The Works of Aphra Behn Volume Iii Part 1

The Works of Aphra Behn.

Vol. III.

by Aphra Behn.

THE TOWN-FOP; OR, SIR TIMOTHY TAWDREY.

ARGUMENT.

Sir Timothy Tawdrey is by the wishes of his mother and the lady's father designed for Celinda, who loves Bellmour, nephew to Lord Plotwell. A c.o.xcomb of the first water, Sir Timothy receives a sharp rebuff when he opens his suit, and accordingly he challenges Bellmour, but fails to appear at the place of meeting. Celinda's old nurse, at night, admits Bellmour to her mistress' chamber, where they are surprized by Friendlove, her brother, who is, however, favourable to the union, the more so as he is a friend of Bellmour, and they have but newly returned from travelling together in Italy. Lord Plotwell warmly welcomes his nephew home, and proceeds to unfold his design of giving him his niece Diana in marriage. When he demurs, the old lord threatens to deprive him of his estate, and he is compelled eventually to acquiesce in the matrimonial schemes of his guardian. Bellmour sends word to Celinda, who replies in a heart-broken letter; and at the wedding feast Friendlove, who himself is deeply enamoured of Diana, appears in disguise to observe the traitor. He is followed by his sister disguised as a boy, and upon Friendlove's drawing on Bellmour a scuffle ensues which, however, ends without harm. In the nuptial chamber Bellmour informs Diana that he cannot love her and she quits him maddened with rage and disappointment.

Sir Timothy serenades the newly-mated pair and is threatened by Bellmour, whilst Celinda, who has been watching the house, attacks the fop and his fiddlers. During the brawl Diana issuing forth meets Celinda, and taking her for a boy leads her into the house and shortly makes advances of love. They are interrupted by Friendlove, disguised, and he receives Diana's commands to seek out and challenge Bellmour. At the same time he reveals his love as though he told the tale of another, but he is met with scorn and only bidden to fight the husband who has repulsed her. Bellmour, meantime, in despair and rage at his misery plunges into reckless debauchery, and in company with Sir Timothy visits a bagnio, where they meet Betty Flaunt.i.t, the knight's kept mistress, and other cyprians. Hither they are tracked by Charles, Bellmour's younger brother, and Trusty, Lord Plotwell's old steward. Sharp words pa.s.s, the brothers fight and Charles is slighted wounded. Their Uncle hears of this with much indignation, and at the same time receiving a letter from Diana begging for a divorce, he announces his intention to further her purpose, and to abandon wholly Charles and Phillis, his sister, in consequence of their elder brother's conduct. Sir Timothy, induced by old Trusty, begins a warm courtship of Phillis, and arranges with a parasite named Sham to deceive her by a mock marriage. Sham, however, procures a real parson, and Sir Timothy is for the moment afraid he has got a wife without a dowry or portion. Lord Plotwell eventually promises to provide for her, and at Diana's request, now she recognizes her mistake in trying to hold a man who does not love her, Bellmour is forgiven and allowed to wed Celinda as soon as the divorce has been p.r.o.nounced, whilst Diana herself rewards Friendlove with her hand.

SOURCE.

_The Town-Fop; or, Sir Timothy Tawdrey_ is materially founded upon George Wilkins' popular play, _The Miseries of Enforced Marriage_ (4to, 1607, 1611, 1629, 1637), reprinted in Dodsley. Sir Timothy himself is moulded to some extent upon Sir Francis Ilford, but, as Geneste aptly remarks, he may be considered a new character. In the older drama, Clare, the original of Celinda, dies tragically of a broken heart. It cannot be denied that Mrs. Behn has greatly improved Wilkins' scenes.

The well-drawn character of Betty Flaunt.i.t is her own, and the realistically vivacious bagnio episodes of Act iv replace a not very interesting or lively tavern with a considerable accession to wit and humour, although perhaps not to strict propriety.

THEATRICAL HISTORY.

_The Town-Fop; or, Sir Timothy Tawdrey_ was produced at the Duke's Theatre, Dorset Garden, in September, 1676. There is no record of its performance, and the actors' names are not given. It was a year of considerable changes in the company, and any attempt to supply these would be the merest surmise.

THE TOWN-FOP; or, Sir _Timothy Tawdrey_.

PROLOGUE.

_As Country Squire, who yet had never known The long-expected Joy of being in Town; Whose careful Parents scarce permitted Heir To ride from home, unless to neighbouring Fair; At last by happy Chance is. .h.i.ther led, To purchase Clap with loss of Maidenhead; Turns wondrous gay, bedizen'd to Excess; Till he is all Burlesque in Mode and Dress: Learns to talk loud in Pit, grows wily too, That is to say, makes mighty Noise and Show.

So a young Poet, who had never been Dabling beyond the Height of Ballading; Who, in his brisk Essays, durst ne'er excel The lucky Flight of rhyming Doggerel, Sets up with this sufficient Stock on Stage, And has, perchance, the luck to please the Age.

He draws you in, like cozening Citizen; Cares not how bad the Ware, so Shop be fine.

As tawdry Gown and Petticoat gain more (Tho on a dull diseas'd ill-favour'd Wh.o.r.e) Than prettier Frugal, tho on Holy-day, When every City-Spark has leave to play_, --d.a.m.n her, she must be sound, she is so gay; _So let the Scenes be fine, you'll ne'er enquire For Sense, but lofty Flights in nimble Wire.

--What we present to Day is none of these, But we cou'd wish it were, for we wou'd please, And that you'll swear we hardly meant to do: Yet here's no Sense; Pox on't, but here's no Show; But a plain Story, that will give a Taste Of what your Grandsires lov'd i'th' Age that's past_.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

MEN.

Lord _Plotwell_.

_Bellmour_, Nephew to the Lord _Plotwell_, contracted to _Celinda_.

_Charles_, Brother to _Bellmour_.

_Friendlove_, Brother to _Celinda_, in love with _Diana_.

Sir _Timothy Tawdrey_, a Fop-Knight, design'd to marry _Celinda_.

_Sham_, Hangers on to Sir _Timothy_.

_Sharp_, _Trusty_, An old Steward to _Bellmour's_ Family.

Page to _Bellmour_.

Page to Lord _Plotwell_.

Sir _Timothy's_ Page.

Guests, Dancers, Fiddlers, and Servants.

WOMEN.

The Lady _Diana_, Niece to the Lord _Plotwell_.

_Celinda_, Sister to _Friendlove_, contracted to _Bellmour_.

_Phillis_, Sister to _Bellmour_.

_Betty Flaunt.i.t_, kept by Sir _Timothy_.

_Driver_, A Bawd.

_Jenny_, Two Wh.o.r.es _Doll_, _Nurse_, Ladies and Guests.

SCENE, _Covent-Garden_.

ACT I.

SCENE I. _The Street_.

_Enter Sir_ Timothy Tawdrey, Sham, _and_ Sharp.

Sir _Tim_. Hereabouts is the House wherein dwells the Mistress of my Heart; for she has Money, Boys, mind me, Money in abundance, or she were not for me--The Wench her self is good-natur'd, and inclin'd to be civil: but a Pox on't--she has a Brother, a conceited Fellow, whom the World mistakes for a fine Gentleman; for he has travell'd, talks Languages, bows with a _bonne mine_, and the rest; but, by Fortune, he shall entertain you with nothing but Words--

_Sham_. Nothing else!--

Sir _Tim_. No--He's no Country-Squire, Gentlemen, will not game, wh.o.r.e; nay, in my Conscience, you will hardly get your selves drunk in his Company--He treats A-la-mode, half Wine, half Water, and the rest--But to the Business, this Fellow loves his Sister dearly, and will not trust her in this leud Town, as he calls it, without him; and hither he has brought her to marry me.

_Sham_. A Pox upon him for his Pains--

Sir _Tim_. So say I--But my Comfort is, I shall be as weary of her, as the best Husband of 'em all. But there's Conveniency in it; besides, the Match being as good as made up by the old Folks in the Country, I must submit--The Wench I never saw yet, but they say she's handsom--But no matter for that, there's Money, my Boys.

_Sharp_. Well, Sir, we will follow you--but as dolefully as People do their Friends to the Grave, from whence they're never to return, at least not the same Substance; the thin airy Vision of a brave good Fellow, we may see thee hereafter, but that's the most.

Sir _Tim_. Your Pardon, sweet _Sharp_, my whole Design in it is to be Master of my self, and with part of her Portion to set up my Miss, _Betty Flaunt.i.t_; which, by the way, is the main end of my marrying; the rest you'll have your shares of--Now I am forc'd to take you up Suits at treble Prizes, have d.a.m.n'd Wine and Meat put upon us, 'cause the Reckoning is to be book'd: But ready Money, ye Rogues! What Charms it has! makes the Waiters fly, Boys, and the Master with Cap in Hand--excuse what's amiss, Gentlemen--Your Worship shall command the best--and the rest--How briskly the Box and Dice dance, and the ready Money submits to the lucky Gamester, and the gay Wench consults with every Beauty to make her self agreeable to the Man with ready Money! In fine, dear Rogues, all things are sacrific'd to its Power; and no Mortal conceives the Joy of Argent Content. 'Tis this powerful G.o.d that makes me submit to the Devil, Matrimony; and then thou art a.s.sur'd of me, my stout Lads of brisk Debauch.

_Sham_. And is it possible you can be ty'd up to a Wife? Whilst here in _London_, and free, you have the whole World to range in, and like a wanton Heifer, eat of every Pasture.