Love for Love: Scene X.
Scene X.
[To them] SCANDAL.
SCANDAL
Sir Sampson, sad news.
FORESIGHT
Bless us!
SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Why, what's the matter?
SCANDAL
Can't you guess at what ought to afflict you and him, and all
of us, more than anything else?
SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Body o' me, I don't know any universal grievance, but a
new tax, or the loss of the Canary fleet. Unless popery should be
landed in the West, or the French fleet were at anchor at Blackwall.
SCANDAL
No. Undoubtedly, Mr Foresight knew all this, and might have
prevented it.
FORESIGHT
'Tis no earthquake!
SCANDAL
No, not yet; nor whirlwind. But we don't know what it may
come to. But it has had a consequence already that touches us all.
SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Why, body o' me, out with't.
SCANDAL
Something has appeared to your son Valentine. He's gone to
bed upon't, and very ill. He speaks little, yet he says he has a
world to say. Asks for his father and the wise Foresight; talks of
Raymond Lully, and the ghost of Lilly. He has secrets to impart, I
suppose, to you two. I can get nothing out of him but sighs. He
desires he may see you in the morning, but would not be disturbed
to-night, because he has some business to do in a dream.
SIR SAMPSON LEGEND
Hoity toity, what have I to do with his dreams or his
divination? Body o' me, this is a trick to defer signing the
conveyance. I warrant the devil will tell him in a dream that he
must not part with his estate. But I'll bring him a parson to tell
him that the devil's a liar: --or if that won't do, I'll bring a
lawyer that shall out-lie the devil. And so I'll try whether my
blackguard or his shall get the better of the day.