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Stand up, ye boafters! (to the pit) don't there sneaking fit;

Are you for pleafure, politics, or wit?

The boxes fmile to fee me fcold the pit.

Their turn is next-and though I will not wrong 'em, A woeful havock there will be among 'em,—

You our best friends, (to the pit) love, cherish, and respect us;

Not take our fortunes, marry, and neglect us.
You think indeed, that as you pleafe, you rule us,
And with a ftrange importance often school us!
Yet let each citizen defcribe a brother,
I'll tell you what you fay of one another.
My neighbour leads, poor foul, a qvaeful life,
A worthy man-but govern'd by his wife!

How, fay you? what all filent then, 'tis true:

We rule the city-Now, great firs, to you. (to the boxes.): What is your boaft?-Wou'd you, like me, have done, To free a captive wife, or fave a fon?

Rather than run fuch dangers of your lives,

You'd leave your children and lock up your wives..
When with your nobleft deeds, a nation rings!
You are but puppets, and we play the ftrings.
"Ve plan no battles-true-but out of fight,
Crack goes the fan,- and armies halt or fight!
You have th' advantage, Ladies-wifely reap it,
And let me hint the only way to keep it.

Let men of vain ideas have their fill,

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Frown, bounce, tride, ftrut, while you, with happy fill,,
Like anglers, ufe the fineft filken thread;

Give line enough-nor check the tugging head:
The fish will flounder-you with gentle hand,
And foft degrees must bring the trout to land.
A more fpecific noftrum cannot be-
Probatum eft-and never fails with me.

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

то

ENGLISHMAN IN PARIS.
Spoken by Mifs MACKLIN.

E

SCAPED from my Guardian's tyrannical fway
By a fortunate voyage on a profperous day,
Fam landed in England, and now muit endeavour,
By fome means or other, to curry your favour,

Of what use to be freed from a Gallic fubjection,,
Unless I'm fecure of a British protection.

Without cash,but one friend--and he too juft made,
Egad I've a mind to fet up fome trade;

Of what fort! in the papers I'll publish a puff
Which wont fail to procure me custom enough:
"That a Lady from Paris is lately arriv'd,
"Who with exquifite art has nicely contriv'd
"The best paint for the face,the belt pafte for the
"hands,

"A water for freckles, for flufhings, and tans.

64

She can teach you the melior coeffeure for the head, To lifp-amble--and fimper-and put on the red; "To rival, to rally, to backbite, and ineer, Um-no; that they already know pretty well here. "The Beaux fhe inftructs to bow with a grace, The happiest fhrug,-the newest grimace.

"To parler François, fib, flatter, and dance, "Which is very near all that they teach ye in France. "Not a Buck, nor a Blood, through the whole English

"nation,

"But his roughness fhe'll foften, his figure he'll fashion. "The meereft John Trot in a week you shall zee

Bien poli bien frizé tout à fait un Marquis."

What d'ye think of my plan, is it form'd to your gout ?? May I hope for difciples in any of you.

Shall I tell you my thoughts, without guile, without art,
Though abroad I've been bred, I have Britain at heart.
Then take this advice which I give for her fake,
You'll gain nothing by any exchange you can make,
In a country of commerce, too great the expence
For their baubles and bows, to give your good fenfe.
PRO-

D. 5

PROLOGUE

то THE

ORPHAN OF CHINA.

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, ESQ.

NOUGH of Greece and Rome.

EN

T'h' exhaufted store

Of either nation now can charm no more:
Ev'n adventitious helps in vain we try,

Our triumphs languish in the public eye;
And grave proceflions mufically flow,
Here pafs unheeded,—as a Lord Mayor's fhew.
On eagle wings the poet of to-night
Soars for fresh virtues to the fource of light,
To China's eaftern realms: and boldly bears
Confucius' morals to Britannia's ears..
Accept th' imported boon; as echoing Greece
Receiv'd from wand'ring chiefs her golden fleece;
Nor only richer by the spoils become,

But praife th' advent'rous youth, who brings them home.
One dubious character, we own, he draws,

A patriot zealous in a monarch's caufe!
Nice is the task the varying hand to guide,
And teach the blending colours to divide;

Where, rainbow-like, th' encroaching tints invade
Each other's bounds, and mingle light with fhade.
If then, affiduous to obtain his end,
You find too far the fubject's zeal extend ;
If undiftinguish'd loyalty prevails,

Where nature fhrinks, and strong affection fails, -
On China's tenets charge the fond mistake,
And fpare his error for his virtue's fake.

From nobler motives our allegiance fprings,
For Britain knows no right divine in kings;
From freedom's choice that boafted right arofe,
And through each line from freedom's choice it flows.
Juftice, with mercy join'd, the throne maintains;
And in his people's hearts our Monarch reigns.

PRO

PROLOGUE

TO

ENGLISH MERCHANT

Spoken by Mr. KING.

ACH year how many English vifit France, To learn the language, or to learn to dance! 'Twixt Dover-cliffs and Calais, in July, Obferve how thick the birds of paffage fly! Fair-weather fops in fwarms, frefh-water failors, Cooks, mantua-makers, milliners, and tailors! Our bard too made a trip; and, fland'rers fay, Brought home, among fome more run-goods, a play Here, on this quay, prepar'd t' unload his cargo, If on the freight you lay not an embargo. "What! am I branded for a fmuggler" cries. Our little Bayes, with anger in his eyes. "No. English poets, English Merchants made,. "To the whole world of letters fairly trade: "With the rich ftores of antient Rome and Greece, "Imported dusty-free, may fill their piece:

"Or, like Columbus, crofs th' Atlantick ocean,
"And fet Peru and Mexico in motion;
"Turn Cherokees and Catabaws to fhape;
"Or fail for wit and humour to the Cape."
Is there a weaver here from Spitalfields?
To his award our author fairly yields.
The pattern, he allows, is not quite new,
And he imports the raw materials too.

Come whence they will, from Lyons, Genoa, Rome,
'Tis English filk when wrought in Englith loom.
Silk! he recants and owns, with lowly mind,.
His manufacture is a coarfer kind.

Be it drab, drugget, flannel, doyley, frie e,
Rug, or whatever winter-wear you pleafe,
So it have leave to rank in any clafs,
Pronounce it English Stuff, and let it pass!

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F

E PIL OG U E

TO

CLEMENT IN A..
By G. COLMAN, Efq..

Spoken by Mrs. YATES.

ROM Otway's and immortal Shakespeare's page -
Venice is grown familiar to our stage.

Here the Rialto often has difplay'd

At once a bridge, a ftreet, and mart of trade;
Here, treason threat'ning to lay Venice flat,
Grave candle-fnuffers oft in Senate fat.

To-night in Venice we have plac'd our scene,
Where I have been-liv'd-died-as you have feen.
Yet, that my travels I may not disgrace,
Let me-fince now reviv'd-defcribe the place!
Nor wou'd the Tour of Europe prove our fhame,
Cou'd every Macaroni do the fame,

The City's felfa wonder, all agree.
Appears to fpring, like Venus, from the fea.
Founded on piles, it rifes from the ftrand,
Like Trifle plac'd upon a filver ftand:
While many a leffer ifle the prospect crowns,.
Looking like fugar-plums, or floating towns.

Horfes and mules ne'er pace the narrow street,
Where crouded walkers elbow all they meet:
No carts and coaches o'er the pavement clatter;
Ladies, Priefts, Lawyers, Nobles,-go by water:
Light boats and gondolas tranfport them all,
Like one eternal party to Vauxhall.

Now hey for merriment!-hence grief and fear!
The jolly Carnival leads in the year;

Calls the young Loves and Pleafures to its aid;
A three-months jubilee and mafquerade!
With gaiety the throng'd piazza glows,
Mountebanks, jugglers, boxers, puppet-shows:
Mafk'd and difguif'd the ladies meet their fparks,
While Venus hails the mummers of St. Mark's.
There holy friars turn gallants, and there too
Nuns yield to all the frailties Flesh is heir to."

There

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