Scene X.

Love for Love

by William Congreve

[To them] SCANDAL.

SCANDAL
Sir Sampson, sad news.

FORESIGHT
Bless us!

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Why, what's the matter?

SCANDAL
Can't you guess at what ought to afflict you and
him, and all of us, more than anything else?

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Body o' me, I don't know any universal
grievance, but a new tax, or the loss of the Canary fleet. Unless
popery should be landed in the West, or the French fleet were at
anchor at Blackwall.

SCANDAL
No. Undoubtedly, Mr Foresight knew all this, and
might have prevented it.

FORESIGHT
'Tis no earthquake!

SCANDAL
No, not yet; nor whirlwind. But we don't know what
it may come to. But it has had a consequence already that touches us
all.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Why, body o' me, out with't.

SCANDAL
Something has appeared to your son Valentine. He's
gone to bed upon't, and very ill. He speaks little, yet he says he
has a world to say. Asks for his father and the wise Foresight;
talks of Raymond Lully, and the ghost of Lilly. He has secrets to
impart, I suppose, to you two. I can get nothing out of him but
sighs. He desires he may see you in the morning, but would not be
disturbed to-night, because he has some business to do in a dream.

SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Hoity toity, what have I to do with his
dreams or his divination? Body o' me, this is a trick to defer
signing the conveyance. I warrant the devil will tell him in a dream
that he must not part with his estate. But I'll bring him a parson
to tell him that the devil's a liar: --or if that won't do, I'll
bring a lawyer that shall out-lie the devil. And so I'll try whether
my blackguard or his shall get the better of the day.