PROLOGUE, Spoken by Mr. SHUTER, at the Opening of the Old Theatre, at Richmond, on Saturday, June 6, 1767. WE ELCOME, ye Generous, Polite, and Fair, Who to our lowly Roof this Night repair! Who come, invited by our humble Bill, To the Old Theatre on Richmond Hill; No Cornice here, no Frieze to feaft your eyes, No Galleries on Dorick Pillars rife; No gaudy Paintings on the Roof we deal in, To break your Necks with looking tow'rds the Cieling; No Theatre we boaft fuperbly built, A Gingerbread Round O, a Cock-pit gilt; Yet Yet here fhall Heroes in their Buskins ftalk, And Shakespeare's Ghofts in this fmall Circle walk; Here Tragedy fhall take three narrow Strides; And laughing Comedy hold both her Sides: Here shall the Moor fay" Haply for I am black !" And here plump Falstaff-"Give me a Cup of Sack,” Here Bobadill fhall don his dirty Buff, And cry the Cabin is convenient enough." Ovid (by those who read him I am told) Says, one Philemon feafted Jove of old: With Flitch of Bacon did the God regale, While Goody Baucis fill'd the Jug of Ale! -For Baucis and Philemon, 'tis well known, Were of those days the Darby and Old Joan.In Wicker-Chair well-pleas'd the Thunderer fat, Laugh'd, fung, drank, fmok'd, and join'd their ruftick chat: The naked rafters view'd not with disdain, Thus, while you deign to vifit our poor Cottage, And kindly taste of our Dramatick Pottage, We, all intent to fhew bur Zeal and Love, Shall each a Baucis or Philemon prove, And every gueft fhall feem to us-a Jove! PROLOGUE, PROLOGUE, Spoken by Mr. PowELL at the clofing of the Theatre Royal, in Covent-Garden, on Saturday, June 4, 1768, being the Anniverfary of His Majefty's Birth-Day. L ET us, ere yet we finish our career, And close the labours of the circling year, Due homage to our Royal Mafter pay, And hail with Plaudits this aufpicious Day! His Birth diftinguish'd this illuftrious Morn: Tyrants, whofe vaffals tremble and obey, Empire Empire like this a British King difdains: O'er a free nation, which he loves, he reigns; Thrice happy Britain, on whose Sea-girt Isle, OCCASIONAL 1 OCCASIONAL PROLOGUE, On the Appearance of Mifs MORRIS in the Character of JULIET, at the THEATRE ROYAL in COVENT GARDEN. Spoken by Mr. POWELL. M DCC LXVIII. WH HEN frighten'd Poets give the Town a Play, Mere empty echoes of the publick voice, Actors, as Actors feel; and few fo fear'd, To-night |