The Country Wife

woman that marries to love better, will be as much mistaken as the wencher that marries to live better. No, madam, marrying to increase love is like gaming to become rich; alas! you only lose what little stock you had before.

Liberty is a great pleasure, madam.

Hey day, a very pretty reason!
Alithea You do not understand me.
Lucy I wish you may yourself.

Still the better for you; for fools are most easily cheated when they themselves are accessories: and he is to be bubbled of his mistress as of his money, the common mistress, by keeping him company.
Sparkish Who is that that is to be bubbled? Faith, let me snack; I han’t met with a bubble since Christmas. ’Gad,

Perhaps you may prove as weak a brother among ’em that way as t’other.
Dorilant Foh! drinking with women is as unnatural as scolding with ’em. But ’tis a pleasure of decayed fornicators, and the basest way of quenching love.
Harcourt Nay, ’tis drowning love, instead of quenching it. But

Yes, a man drinks often with a fool, as he tosses with a marker, only to keep his hand in use. But do the ladies drink?

shall be there, a fine person?
Harcourt I could gaze upon her till I became as blind as you are.
Sparkish How as I am? how?
Harcourt Because you are a lover, and true lovers are blind, stock blind.
Sparkish True, true; but by the world she has wit too, as well as beauty: go, go with her into a corner, and tr

Love proceeds from esteem; he cannot distrust my virtue: besides, he loves me, or he would not marry me.
Harcourt Marrying you is no more sign of his love than bribing your woman, that he may marry you, is a sign of his generosity. Marriage is rather a sign of interest than love; and he that marries a fortun

virtue: besides, he loves me, or he would not marry me.
Harcourt Marrying you is no more sign of his love than bribing your woman, that he may marry you, is a sign of his generosity. Marriage is rather a sign of interest than love; and he that marries a fortune covets a mistress, not loves her. But if you take marriage for a sign of love, take it from me immediately.
Alithea No, now you have put a scruple in my head; but in short, sir, to end our dispute, I must marry him, my reputation would suffer in the world else.
Harcourt No; if you do marry him, with

You may see by marriage, nothing makes a man hate a woman more than her constant conversation. In short, I converse with ’em, as you do with rich fools, to laugh at ’em and use ’em ill