The Gamester

By Susanna Centlivre

"The Gamester" by Susanna Centlivre. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Good Press
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 4064066367763

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Susanna Centlivre

The Gamester

Published by Good Press, 2022

[e-mail]

EAN 4064066367763

Table of Contents

WORKS

Mrs. CENTLIVRE.

LONDON

Dramatis Personæ.

ACT I.

ACT II.

ACT III.

ACT IV.

ACT V.

THE EPILOGUE.

WORKS

Table of Contents

OF THE CELEBRATED

Mrs. CENTLIVRE.

Table of Contents

In THREE VOLUMES

VOLUME THE FIRST

LONDON:

Table of Contents

Printed for J. Knapton, C. Hitch and L. Hawes, J. and R. Tonson, S. Crowder and Co. W. Bathoe, T. Lownds, T. Caslon, and G. Kearsly.

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M.DCC.LXI.

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Dramatis Personæ.

Table of Contents

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THE GAMESTER.

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THE

PROLOGUE.

Written by N. ROWE, Esq.

Spoken by Mr. BETTERTON.

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ACT I.

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The Curtain draws up, and discovers Hector in an Elbow-Chair,

just waking, yawning.

Hector. Bless me! 'Tis broad Day-light; Who the Devil would serve a Gamester! 'Tis a cursed Life, this that I lead. O, my dear Bed, how seldom do I visit thee! When shall I be lapt in the Fold of thy Embraces, and snore forth my Thanks? I, that could enjoy thee Four and Twenty Hours together, am grown a perfect Stranger to thy Charms. O! My precious Master! Now, Ten to one, will he come Home with an empty Pocket; and then will he be confoundedly out of Humour; Then shan't I dare ask him for any Dinner. Thus am I robb'd of the two chiefest Pleasures of my Life, Eating and Sleeping.

Enter Mrs. Favourite.

Fav. Good-morrow, Monsieur Hector: Where is your sweet Master?

Hect. Asleep.

Fav. I must see him.

Hect. My Master sees no body when he's asleep.

Fav. I must speak with him.

Hect. Indeed, sweet Mrs. Favourite, but you cannot.

Fav. P'shaw, I tell you I must, and will speak with him.

Hect. With who Child?

Fav. With who? Why with Valere.

Hect. Heark'e, would you speak with my Master in propria Persona, or with his Picture?

Fav. Leave Fooling, for I come not upon so merry a Message as you imagine.

Hect. Why then, to be serious, my Master is not come in; He's a Man of Business, Child, and neglects his Ease to follow that.

Fav. Yes, yes, I guess the Business; he is at shaking his Elbows over a Table, saying his Prayers backwards, courting the Dice like a Mistress, and cursing them when he is disappointed. Between you and I, Angelica knows his Extravagance; and finding he breaks all the Oaths he made against Play, resolves to see him no more.

Hect. If he has lost his Money, this News will break his Heart.

Fav. Tell him, that I say he has deceiv'd more Women than he has played Games at Hazard; and——

Hect. You say—Ay, I find Dorante, my Master's Uncle, has given you a retaining Fee: What should she do with that old Fellow?

Fav. Oh! He's a Lover ripe with Discretion.

Hect. Ay, but Women generally love green Fruit best: besides, my Master's handsome.

Fav. He handsome! Behold his Picture just as he'll appear this Morning, with Arms across, down-cast Eyes, no Powder in his Perriwig, a Steenkirk tuck'd in to hide the Dirt, Sword-knot untied, no Gloves, and Hands and Face as dirty as a Tinker. This is the very Figure of your beautiful Master.

Hect. The Jade has hit it.

Fav. And Pocket as empty as a Capuchin's.

Hect. Hold, hold, this is Spite, mere