Love for Love

Love for Love Summary | Act 1 Summary

As the first act opens, a young man named Valentine is lazily conversing with a servant, Jeremy, about the nature of Valentine's woeful financial situation. Valentine is the privileged son of a wealthy man, but has squandered all his money on women and entertainment. At present, Valentine is in self-imposed seclusion so as to avoid all the debt collectors to whom he owes large sums of money.

Valentine has taken to reading books, a habit which Jeremy notes will bring in no money, so can have no worthwhile purpose. Valentine, however, considers the possibility of earning an income by writing poetry. The two men are joined by Valentine's best friend, Scandal, who agrees with Jeremy that Valentine does not have much future in writing for income.

Jeremy is repeatedly called away from the conversation to answer knocks at the door. Each time Jeremy returns to re-join Valentine and Scandal, another knock comes, signaling another creditor demanding money. Valentine is unfazed by the activities, even though the possibility of going to debtor's prison is an imminent possibility.

One of the people at the door is a woman who is a nurse to one of Valentine's illegitimate children. Valentine wishes that the child had been smothered at birth, but Scandal gives the woman a little bit of money for the child's care. Another creditor named Trapland is adamant about being paid, and Valentine engages the man in several rounds of drink so as to distract him from the original purpose of the visit. Scandal thwarts any more of Trapland's attempts to collect by telling the man that Valentine's hospitality has been insulted.

Finally, Trapland leaves. Valentine shares with Scandal that Valentine's father has offered him four thousand pounds if Valentine will only sign over his inheritance to Benjamin, Valentine's brother, who is at sea. Valentine's father extended the offer once before, but Valentine declined. Valentine's current financial situation is dire, however, and he may have to accept the offer this time.

Another friend of Valentine's named Tattle arrives, and both Valentine and Scandal poke fun at Tattle's inexperience with women. The two friends even accuse Tattle of having had intimate relations with Mrs. Frail, another friend, who is expected to arrive at any moment. The joke is on Valentine and Scandal, however, as Tattle admits that the encounters with Mrs. Frail are indeed true and manages to escape before the woman arrives.

Mrs. Frail has come with news that Valentine's brother, Benjamin, has returned from sea, and that Miss Prue, Mrs. Frail's niece, will be arriving in the city very soon because the young lady is engaged to Benjamin. It is clear that Valentine and Scandal enjoy teasing Mrs. Frail, and engage her in bawdy conversation until, finally, Scandal agrees to accompany the woman on a shopping excursion. Valentine is aware that Scandal may come in contact with Angelica, the woman whom Valentine loves, and asks Scandal to tell Angelica that he has plans of relinquishing his inheritance in order to win her.