my Pardon of my Lord?—And then my Heiress, Jervice, ay, my rich Heiress, why, she’ll be ravisht: Oh Heavens, ravisht! The young Rogues will have no Mercy, Jervice; nay, perhaps as thou say’st, they’ll carry her away.—Oh, that thought! Gad, I rather the City-Charter were lost. ”

“ The haughty Maid braves me then, Sir, said he to the King, and despises the Honour which your Bounty offered her! Why cannot I resist so fatal a Passion? But I must love her, in spite of my self; and if this Flame consume me, I can find no way to extinguish it. What can I further do for you, replied the King? Alas, Sir, answered Don 235 Alvaro, I must do by force, what I cannot otherwise hope from the proud and cruel Agnes. ”

“ I know it by myself.—Tho’ there be Wounds, Horror, and Death in each Syllable (interrupted Antonio) yet prithee now go on, but with all Haste. I will, (returned Don Henrique) tho’ I feel my own Words have the same cruel Effects on me. 339 I say, again, my Soul loves Ardelia: And how can it be otherwise? Have we not both the self-same Appetites, the same Disgusts? How then could I avoid my Destiny, that has decreed that I should love and hate just as you do? ”

“ Dear Sir, (cry’d the tender Mother) Is she in this Country? She is not two Miles hence, reply’d Sir Lucius. By all Things most dear to you, Sir, (said the Lady) let us be so happy as to see her, and that with all convenient Expedition! for it will be a Happiness to see any Creature, the only Like my dearest Arabella. Arabella, Madam! alas! No, Madam, her Name is Peregrina. No Matter for Names, Sir, (cry’d the Lady) I want the Sight of the dear Creature. Sir, (added the worthy old Knight) I can assure you it will be an eternal Obligation to us ”

“ There is nothing diffident about the attitude of Aphra Behn, the tough, audacious, fearless young widow who forced her way to dramatic success under the Restoration, and who was the first of our professional women writers. She has been rather unfairly treated by historians. It is true that her plays are as gross, in subject and speech, as any of her time: possibly her coarseness was the defect of the quality which enabled her to fight her lone hand in the Grub Street of the day. ”

“ By Heaven, I know her not.—Hark ye, Widow, this is some Trick of yours, and ‘twas well laid: and Gad, she’s so pretty, I cou’d find in my Heart to take her at her word.
L. Gal. Vile Man, this will not pass your Falshood off.
Sure, ‘tis some Art to make me jealous of him,
To find how much I value him.
Sir Char. Death, I’ll have the Forgery out;—Tell me, thou pretty weeping Hypocrite, who was it set thee on to lay a Claim to me?
Charl. To you! Alas, who are you? for till this moment I never saw your Face.
L. Gal. Mad as the Seas when all the Winds are raging. ”

“ SCENE II. A Chamber. Enter Julia and Jacinta.
Jac. Lord, Madam, you are as melancholy as a sick Parrot.
Jul. And can you blame me, Jacinta? have I not many Reasons to be sad? first have I not lost the only Man on earth in Don Carlos, that I cou’d love? and worse than that, am married to a Thing, fit only for his Tomb; a Brute, who wanting sense to value me, treats me more like a Prisoner than a Wife?—and his Pretence is, because I should not see nor hear from Don Carlos.
Jac. Wou’d I were in your room, Madam, I’d cut him out work enough, I’d warrant him ”

“ What confounded luck was this, that he of all men
Living, should happen to be my Rival?
Well, I’ll go visit Aminta, and see how
She receives me.—
Why, where a duce hast thou dispos’d of Enter Labree.
Thy self all this day? I will be bound to be
Hang’d if thou hast not a hankering after
Some young Wench; thou couldst never loiter
Thus else; but I’ll forgive thee now, and prithee go to
My Lady Aminta’s Lodgings; kiss her hand
From me; and tell her, I am just returned from
The Campain: mark that word, Sirrah.
Lab. I shall, Sir, ‘tis truth.
Fal. Well, that’s all one ”

“ Poverty, Poetry, Pox, are plagues enough for one.
In truth, Aphra Behn’s life was not one of mere pleasure, but a hard struggle against overwhelming adversity, a continual round of work. We cannot but admire the courage of this lonely woman, who, poor and friendless, was the first in England to turn to the pen for a livelihood, and not only won herself bread but no mean position in the world of her day and English literature of all time. For years her name to a new book, a comedy, a poem, an essay from the French, was a word to conjure with for the booksellers. There are anecdotes in plenty. ”

“ Enter Marcel and Clarinda, Silvio and Cleonte, Antonio and Hippolyta, Dormida and Francisca; all salute Euphemia.
Enter Haunce and Gload in Masquerade to the Company, Olinda and Dorice masked.
Hau. Well, the Devil’s in’t if we shall not appear ridiculous enough, hah, Gload?
Glo. Ay, Sir, the more ridiculous the better.
Hau. I was always of that mind.—Ha, ha, Boys, who be all these Dons and Donnas?—Harkye, Lovis, I hope the Wife you promis’d me is amongst these fair Ladies, for so I guess they are both, fair and Ladies. ”