Others write hift'ries, ftate intrigues unriddle,
Ride the great horse, and play upon the fiddle.
Gently, cries Frances; truce with your reproaches!
And mark which fex on t'other most encroaches.
Soft filky coxcombs, full of nice punctilio,
All pafte, pomatum, effence and Pulvilio,
With huge bouquets, like beaupots, daily go,
Trick'd out like dolls, to pace in Rotten-Row.
Thus flies the morning; and the day to crown,
To Quinze and Faro ev'ry fop fits down.
Each coat fo trim, left any speck fall on it,
An apron guards; each forehead a ftraw-bonnet;
Nay left Rouleaus them felves fhould foil their ruffles,
A muffatee each Pretty Mafter muffles.
Women in vain to keep their place have striven; From ev'ry trade, from each profeffion driven. Men-Midwives fwarm; men mantuas make, make ftays,
Dress hair, drefs meat-let women then write plays!
While narrow prejudice deform'd the age,
No Actress play'd, no Female trod the Stage;
Some fmooth unrazor'd youth for Juliet rav'd,
And kings fat waiting till the queen was fhav'd;
But, Women once brought forward on the Scene,
By man, like Eve, was lik'd as foon as seen.
Let Females then compofe, as well as play,
And ftrive to please you in the noblest way!
No fulky Critick to the Playhouse drawn
Whom Modern Comedy provokes to yawn,
But marks of Authors paft the valu'd file,
And owns Centlivre tempted him to smile.
Why may not Ladies too in future plays
Strike a Bold Stroke, and anxious for the Bayes
New Bufy Bodies form, new Wonders raise ?
Thus Frances spoke, and bid her Dear good night
And Henry own'd, His Wife was in the Right.
PROLOGUE
On Opening the New THEATRE ROYAL in LIVERPOOL, On Friday, June 5, 1772.
Spoken by Mr. YOUNGER.
WHEREVER Commerce spreads the swelling
Letters and Arts attend the profp'rous gale.
When Cæfar first thefe regions did explore,
And northward his triumphant Eagles bore,
Rude were Britannia's fons-a hardy race→→→→
Their faith, idolatry; their life, the chace.
But foon as Traffick fix'd her focial reign,
Join'd Pole to Pole, and nations to the Main,
Each art and fcience follow'd in her train.
Augusta then her pomp at large display'd,
The feat of majefty, the mart of trade;
The British Mufe unveil'd her awful mien,
And Shakespeare, Jonson, Fletcher, grac'd the Scene.
Long too has Merfey roll'd her golden tide,
And feen proud veffels in her harbours ride:
Oft on her banks the Mufe's fons would roam,
And wifh'd to fettle there a certain home;
Condenm'd, alas! to hawk unlicens'd Bayes,
Contraband Mummeries, and fmuggled Plays!
Your foft'ring care at length relicv'd their woes:
Under your aufpices this Staple rofe.
Hence made free merchants of the letter'd world,
Boldly advent'ring forth with fails unfurl'd,
To Greece and Rome, Spain, Italy and France,
We trade for Play and Op'ra, Song and Dance.
Peace to his fhade, who firft purfu'd the plan!
You lov'd the Actor-for you lov'd the Man.*
True to himself, to all mankind a friend,
By honeft means he gain'd cach honeft end.
You, like kind Patrons, who his virtues knew,
Prompt to applaud, and to reward them too,
'Crown'd his last moments with his wifh obtain'd,
A ROYAL CHARTER by your bounty gain'd!
MR. GIBSON, late of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden,
OCCASIONAL EPILOGUE,
On the Departure of the MANAGER of the THEATRY
ROYAL COVENT-GARDEN, May 26, 1774.
Spoken by Mifs BARSANTI.
F mortal men how equal is the date!
Kings and Mock Kings fubmit alike to Fate.
Abroad, in ftate, one mighty monarch lies;
While here, his Majefty of Brentford dies.
Hung be the Stage with black! and Juliet's Bell,
'Midft flashing Refin, toll our monarch's knell!
While we with tragick plumes and mournful verfe,
In flow proceffion all attend his hearfe.
Firft, in dead march the mufick-unbrac'd drums-
Then with a monstrous purfe the Treasurer comes.
The hugenefs of the bag your fancy cozens !
Prick it! and out come ORDERS by whole Dozens!
Swell'd as it is, no fubftance fure enough;
No cafh-but like a bladder blown-all puff!
Two tiny Fairies bear an Epitaph;
Two Printers next, with each a Paragraph;
Both boafting of Applaufe that ne'er was fhown,
And crouded Houfes that were never known.
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