Marwood Character Analysis

But for the discovery of this amour, I am indebted to your friend, or your wife’s friend, Mrs. Marwood.

…if we will be happy, we must find the means in ourselves, and among ourselves.

Men are ever in extremes; either doting or averse. While they are lovers, if they have fire and sense, their jealousies are insupportable: and when they cease to love…they loathe, they look upon us with horror and distaste, they meet us like the ghosts of what we were, and as from such, fly from us.

Love will resume his empire in our breasts, and every heart, or soon or late, receive and readmit him as its lawful tyrant.

’Twas for my ease to oversee and wilfully neglect the gross advances made him by my wife, that by permitting her to be engaged, I might continue unsuspected in my pleasures, and take you oftener to my arms in full security. But could you think, because the nodding husband would not wake, that e’er the watchful lover slept?

And have you the baseness to charge me with the guilt, unmindful of the merit? To you it should be meritorious that I have been vicious. And do you reflect that guilt upon me which should lie buried in your bosom?

I, it seems, am a husband, a rank husband, and my wife a very errant, rank wife,—all in the way of the world.

You married her to keep you; and if you can contrive to have her keep you better than you expected, why should you not keep her longer than you intended?

Let husbands be jealous, but let the lover still believe: or if he doubt, let it be only to endear his pleasure, and prepare the joy that follows, when he proves his mistress true. But let husbands’ doubts convert to endless jealousy; or if they have belief, let it corrupt to superstition and blind credulity.

But for the discovery of this amour, I am indebted to your friend, or your wife’s friend, Mrs. Marwood.

…if we will be happy, we must find the means in ourselves, and among ourselves.

Men are ever in extremes; either doting or averse. While they are lovers, if they have fire and sense, their jealousies are insupportable: and when they cease to love…they loathe, they look upon us with horror and distaste, they meet us like the ghosts of what we were, and as from such, fly from us.

Love will resume his empire in our breasts, and every heart, or soon or late, receive and readmit him as its lawful tyrant.

’Twas for my ease to oversee and wilfully neglect the gross advances made him by my wife, that by permitting her to be engaged, I might continue unsuspected in my pleasures, and take you oftener to my arms in full security. But could you think, because the nodding husband would not wake, that e’er the watchful lover slept?

And have you the baseness to charge me with the guilt, unmindful of the merit? To you it should be meritorious that I have been vicious. And do you reflect that guilt upon me which should lie buried in your bosom?

I, it seems, am a husband, a rank husband, and my wife a very errant, rank wife,—all in the way of the world.

You married her to keep you; and if you can contrive to have her keep you better than you expected, why should you not keep her longer than you intended?

Let husbands be jealous, but let the lover still believe: or if he doubt, let it be only to endear his pleasure, and prepare the joy that follows, when he proves his mistress true. But let husbands’ doubts convert to endless jealousy; or if they have belief, let it corrupt to superstition and blind credulity.