ΤΟ

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE

EARL AND COUNTESS OF COVENTRY,

THIS TRAGEDY,

IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT

OF THEIR

POWERFUL PROTECTION AND FAVOUR,

IS INSCRIBED,

BY THEIR MOST OBLIGED,

AND

MOST OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE AUTHOR.

PROLOGUE.

Written and spoken by Mr. GARRICK

PROLOGUES, like compliments, are lofs of time;
'Tis penning bows, and making legs in rhyme;
'Tis cringing at the door with fimp'ring grin,
When we should fhew the company within-
So thinks our bard, who, ftiff in claffic knowledge,
Preferves too much the buckram of the college.
Lord, Sir! faid I, an audience must be swoo'd,
And, lady-like, with flattery purfu'd;

They naufeate fellows that are blunt and rude.
Authors hould learn to dance, as well as write-
Dance at my time of life! Zounds, what a fight!
Grown gentlemen ('tis advertis'd) do learn by night.
Your modern prologues, and fuch whims as thefe,
The Greeks ne'er knew-turn, turn to Sophocles
I read no Greek, Sir-when I was at school,
Terence bad prologues; Terence was no fool-
He had; but why? (reply'd the bard in rage)
Exotics, monfters, had poffefs'd the ftage,
But we have none, in this enlighten'd age!
Your Britons now, from gallery to pit,
Can relif nought, but flerling, Attic wit.
Here, take my play, I meant it for inftruction;
If rhymes are wanting for its introduction,
E'en let that nonfenfe be your own production.
Off went the poet-It is now expedient,
I fpeak as manager, and your obedient.
I, as your cat'rer, would provide you difhes,
Drefs'd to your palates, feason'd to your wishes-
A 3

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Say

Say but you're tir'd with boil'd and roaft at home,
We too can fend for niceties from Rome;
To please your taftes will spare nor pains nor money,
Difcard firloins, and get you maccaroni.
Whate'er new gufto for a time may reign,
Shakespeare and beef muft have their turn again.
If novelties can please, to-night we've two;
Tho' English both, yet fpare them, as they're new
To one at least your ufual favour fhew;
A female afks it, can a man fay no?

*

Should you indulge our novice, yet unfeen,
And crown her with your hands a tragic queen;
Should you with fmiles a confidence impart,
To calm thofe fears which speak a feeling heart ;
Afft each ruggle of ingenuous fhame,
Which curbs a genius in its road to fame:
With one wish more her whole ambition ends
She hopes fome merit, to deferve fuch friends.

* A new actress.

ADVERTISEMENT.

TH

HE Author cannot fuffer this tragedy to be pub lished, without acknowledging the obligations he is under to Mr. Garrick, not only for his masterly performance in the reprefentation-(that is nothing new) and for his prologue and epilogue, which have met with univerfal applaufe, but likewife for his friendly advice, by which the play is certainly rendered much more dramatic than it was at firft. By the fame advice, fome paffages are restored in the printing, which were omitted in the representation. The reader, perhaps, may excuse this small addition to the length of the fcenes; but with the fpectator, brevity will atone for a number of deficiencies.

Mrs. Cibber, in particular, and the other performers, in general, fhould have the author's thanks, for the great juftice they have done him, did not the applause of the sown make any thing that he could fay unneceffary.

DRA.