Scene II.

Love for Love

by William Congreve

VALENTINE, SCANDAL, JEREMY.

SCANDAL
What, Jeremy holding forth?

VALENTINE
The rogue has (with all the wit he could muster
up) been declaiming against wit.

SCANDAL
Ay? Why, then, I'm afraid Jeremy has wit: for
wherever it is, it's always contriving its own ruin.

JEREMY
Why, so I have been telling my master, sir: Mr
Scandal, for heaven's sake, sir, try if you can dissuade him from
turning poet.

SCANDAL
Poet! He shall turn soldier first, and rather
depend upon the outside of his head than the lining. Why, what the
devil, has not your poverty made you enemies enough? Must you needs
shew your wit to get more?

JEREMY
Ay, more indeed: for who cares for anybody that has
more wit than himself?

SCANDAL
Jeremy speaks like an oracle. Don't you see how
worthless great men and dull rich rogues avoid a witty man of small
fortune? Why, he looks like a writ of enquiry into their titles and
estates, and seems commissioned by heaven to seize hte better
half.

VALENTINE
Therefore I would rail in my writings, and be
revenged.

SCANDAL
Rail? At whom? The whole world? Impotent and
vain! Who would die a martyr to sense in a country where the
religion is folly? You may stand at bay for a while; but when the
full cry is against you, you shan't have fair play for your life. If
you can't be fairly run down by the hounds, you will be treacherously
shot by the huntsmen. No, turn pimp, flatterer, quack, lawyer,
parson, be chaplain to an atheist, or stallion to an old woman,
anything but poet. A modern poet is worse, more servile, timorous,
and fawning, than any I have named: without you could retrieve the
ancient honours of the name, recall the stage of Athens, and be
allowed the force of open honest satire.

VALENTINE
You are as inveterate against our poets as if your
character had been lately exposed upon the stage. Nay, I am not
violently bent upon the trade. [One knocks.] Jeremy, see who's
there. [JEREMY. goes to the door.] But tell me what you would have
me do? What do the world say of me, and my forced confinement?

SCANDAL
The world behaves itself as it uses to do on such
occasions; some pity you, and condemn your father; others excuse him,
and blame you; only the ladies are merciful, and wish you well, since
love and pleasurable expense have been your greatest faults.

VALENTINE
How now?

JEREMY
Nothing new, sir; I have despatched some half a dozen
duns with as much dexterity as a hungry judge does causes at
dinner-time.

VALENTINE
What answer have you given 'em?

SCANDAL
Patience, I suppose, the old receipt.

JEREMY
No, faith, sir; I have put 'em off so long with
patience and forbearance, and other fair words, that I was forced now
to tell 'em in plain downright English -

VALENTINE
What?

JEREMY
That they should be paid.

VALENTINE
When?

JEREMY
To-morrow.

VALENTINE
And how the devil do you mean to keep your
word?

JEREMY
Keep it? Not at all; it has been so very much
stretched that I reckon it will break of course by to-morrow, and
nobody be surprised at the matter. [Knocking.] Again! Sir, if you
don't like my negotiation, will you be pleased to answer these
yourself?

VALENTINE
See who they are.