PROLOGUE.

IN early times, when plays were first in fashion,
The business of the stage was reformation;
The well-wrought scene, for public good design'd,
With imitable virtue fill'd the mind,

And lash'd the growing follies of mankind.
That was its golden age, which, soon outworn,
Romantic love and honour took their turn.

Such windmill knights, such odd fantastic ladies,
Sprung from the brain of their poetic daddies;
Prince Prettyman and Amaryllis scarce
Could turn the lulling nonsense into farce.
Drove from those beds of dreaming indolence,
The Muse flew downwards, till she gave offence;
For as our sage inquisitors do tell us,

Her finest parts were jilts and rakish fellows;
And as corrupters of this harmless town,

We were presented, and almost put down.

How would your useless time, 'twixt five and eight, Have dragg'd its wings, without this lov'd retreat? What other nameless place would be so fit

be

For pit to ogle boxes, boxes pit?
At length, kind judges, merry
your hearts,
You're pleas'd to relish best our lowest parts;
Give you but humour, tickle but your spleen,
No matter how we furnish plot or scene.

Soon pleas'd; but that, alas! you're squeamish too; Your light digestion must have something new,

Or else you'll drive away to puppet-shew.

Under these terms of grace young Bayes has writ,
With double title to be dubb'd a wit,
First, 'cause poeta nascitur, non fit.
From a fam'd stock our tender scyon grows,
And may be laureat too himself, who knows?
But that his other plea may be admitted,

You're both with new and merry humour fitted.
Come, break him in, and when he writes again,
Perhaps he'll find a more diverting pen.

Dramatis Personae.

DRURY-LANE.

Men.

FLIP, the Commodore, a most illiterate Mr. Moody.

Wappineer-tar,

MIZEN, a finical sea fop,

Mr. Phillimore.

ROVEWELL, a man of fortune,

Sir CHARLES PLEASANT, Worthy's Mr. R. Palmer.

Lieutenant, a man of quality, CRIBBIDGE, Flip's Lieutenant, EASY, a Lieutenant of Marines, INDENT, Flip's Purser,

Mr. Williames.

Mr. Barrymore.

Mr. Burton.

COCKSWAIN,

HATCHWAY,

BINNACLE,

Mr. Wrighten.

ARABELLA ZEAL, bred a churchwoman, Mrs. Wilson.

DORCAS ZEAL, her sister, bred a Quaker,

BELINDA, a woman of fortune,

JENNY PRIVATE,

THE

FAIR QUAKER OF DEAL;

OR, THE

HUMOURS OF THE NAVY.

ACT I. SCENE 1.

Enter WORTHY as from on board; Cockswain and Crew following.

Worthy.

So, thank Heaven, I have at last reached my native land. Cockswain, take care the water be sent on board with expedition, and bid the purser hasten to Dover for fresh provisions, and let the sick men be sent on shore the next trip. There's something for the boat's crew; go and refresh yourselves.

Cock. All your orders shall be punctually complied

with.

All Sailors. Thank your noble honour.

huzza!

Huzza,

[Exeunt Cockswain and Crew,

Enter ROVEWELL.

Wor. My dear Rovewell!

Rove. Welcome on shore, dear Worthy! have you fared this voyage? some of your adventures.

How

Pr'ythee, relate me

Wor. Why, faith, Rovewell, my voyage was attended with little pleasure, being generally confined to the barbarous conversation of Flip, my commodore, a most obstinate, positive, ignorant, Wappineer-tar: in short, he has been my eternal plague.

Rove. Why, was only you two the convoy?

Wor. Yes, to make me completely wretched, Beau Mizen was the third man; a sea-fop, of all creatures the most ridiculous.

Rove. I cann't say I am sorry for the usage you have met with; because I am in hopes the nauseous conversation of these coxcombs will make you relish my company the better.

Wor. The true sense I have of your wit and judgment will always make me covet your acquaintance; therefore I needed not the wretched preparative I have met with. But how does all our Deal angels?

Rove. Why, the few virtuous women are as proud and as insolent as they used to be, and the whores you left here about ten months since, are dead with rottenness, and young strums supply their rooms. This is a monstrous place for wickedness! Fornication flourishes more here than in any sea-port in Europe. You gentlemen of the navy are great encou