The City Bride | Page 7

alone can part.
Fri. Yet stay, and think what it is you undertake, Recall this Rash and
suddain Resolution, Least you repent, alas when it is too late.
Bon. This were enough to shake a weaker Soul, But mine it moves not;
like to a Mighty Oake, I'm plac'd above the Storms of Fear or Doubt.
Enter Arabella.
Fri. Sir, no more, the Bride,
Ara. Oh, Heavens defend me!
Bon. What ailes my Dearest Life?
Ara. I've lost the Key of this Chain I wear about my Neck And of these
Bracelets, Oh! Unhappy Omen!
Bon. No, no, my Love; I found it as it lay at Random in your Chamber,
and fearing it might be forgot, or lost, have laid it by; 'Tis safe my
Love.
Ara. Indeed I'me very glad you've found it, but yet----

[sighs.
Bon. Yet, What my Dear? from whence proceeds that sigh?
Ara. Alas, I know not! Some busie Genius Whispers to my Soul, The
loss of this upon my Wedding Day Portend's a greater e're the Day be
past.
Bon. Banish such Fears, let's in and see our Friends.
Ara. Indeed they all expect you; come I'll lead the way.
Bon. I'll go with you. Barn-Elms you say?
[Aside to Friendly.
Fri. Yes that's the place, at Seven precisely;
Bon. I'll meet you on the Exchange, and go together; If you are there
before me, Take a turn or two.
[Exit Bonvile, and Arabella.
Fri. Oh my Dear Bonvile! Art thou then the Man? The only, only Man
that I can call Friend, And only Friend that I am bound to Kill? A
Friend, that for my sake wou'd stake his Life, Leave a Chast Bride and
untouch'd Nuptial Bed For me base Man, nay worse than Savage Beast:
The generous Lyon, never kills his kind They say, althô provoked to
utmost rage; Yet I vile Monster, more ungrateful Man, Thus
unprovoked, must kill my Brother Creature, And which is worse, my
Dear and only Friend! All for the pleasure of a Foolish Woman.
O cruel Woman thus to Command A Task so hard, Yet what I can't
withstand! Oh! thou rare Copy of the Original, By which free Man at
first received his fall; For she not only wou'd her self undo, And all her
Sex, but Damn all Mankind too.
[Exit.

The End of the First Act.

ACT the Second.
SCENE the First.
The Fields.
Enter Summerfield solus.
Sum. A Younger Brother! 'Tis a poor Title, and very hard to bear with:
The Elder Fool inherits all the Land, whilst we are forc'd to follow
Legacies of Wit, and get 'um when we can. Why shou'd the Law, by
which we are deprived of equal Portion with the First-begotten, not
bind our Fathers to cease from Procreation, and so as well deprive us
of a wretched Being, as of the Thing we cannot be without: No, no, our
Mothers ne're will consent to that, they love to groan and squall, tho at
the same time the Gallows eccho's to their Groans, and both together
labour for us. From the first we travel forth--to'thers our Journey's End.
All this I know, yet I must forward: To beg, my Birth will ne're consent
to; and borrowing is quite out of date--Yet starve I cannot, nor murder I
wou'd not: It must be the Highway then, the old Trade we poor honest
Rogues are forc'd too--This Place will serve for a Beginner well
enough--A Beginner did I say? Yes; for this is the very first day I open
Shop--Fortune, they say, uses to help the Bold, I hope she will be kind
to me. Ha! who have we here? A Gentlewoman well rigg'd, and only a
Servant with her, She may be a Prize worth the boarding, and faith I'll
venture hard but I'll carry her.
[He retires to a corner of the Stage.
Enter Arabella in great disorder, looking about her, with Symon her
Servant.
Arab. This way, say'st thou Symon, with Friendly?
Sym. Yes forsooth Mistress, with Mr. Friendly.

Arab. Alas! I'm tired and cannot travel further; my Heart is full of Fear,
and yet I know not why, nor can I tell why he should use me thus,--It is
not common sure for Men to leave their Brides upon the Wedding-day:
And yet I cannot tell but it may be so! O wretched State of Marriage,
and of Love, if this be Love! Here will I lie me down, and rest a while
[Lies down.] my wearied Limbs, unused to these sad Frights and
Fears--But prethee do thou run after him, and if it be possible o'retake
him too: Tell him the strange Disorder thou dost leave me in; and let
him know my Father's Anger, his Friends Concern, and what is more,