Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Le plus grand roi du monde is always ringing, They show themselves good fubjects by their finging:

On that condition, fet up every throat;

40

You whigs may fing, for you have chang'd your

note.

Cits and citeffes, raise a joyful strain,

"Tis a good omen to begin a reign;

Voices may help your charter to restoring,

45

And get by finging, what you loft by roaring.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

AFTER our Æfop's fable shown to-day,
I come to give the moral of the play.

Feign'd Zeal, you faw, fet out the speedier

pace;

But the last heat, Plain Dealing won the race: Plain Dealing for a jewel has been known; But ne'er till now the jewel of a crown.

5

When heaven made man, to fhow the work di

vine,

Truth was his image, ftamped upon the coin: And when a king is to a god refined,

On all he fays and does he ftamps his mind: 10
This proves a foul without alloy, and pure;
Kings, like their gold, fhould every touch en-
dure.

To dare in fields is valour; but how few
Dare be fo throughly valiant,-to be true!
The name of great, let other kings affect:
He's great indeed, the prince that is direct.

15

His fubjects know him now, and trust him

more

Than all their kings, and all their laws before. What fafety could their public acts afford? Thofe he can break; but cannot break his

word.

20

So great a truft to him alone was due ;
Well have they trusted whom so well they knew.
The faint, who walked on waves, fecurely trod,
While he believed the beck'ning of his God;
But when his faith no longer bore him out, 25
Began to fink, as he began to doubt.

Let us our native character maintain ;
"Tis of our growth, to be fincerely plain.
To excel in truth we loyally may ftrive,
Set privilege against prerogative:

He plights his faith, and we believe him just ;
His honour is to promife, ours to truft.
Thus Britain's bafis on a word is laid,

As by a word the world itself was made.

30

PROLOGUE

TO

* ARVIRAGUS AND PHILICIA REVIVED:

[BY LODOWICK CARLELL, ESQ;]

SPOKEN BY MR. HART.

WITH fickly actors and an old house too, We're match'd with glorious theatres and new, And with our alehoufe fcenes, and cloaths bare

worn,

Can neither raise old plays, nor new adorn.
If all thefe ills could not undo us quite,

5

A brifk French troop is grown your dear delight † ;

Who with broad bloody bills call you each day, To laugh and break your buttons at their play;

* This tragedy was first acted at Black fryars in 1639, and reDERRICK. vived with fuccefs in 1690.

+ The story of Moliere reading his plays to his old fervant (Le Furet) to fee what effect they would have on her, is well known. But it is not fo much known, that when he read over a new piece to the comedians, he used to defire them to bring their children with them, that he might fee how they looked, and what notice they took of any paffages.

The famous naturalift Rohault, was the perfon from whom Moliere drew the character of the philofopher he has introduced

10

Or fee fome serious piece, which we presume
Is fall'n from fome incomparable plume;
And therefore, Meffieurs, if you'll do us grace,
Send lacquies early to preferve your place.
We dare not on your privilege intrench,
Or ask you why you like them? they are
French.

Therefore fome go with courtesy exceeding, 15
Neither to hear nor fee, but fhow their breed-

ing:

Each lady ftriving to out-laugh the rest ;
To make it seem they understood the jeft.
Their countrymen come in, and nothing pay,
To teach us English were to clap the play: 20
Civil, egad! our hofpitable land

Bears all the charge, for them to understand:
Mean time we languish, and neglected lie,
Like wives, while you keep better company;
And wish for your own fakes, without a fatire,
You'd lefs good breeding, or had more good-

nature.

26

in his Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Moliere was intimately acquainted with him. Moliere even borrowed the hat that Rohault commonly wore, and which was of an uncommon fize, and intended to produce it upon the ftage, but his friend difcovered his defign, and took it out of his hands. Ben Jonfon is faid to have known perfonally a man who could not bear any noise, from whom he exactly copied his character of Morofe.

Dr. J. WARTON.

« AnteriorContinuar »