Scene VI.

Love for Love

by William Congreve

[To them] BEN LEGEND and SERVANT.

BEN LEGEND
Where's father?

SERVANT
There, sir, his back's toward you.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
My son Ben! Bless thee, my dear body.
Body o' me, thou art heartily welcome.

BEN LEGEND
Thank you, father, and I'm glad to see you.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Odsbud, and I'm glad to see thee; kiss
me, boy, kiss me again and again, dear Ben. [Kisses him.]

BEN LEGEND
So, so, enough, father, Mess, I'd rather kiss
these gentlewomen.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
And so thou shalt. Mrs Angelica, my son
Ben.

BEN LEGEND
Forsooth, if you please. [Salutes her.] Nay,
mistress, I'm not for dropping anchor here; about ship, i'faith.
[Kisses Frail.] Nay, and you too, my little cock-boat--so [Kisses
Miss].

TATTLE
Sir, you're welcome ashore.

BEN LEGEND
Thank you, thank you, friend.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Thou hast been many a weary league, Ben,
since I saw thee.

BEN LEGEND
Ay, ay, been! Been far enough, an' that be all.
Well, father, and how do all at home? How does brother Dick, and
brother Val?

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Dick--body o' me--Dick has been dead
these two years. I writ you word when you were at Leghorn.

BEN LEGEND
Mess, that's true; marry! I had forgot. Dick's
dead, as you say. Well, and how? I have a many questions to ask
you. Well, you ben't married again, father, be you?

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
No; I intend you shall marry, Ben; I
would not marry for thy sake.

BEN LEGEND
Nay, what does that signify? An' you marry
again--why then, I'll go to sea again, so there's one for t'other,
an' that be all. Pray don't let me be your hindrance--e'en marry a
God's name, an the wind sit that way. As for my part, mayhap I have
no mind to marry.

FRAIL
That would be pity--such a handsome young
gentleman.

BEN LEGEND
Handsome! he, he, he! nay, forsooth, an you be
for joking, I'll joke with you, for I love my jest, an' the ship were
sinking, as we sayn at sea. But I'll tell you why I don't much stand
towards matrimony. I love to roam about from port to port, and from
land to land; I could never abide to be port-bound, as we call it.
Now, a man that is married has, as it were, d'ye see, his feet in the
bilboes, and mayhap mayn't get them out again when he would.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Ben's a wag.

BEN LEGEND
A man that is married, d'ye see, is no more like
another man than a galley-slave is like one of us free sailors; he is
chained to an oar all his life, and mayhap forced to tug a leaky
vessel into the bargain.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
A very wag--Ben's a very wag; only a
little rough, he wants a little polishing.

MRS FRAIL
Not at all; I like his humour mightily: it's
plain and honest--I should like such a humour in a husband
extremely.

BEN LEGEND
Say'n you so, forsooth? Marry, and I should like
such a handsome gentlewoman for a bed-fellow hugely. How say you,
mistress, would you like going to sea? Mess, you're a tight vessel,
an well rigged, an you were but as well manned.

MRS FRAIL
I should not doubt that if you were master of
me.

BEN LEGEND
But I'll tell you one thing, an you come to sea
in a high wind, or that lady--you may'nt carry so much sail o' your
head--top and top gallant, by the mess.

MRS FRAIL
No, why so?

BEN LEGEND
Why, an you do, you may run the risk to be
overset, and then you'll carry your keels above water, he, he, he!

ANGELICA
I swear, Mr Benjamin is the veriest wag in
nature--an absolute sea-wit.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Nay, Ben has parts, but as I told you
before, they want a little polishing. You must not take anything
ill, madam.

BEN LEGEND
No, I hope the gentlewoman is not angry; I mean
all in good part, for if I give a jest, I'll take a jest, and so
forsooth you may be as free with me.

ANGELICA
I thank you, sir, I am not at all offended. But
methinks, Sir Sampson, you should leave him alone with his mistress.
Mr Tattle, we must not hinder lovers.

TATTLE
Well, Miss, I have your promise. [Aside to Miss.]

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Body o' me, madam, you say true. Look
you, Ben, this is your mistress. Come, Miss, you must not be
shame-faced; we'll leave you together.

MISS PRUE
I can't abide to be left alone; mayn't my cousin
stay with me?

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
No, no. Come, let's away.

BEN LEGEND
Look you, father, mayhap the young woman mayn't
take a liking to me.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
I warrant thee, boy: come, come, we'll
be gone; I'll venture that.