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قراءة كتاب The City Bride (1696) Or The Merry Cuckold
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Nurse, my Wife shall send them to ye; in the mean time, there, there’s a Piece, to buy thee a Pair of Gloves, and so leave us, for I am busie at present, therefore steal away behind me, and slip out at the back Door.
Nurse. Yes Sir, I am gone, Heavens bless your Worship, a Piece! Marry! and that’s a sufficient Charm to lye up any Nurses Tongue in Christendom.
[Ex. Nurse
Just. Mer. Well well, it shall be done: Come Brother we are mist I warrant you amongst the Young Fry, let’s to ’um and, Dance till our Legs ake again, come I’ll lead the way.
Mr. Ven. We follow you.
[Exeunt.
Enter Friendly Reading the Letter.
Fr. Heaven in its excess of Goodness, bestow’d no greater Blessing on Mankind than that of Friendship—To Murder any one is a Crime unpardonable! But a Friend!—And of all Friends the nearest to my Heart,—’Tis such an Imposition that Hell it self ’till now cou’d never parallel; And yet this Devil of a Woman has power over me beyond all Virtue. I am distracted in my Thoughts, and know not what to do; yet something must be done without delay, or else I lose her quite: And yet I fear ’tis most Impossible, for Friendship left the World, when Justice fled, and all who now do wear that Name are the worst of Hypocrites,
The formal Stamp; but sordid Dross within.
Enter Bonivile.
That you alone appear with Discontent,
When all my Friends Congratulate my Bliss?
Is it because (which I durst ne’re suspect)
Your Love to me was not intirely true?
Or else perhaps, this Crown of Happiness
You think Misplac’d, and Envy it not yours.
How can you entertain a Thought so Vile
Of him whom so long you have call’d your Friend?
May all the Blesings Heaven can bestow
On us poor Mortals in this World below,
Crown all your Days, and may you nothing see
But flowing Tides of sweet Felicity;
But I, alas!—
Much hidden Grief that wretched Word portends,
Which thus disturbs the Quiet of my Friend?
But come disclose it to me,
And since the Burthen is too much for one,
I’ll bear a part to ease thy troubled Breast.
Seek not to force this Fatal secret from me—
That Name strikes horrour to my very Soul.
Fixt as a Rock, I vow I’ll here remain,
Until I have forc’d this Dire secret from thee.
But I—— [Offers to go.]
By all the Friendship which you once profess’d,
By all that’s Holy, both in Heaven and Earth,
I now Conjure thee to impart it to me,
Or by this Life——
Know ’tis my Honour then which lyes at Stake.
Betwixt another and my self, The Field,
Time, Place, and all appointed,
Nay Seconds must assist us in the Deed:
I have relied on many seeming Friends,
(Such as profess the bare and empty Name)
And all refuse to venture in my Cause.
Nay all that’s Dear, in Danger to be lost.
May all things frown that I wou’d have to smile,
May I live Poor, and Dye despised by all,
If I out live the ruine of thy Honour!
Tell me the time my Friend?
You’l Cancel this your promise, and recall
Your Friendly proffer.
Oh the fatal place! Where I too well foresee,
The certain fall and Ruine of my Honour!
Come I’m ready to assist my Friend; and will along with you.
Of all my Friends on you I ne’re Relied;
But sure I Dream, I Rave, by Heav’ns I’m