Damon and Phillida :: :: University of Virginia Library

Damon and Phillida

A Pastoral Farce

Cibber, Colley (1671-1757)

Damon and Phillida;

[castlist]

ACT I.

ACT II.

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ACT II.

DAMON
Solus.

AIR I.

Around the Plains my Heart has rov'd;
The Brown, the Fair, my Flames approv'd;
The Pert, the Proud, by turns have lov'd;
And kindly fill'd my Arms.
I danc'd, I sang, I talk'd, I toy'd;
While this I woo'd, I that enjoy'd,
And ere the Kind, with Kindness cloy'd,
The Coy resign'd her Charms.

But now, alas! those Days are done;
The Wrong'd are all reveng'd by one,
Who, like a frighted Bird is flown,
Yet leaves her Image here.
O! could I yet her Heart recal,
Before her Feet my Pride would fall,
And, for his sake, forsaking all,
Would fix forever there.

Could I have ever thought to have seen this Day?
That I should fold my Arms, and sigh for one,
Nay, one that in her turn has sigh'd for me,
And only could subdue me by her Parting!
How could the Gypsy muster such a Spirit?
The Pertness of her Pride has so provok'd me,

I shall never rest in my Bed, 'till she
Lies by me—Here she comes, and with her—ha!
Her Father! soft—I am out of Favour there.
Lie close awhile, and mark what Nail's a driving.

[Retires.
Enter Corydon, with Phillida.
Cor.
And I say, think no more of him—

Phil.
—That's hard.
Is't not enough to see him not?

Cor.
—I say,
Avoid him, as the wildest Beast of Prey.
He uses Girls like Carrion? Not the Wolf
In a Sheepfold, or hungry Fox on Poultry,
Can make more havock than that wicked Rogue
Among the Wenches Hearts—

Dam.
—That must be me.
[Behind.
But what says Phillida?

Phil.
—Suppose this true;
Yet could he still be wrought to marry me?

Cor.
My Patience! has he not refus'd to marry?

Phil.
And therefore I have declar'd against his Love.

Cor.
Ay, ay, but still he lurks within your Heart.
And till you drive him thence—

Phil.
—I strive to do it;
And if you knew the Pain, you'd pity me.

AIR II.

A thousand Ways to wean my Heart,
I've try'd, yet can't remove him;
And though for Life I've sworn to part,
For Life I find I love him.

Still, should the dear false Man return,
And with new Vows pursue me,
His flatt'ring Tongue would kill my Scorn,
And still, I fear, undo me.

Cor.
Consider Philly, if thou'rt fairly married,
(And thou hast choice of Cimon, or of Mopsus,)
How happy will thy double Dowry make thee?

Phil.
I do consider, Father; so should you,
As a low Fortune with a Man I love,
Can't make me rich; Riches with a Man
I hate, can't make me happy—

Dam.
—Gallant Girl!
O! I could eat thy very Lips, that spoke it.

[Behind.
Cor.
See, yonder's Cimon coming! For my Sake,
Dear Phillida, give him at least a Smile;
A little Love endur'd, may teach the Boy,
In time to please thee—

Phil.
—Well, since you desire it.
But Mopsus has the same Pretensions too;
Send him to make his equal Claim,
And 'till he's found, I'll hear what Cimon says.

Cor.
Ah! Phillida, thou gain'st my Heart, I'll send him.

[Exit.
Dam.
Now shall I measure, by their Hopes, my own.

To her Cimon singing.

AIR III.

Cim.
Behold and see thy wounded Lover,
Whose Truth from thee will ne'er depart!

O let my Tears, at length, discover
One gentle Smile, to heal my Heart.

Phil.
Were in the World, no Man but Cimon,
None of the Female Kind but I,
With me should end the Name of Woman,
With thee the Race of Man should die.

Cim.
O cruel Sound! false-hearted Phillida!
Didst thou not say, thou loved'st me better than
My Brother Mopsus?—

Phil.
—Yes, but 'twas,
As of two Evils, I would chuse the least;
Stay, till I'm bound to chuse, and then reproach me.
Thy crying makes me laugh, his laughing makes
Me sleep.—There's all the hopeful difference.

Cim.

AIR IV.

O what a Plague is Love,
I cannot bear it:
What Life so curst can prove,
Or Pain come near it.
When I would tell my Mind,
My Heart misdoubts me;
Or when I speak, I find
With Scorn she routs me.
In vain is all I say,
Her Answer still is nay:
O dismal, doleful Day!
Phillida flouts me.

Enter Mopsus singing.

AIR V.

Mop.
Ah! poor Cimon! Dud a cry?
Well-a-day! wipe an Eye! O fy, Phillida?
To treat him so scornfully,
Shamefully, mournfully!
Phillida fy!

Phil.
No, no, no, Sir Pert, and Dull!
Simpleton, Paperskull! I for ever shall
Think thee far the greater Fool;
Therefore will give thee cause
With him to cry.

Cim.
Toll! loll! loll! doll!—Now I pray,
Who has cause most to cry, ah! well-a-day!

Mop.
What care I! why let her scoff,
I can laugh, play her off, better than you.

Cim.
Ah! poor Mopsus, thou'rt a Fool!

Mop.
I say, you're a greater Owl.

Cim.
Nay, now I'm sure that's a Lye.

Mop.
What's a Lye?—

Cim.
—That's a Lye!

Mop.
I say, 'tis true.

AIR VI.

[The AIR changes.]
Phil.
Give over your Love, you great Loobies,
I hate you both, you Sir, and you too;
Did ever a Brace of such Boobies
The Lass that detests them pursue?

Mop.
How!—

Phil.
—Go!—

Cim.
—Oh! I am ready to faint;
How are you?

[To Mopsus.

Mop.
Why truly she treats us but so so.
For my part, I think she's a Devil:
A Woman would scorn for to do so.

Cim.
O Fy! fy! such Words are uncivil.

Phil.
Prepare then to hear my last Sentence:
Before I'd wed either, much rather
I'd stand on the Stool of Repentance,
And want for my Bantling a Father.
Go!

Cim.
—Oh! Woe! I'm ready to faint;

Mop.

And I too.

Was ever a Slut so inhuman?
Odzooks! let us take down her Mettle.

Cim.
I dare not—

Mop.

—Let me come; Pshaw waw, Man,
She only has water'd a Nettle.

In short, this won't do, Mrs. Vixen;
For one of us two you must now chuse.

Phil.
Then you are the Man that I fix on,
And you—are the Fool I refuse.

[Strikes each a Box on the Ear.
Cim.
Waunds!

Cim. & Mop.
Go! The Devil would fly such a Spouse.

Phil.
If there's a Joy comes near recovering those
We love, sure 'tis to silence those we hate.

When Cimon and Mopsus are gone, Damon presents himself to Phillida, singing.

AIR VII.

Dam.
—See! behold, and see,
With an Eye kind and relenting,
Damon now repenting,
Only true to thee;
Content to love, and love for Life.

Phil.
—If you, now sincere,
With an honest Declaration,
Mean to prove your Passion,
To the Purpose swear,
And make at once a Maid a Wife.

Dam.
—Thus, for Life, I take thee,
Never to forsake thee:
Soon or late
I find our Fate,
To Hearts astray
Directs the Way,
And brings to lasting Joys the Rover home.

Phil.
—Ever kind and tender,
Conquer'd, I surrender:
Prove but true,
As I to you,
Each kindling Kiss
Shall yield a Bliss,
That only from the constant Lip can come.

AIR VIII.

Dam.
To the Priest away, to bind our Vows,
With our Hands and Hearts united.

Phil.
To reduce the Rover to lawful Spouse,
Is a Triumph, my Heart has delighted.

Dam.
If I never could fix,
'Twas the Fault of the Sex,
Who easily yielding, were easy to cloy.

Both.
But in Love we still find,
When the Heart's well inclin'd,
In One, only One, is the Joy.
But in Love, &c.

FINIS.