Scene XVI.

Love for Love

by William Congreve

[To them] TATTLE and ANGELICA.

JEREMY
I'll take care, and -

VALENTINE
Whisper.

ANGELICA
Nay, Mr Tattle, if you make love to me, you spoil
my design, for I intend to make you my confidant.

TATTLE
But, madam, to throw away your person--such a
person!--and such a fortune on a madman!

ANGELICA
I never loved him till he was mad; but don't tell
anybody so.

SCANDAL
How's this! Tattle making love to Angelica!

TATTLE
Tell, madam? Alas, you don't know me. I have much
ado to tell your ladyship how long I have been in love with you--but
encouraged by the impossibility of Valentine's making any more
addresses to you, I have ventured to declare the very inmost passion
of my heart. O madam, look upon us both. There you see the ruins of
a poor decayed creature--here, a complete and lively figure, with
youth and health, and all his five senses in perfection, madam, and
to all this, the most passionate lover -

ANGELICA
O fie, for shame, hold your tongue. A passionate
lover, and five senses in perfection! When you are as mad as
Valentine, I'll believe you love me, and the maddest shall take
me.

VALENTINE
It is enough. Ha! Who's here?

FRAIL
O Lord, her coming will spoil all. [To JEREMY.]

JEREMY
No, no, madam, he won't know her; if he should, I can
persuade him.

VALENTINE
Scandal, who are these? Foreigners? If they are,
I'll tell you what I think,--get away all the company but Angelica,
that I may discover my design to her. [Whisper.]

SCANDAL
I will--I have discovered something of Tattle that
is of a piece with Mrs Frail. He courts Angelica; if we could
contrive to couple 'em together.--Hark'ee--[Whisper.]

MRS FORESIGHT
He won't know you, cousin; he knows nobody.

FORESIGHT
But he knows more than anybody. O niece, he knows
things past and to come, and all the profound secrets of time.

TATTLE
Look you, Mr Foresight, it is not my way to make many
words of matters, and so I shan't say much,--but in short, d'ye see,
I will hold you a hundred pounds now, that I know more secrets than
he.

FORESIGHT
How! I cannot read that knowledge in your face,
Mr Tattle. Pray, what do you know?

TATTLE
Why, d'ye think I'll tell you, sir? Read it in my
face? No, sir, 'tis written in my heart; and safer there, sir, than
letters writ in juice of lemon, for no fire can fetch it out. I am
no blab, sir.

VALENTINE
Acquaint Jeremy with it, he may easily bring it
about. They are welcome, and I'll tell 'em so myself. [To SCANDAL.]
What, do you look strange upon me? Then I must be plain. [Coming
up to them.] I am Truth, and hate an old acquaintance with a new
face. [SCANDAL goes aside with JEREMY.]

TATTLE
Do you know me, Valentine?

VALENTINE
You? Who are you? No, I hope not.

TATTLE
I am Jack Tattle, your friend.

VALENTINE
My friend, what to do? I am no married man, and
thou canst not lie with my wife. I am very poor, and thou canst not
borrow money of me. Then what employment have I for a friend?

TATTLE
Ha! a good open speaker, and not to be trusted with a
secret.

ANGELICA
Do you know me, Valentine?

VALENTINE
Oh, very well.

ANGELICA
Who am I?

VALENTINE
You're a woman. One to whom heav'n gave beauty,
when it grafted roses on a briar. You are the reflection of heav'n
in a pond, and he that leaps at you is sunk. You are all white, a
sheet of lovely, spotless paper, when you first are born; but you are
to be scrawled and blotted by every goose's quill. I know you; for I
loved a woman, and loved her so long, that I found out a strange
thing: I found out what a woman was good for.

TATTLE
Ay, prithee, what's that?

VALENTINE
Why, to keep a secret.

TATTLE
O Lord!

VALENTINE
Oh, exceeding good to keep a secret; for though
she should tell, yet she is not to be believed.

TATTLE
Hah! good again, faith.

VALENTINE
I would have music. Sing me the song that I
like.

SONG

Set by MR FINGER.

I tell thee, Charmion, could I time retrieve,
And could
again begin to love and live,
To you I should my earliest
off'ring give;
I know my eyes would lead my heart to you,
And
I should all my vows and oaths renew,
But to be plain, I never
would be true.

II.

For by our weak and weary truth, I find,
Love hates to
centre in a point assign'd?
But runs with joy the circle of the
mind.
Then never let us chain what should be free,
But for
relief of either sex agree,
Since women love to change, and so do
we.

No more, for I am melancholy. [Walks musing.]

JEREMY
I'll do't, sir. [To SCANDAL.]

SCANDAL
Mr Foresight, we had best leave him. He may grow
outrageous, and do mischief.

FORESIGHT
I will be directed by you.

JEREMY
[To MRS FRAIL.] You'll meet, madam? I'll take care
everything shall be ready.

MRS FRAIL
Thou shalt do what thou wilt; in short, I will
deny thee nothing.

TATTLE
Madam, shall I wait upon you? [To ANGELICA.]

ANGELICA
No, I'll stay with him; Mr Scandal will protect me.
Aunt, Mr Tattle desires you would give him leave to wait on you.

TATTLE
Pox on't, there's no coming off, now she has said
that. Madam, will you do me the honour?

MRS FORESIGHT
Mr Tattle might have used less ceremony.