FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   >>   >|  
? how, my lord? what, affront my wit! Let me perish, do I never say anything worthy to be laughed at? LORD FROTH. Oh, foy, don't misapprehend me; I don't say so, for I often smile at your conceptions. But there is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh; 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion; everybody can laugh. Then especially to laugh at the jest of an inferior person, or when anybody else of the same quality does not laugh with one--ridiculous! To be pleased with what pleases the crowd! Now when I laugh, I always laugh alone. BRISK. I suppose that's because you laugh at your own jests, i'gad, ha, ha, ha. LORD FROTH. He, he, I swear though, your raillery provokes me to a smile. BRISK. Ay, my lord, it's a sign I hit you in the teeth, if you show 'em. LORD FROTH. He, he, he, I swear that's so very pretty, I can't forbear. CARE. I find a quibble bears more sway in your lordship's face than a jest. LORD TOUCH. Sir Paul, if you please we'll retire to the ladies, and drink a dish of tea to settle our heads. SIR PAUL. With all my heart. Mr. Brisk, you'll come to us, or call me when you joke; I'll be ready to laugh incontinently. SCENE V. MELLEFONT, CARELESS, LORD FROTH, BRISK. MEL. But does your lordship never see comedies? LORD FROTH. Oh yes, sometimes; but I never laugh. MEL. No? LORD FROTH. Oh no; never laugh indeed, sir. CARE. No! why, what d'ye go there for? LORD FROTH. To distinguish myself from the commonalty and mortify the poets; the fellows grow so conceited, when any of their foolish wit prevails upon the side-boxes. I swear,--he, he, he, I have often constrained my inclinations to laugh,--he, he, he, to avoid giving them encouragement. MEL. You are cruel to yourself, my lord, as well as malicious to them. LORD FROTH. I confess I did myself some violence at first, but now I think I have conquered it. BRISK. Let me perish, my lord, but there is something very particular in the humour; 'tis true it makes against wit, and I'm sorry for some friends of mine that write; but, i'gad, I love to be malicious. Nay, deuce take me, there's wit in't, too. And wit must be foiled by wit; cut a diamond with a diamond, no other way, i'gad. LORD FROTH. Oh, I thought you would not be long before you found out the wit. CARE. Wit! In what? Where the devil's the wit in not laughing when a man has a mind to't? BRISK. O Lord, why
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

diamond

 

lordship

 

quality

 

malicious

 

perish

 
giving
 

encouragement

 

fellows

 

commonalty

 
mortify

distinguish

 
confess
 

constrained

 

inclinations

 

prevails

 

conceited

 

foolish

 

thought

 

foiled

 

laughing


humour

 

conquered

 

violence

 

friends

 

pleases

 

pleased

 

ridiculous

 

suppose

 

provokes

 

raillery


person

 
laughed
 

misapprehend

 

conceptions

 

worthy

 
affront
 

unbecoming

 

inferior

 

passion

 

vulgar


expression

 

CARELESS

 

comedies

 

MELLEFONT

 

incontinently

 

quibble

 
pretty
 

forbear

 

settle

 

ladies