Crab. No, let 'em ftick. He wants 'em. And now concludes my care. But before we close the scene, receive, young man, this laft advice from the old friend of your father: As it is your happiness to be born a Briton, let it be your boaft; know that the bleffings of li berty are your birth-right, which while you preferve, other nations may envy or fear, but can never conquer or contemn you. Believe, that French fafhions are as ill fuited to the genius, as their politics are pernicious to the peace of your native land.

A convert to thefe facred truths, you'll find
That poifon for your punishment defign'd
Will
prove a wholesome medicine to your

mind.

EPILOGU E.

Spoken by Mrs BELLAMY.

AMONG the arts to make a piece go down,
And fix the fickle favour of the town,

An Epilogue is deem'd the fureft way
To atone for all the errors of the play.
Thus, when pathetic ftrains have made you cry,
In trips the comic mufe, and wipes your eye.
With equal reafon, when he has made
you laugh,
Melpomone fhould fend you fniveling off;
But here our bard, unequal to the task,
Rejects the dagger, and retains the mafque:
Fain would be fend you cheerful home to-night,
And harmless mirth ly honeft means excite;
Scorning, with luscious phrafe or double fenfe,
To raife a laughter at the fair's expence.
What method ball we choose your tafte to bit;
Will no one lend our bad a little wit?

Thank ye, kind fouls, I'll take it from the pit.
The piece concluded, and the curtain down,
Up ftarts that fatal phalanx call'd The Town;
In fuli affembly weighs our author's fate;
And Surly thus commences the debate:

}

"Pray, among friends, does not this poisoning feene
The facred rights of tragedy prophane?
If farce may mimic thus ber awful bowl;
Ob fie, all wrong, fark naught, upon my foul!”

Then

Then Buck cries," Billy, can it be in nature?
Not the leaft likeness in a fingle feature.”

My Lord, Lord love him, "'Tis a precious piece;
Let's come on Friday night and have a bifs:"
To this a perruquier affents with joy,
Parcequ'il affronte les François, oui, ma foi.
In fuch diftrefs what can the poet do?
Where feek for felter when thefe foes purfues?
He dares demand protection, Sirs, from you.-

}

THEL

M 3

Spoken by Mrs CLIVE.

A when fome ancient, hofpitable feat,

Where plenty oft has giv'n the jovial treat,

Where in full borols each welcome gueft has drown'd

Il forrowing thought, while mirth and joy went round;

UNIVERSITEITSS BLOTHEEK

GENT

Is by fome worthless wanton heir destroy'd,
Its once full rooms grown a deferted void:
With fighs, each neighbour views the mournful place;
With fighs, each recollects what once it was.

So does our wretched theatre appear;
For mirth and joy once kept their revels here.
Here the beau-monde in crowds repair'd each day,
And went well pleas'd and entertain'd away.
While Oldfield bere bath charm'd the lift'ning age,
And Wilks adorn'd, and Booth bath fill'd the ftage;
Soft eunuchs warbled in fuccessful frain,
And tumblers foow'd their little tricks in vain:
Thofe boxes fill the brighter circles were,
Triumphant toafts receiv'd their homage there.
alas! bow alter'd is our cafe!

But now,

I view with tears this poor deferted place;
None to our boxes now in pity fray,

But poets free o' th' boufe and beaux who never pay.
No longer now we See our crowded door

Send the late comer back again at four.

At feven now into our empty pit

Drops from his counter fome old prudent cit,
Contented with twelve pennyworth of wit.

-Our author, of a gen'rous foul poffefs'd,
Hath kindly aim'd to fuccour the diftrefs'd:
To-night what he fall offer in our caufe
Already hath been bleft with your applaufe;
Yet this his mufe, maturer, bath revis'd,

And added more to that which once fo much you priz'd.
We fue, not mean to make a partial friend;
But without prejudice at least attend.
If we are dull, e'en cenfure; but we trust
Satire can ne'er difplease you when 'tis juft:
Nor can we fear a brave, a gen'rous town
Will join to crub us, when we're almoft down.

ACT I.

SCENE, Covent-Garden.

Mrs HIGHMAN, LETTICE.

Mrs HIGH MAN.

H! Mrs Lettice; is it you? I am extremely glad to see you; you are the very perfon I would meet.

Let. I am much at your fervice, Madam.

Mrs High. Oh, Madam, I know very well that; and at every one's fervice, I dare fwear, that will

pay for it:

but

but all the fervice, Madam, that I have for you, is to carry a message to your master-I defire, Madam, that you would tell him from me, that he is a very great villain; and that I intreat him never to come near my doors -for if I find him within 'em, I will turn my niece out of them.

Let. Truly, Madam, you must fend this by another meffenger-But, pray, what has my master done, to deferve it fhould be fent at all?

Mrs High. He has done nothing yet, I believe ;—I thank heaven, and my own prudence; but I know what he wou'd do.

Let. He wou'd do nothing but what becomes a gentleman, I am confident.

Mrs High. Oh! I dare fwear, Madam; debauching a young lady is acting like a very fine gentleman: but I fhall keep my niece out of the hands of such fine gentle

men.

Let. You wrong my mafter, Madam, cruelly: I know his defigns on your neice are honourable..

Mrs High. You know!

Let. Yes, Madam; no one knows my master's heart better than I do: I am fure, were his defigns otherwise, I would not be acceffary to 'em; I love your niece too much, Madam, to carry on an amour in which she shou'd be a lofer: but as I know that my mafter is heartily in love with her, and that he is heartily in love with my mafter, and as I am certain they will be a very happy couple, I will not leave one ftone unturn'd to bring 'em together..

Mrs High. Rare impudence! Huffy, I have anothermatch for her, she thall marry Mr Oldcastle.

Let. Oh!-then I find it is you that have a dishonourable defign on your niece.

Mrs High. How? faucinefs!

Let. Yes, Madam, marrying a young lady, who is in love with a young fellow, to an old one whom the hates, is the fureft way to bring about I know what, that can poffibly be taken.

AIR I. Soldier Laddie.
When a virgin in love with a brisk jolly lad,,
You match to a spark more fit for her dad,