quirpo, like a cafed rabbet, without his holy furr upon his back, that the world may once behold the infide of a fryar.

Dom. Farewel, kind gentlemen: I give you all my ⚫bleffing before I go.- -May your filters, wives and daughters, be fo naturally lewd, that they may have no occafion for a devil to tempt, or a fryar to pimp for 'them.' [Exit, with a rabble pushing him. Enter Torrifmond, Leonora, Bertran, Raymond, Terefa, &c.

Tor. He lives! he lives! my royal father lives!
Let every one partake the general joy.
Some angel with a golden trumpet found,
King Sancho lives! and let the echoing fkies
From pole to pole refound, king Sancho lives!
Oh, Bertran, Oh, no more my foe, but brother:
One act like this blots out a thoufand crimes.

Bert. Bad men, when 'tis their interest, may do good:
I must confefs, I counfel'd Sancho's murder ;
And urg'd the Queen by fpecious arguments;
But ftill, fufpecting that her love was chang'd,
I fpread abroad the rumour of his death,
To found the very foul of her defigns:
Th' event you know was answering to my fears:
She threw the odium of the fact on me,
And publickly avow'd her love to you.

Ray. Heaven guided all to fave the innocent.
Bert. I plead no merit, but a bare forgiveness.
Tor. Not only that, but favour: Sancho's life,
Whether by virtue or defign preferv'd,
Claims all within my power.

Qu. My prayers are heard;

And I have nothing farther to defire,

But Sancho's leave to authorize our marriage.
Tor. Oh, fear not him! pity and he are one;

So merciful a king did never live;

Loth to revenge, and eafy to forgive:
But let the bold confpirator beware,

For Heaven makes princes its peculiar care.

END of the FIFTH ACT.

[Exeunt

EPILOGU E.

By a Friend of the AUTHOR.

THERE's none, I'm fure, who is a friend to love,
But will our fryar's character approve :
The ableft fpark among you fometimes needs
Such pious help, for charitable deeds.

may

be

Our church, alas! (as Rome objects) does want
Thefe ghoftly comforts for the falling faint:
This gains them their whore-converts, and
One reafon of the growth of Popery.
So Mahomet's religion came in fashion,
By the large leave it gave to fornication.
Fear not the guilt, if you can pay for't well;
There is no Dives in the Roman hell.
Gold opens the ftraight gate, and lets him in:
But want of money is a mortal fin.
For all befides you may discount to heaven,
And drop a bead to keep the tallies even.
How are men cozen'd ftill with fhows of good!
The bawd's best mask is the grave fryar's hood.
Though vice no more a clergyman difpleafes,
Than doctors can be thought to hate difeafes.
'Tis by your living ill, that they live well.
By your debauches their fat paunches fwell.
'Tis a mock war between the priest and devil;
When they think fit, they can be very civil.
As fome, who did French counfels moft advance,
To blind the world, have rail'd in print at France.
Thus do the clergy, at your vices bawl,
That with more ease they may engross them all.
By damning yours, they do their own maintain,
A churchman's godliness is always gain.
Hence to their prince they will fuperior be ;
And civil treafon grows church loyalty:
They boaft the gift of heaven is in their power;
Well may they give the god they can devour.

Still to the fick and dead their claims they lay;
For 'tis on carrion that the vermin prey.
Nor have they lefs dominion on our life,
They trot the bufband, and they pace the wife.
Rouze up, you cuckolds of the northern climes,
And learn from Sweden to prevent fuch crimes.
Unman the fryar, and leave the holy drone
To bum in bis forfaken hive alone;

He'll work no honey when his fting is gone.

Your wives and daughters foon will leave the cells,
When they have loft the found of Aaron's bells.

}

On Saturday the 26th of April was published,

The POETS of GREAT BRITAIN,

COMPLETE, FROM

CHAUCER to CHURCHILL,

Beginning with MILTON's PARADISE LOST. To be continued in weekly beautiful volumes till the whole are completed. Price only 1s. 6d. per volume, to be paid for as they are published.

T

HE PLAN of this undertaking is to furnish the public with the most beautiful, the correcteft, the cheapest, and the only complete uniform edition of the BRITISH POETS.

The WORK will confift of one hundred volumes; it is now very far advanced, and will be published with out interruption in weekly volumes, comprifing all the BRITISH POETS from the time of CHAUCER to CHURCHILL.

The WORK will be fold for one fourth of the price, even of the meaneft of other editions: it is printed in a most delicate fize, refembling the Elzevir editions of the Latin claffics; on types of a new invention, with preffes of a fingular conftruction, on thin poft writing paper of beautiful appearance, by artists of ingenious abilities, and embellished with engravings of masterly execution.

Any particular Author may be felected without being obliged to take the fet complete.

While the Greek and Roman claffics were the only authors ftudied or generally known, the polished nations of Europe vied with each other in embellishing thefe inestimable models of antiquity with every ornament. For LIBRARIES, fize and magnificence were attended to; and for general ufe, elegance and neatnefs. Hence thefe numerous fets of the claffics, which do fo much

honour

honour to modern ingenuity. The Italians foon rewarded the memories of their illuftrious countrymen with the like honour, and France fpeedily followed an example fo worthy of imitation.

It now appears high time that Great Britain should affume the confequence due to her merit, and pay her worthies that tribute to which their distinguished genius hath fo juftly entitled them. Upon fuch ideas, the prefent undertaking has been conceived; and if the approbation of the public, feconds the endeavours of the editors, the English claffics will give place to none, in -purity, quality of materials, or execution.

To collect genuine editions of our poets is a business of time, difficulty, and vaft expence, even to the inha bitants of the capital; but to collect them uniformly printed, fo as to appear in a library as one and the fame book, has hitherto been found an impoffibility, no at tempt towards a general and uniform publication of thefe distinguished characters having formerly been made. With partial, fubaltern editions, the prefs has frequently been in labour; but thefe, having no great or general object in view, are confequently imperfect, and loofely copied from one another, with multiplication of errors. Against all this fufficient precautions have been taken, by a collection of the original and authorised editions; fo that the prefent work will not be found more uniform in its manner, than chafte in its execution.

We naturally wish to know fomething of the man who entertains and edifies us; yet it deferves remark, that this curiofity has been but very partially gratified, the lives of but few of our poets being tranfmitted to the public along with their writings. This defect, equally inexcufable as difficult to be accounted for, will be fupplied in the prefent publication, which will convey to pofterity the most authentic anecdotes relative to those eminent men, whofe writings are the object of the present undertaking; and by thus forming a connected fyftem of biography, fo far as relates to this particular clafs of writers, bring the reader acquainted at once with the poet and the man.

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