EPILOGUE TO THE COMEDY OF THE SISTER What? five long acts-and all to make us wiser? Had she consulted me, she should have made What if I give a masquerade?—I will. But how? ay, there's the rub! [pausing]—I've got my cue; The world's a masquerade! the masquers, you, you, you. [To Boxes, Pit, and Gallery. Lud! what a group the motley scene discloses ! False wits, false wives, false virgins, and false spouses! *[Written by Mrs. Charlotte Lennox, and represented at Covent-Garden Theatre, in Januray 1769. The plot was taken from the authoress's own novel entitled "Henrietta." The audience expressed their disapprobation of it with so much clamor and appearance of prejudice, that she would not suffer an attempt to exhibit it a second time. She published it without either remonstrance or complaint.-See Gent. Mag. vol. xxxix. p. 199.] "There are but two decent prologues in our tongue-Pope's to CatoJohnson's to Drury Lane. These, with the epilogue to the Distrest Mother, and, I think, one of Goldsmith's, and a prologue of old Colman's to Beaumont and Fletcher's Philaster, are the best things of the kind we have."—LORD BYRON, Works, vol. ii p. 165.] There Hebes, turn'd of fifty, try once more Miss, not yet full fifteen, with fire uncommon, Flings down her sampler, and takes up the woman; Strip but this vizor off, and sure I am If with a bribe his candor you attack, [Mimicking. He bows, turns round, and whip-the man in black! If I proceed, our bard will be undone! Well then, a truce, since she requests it too: Do you spare her, and I'll for once spare you. Had your senses been right, I put off being shaved; Or to put on my duds; So tell Horneck and Nesbitt, And Baker and his bit, And Kauffman beside, And the Jessamy bride,† With the rest of the crew, The Reynoldses two, Little Comedy's face, And the Captain in lace.§ For the above verses, now first published, the reader is indebted to Major General Sir Henry Bunbury, Bart. They were written about the year 1769, in reply to an invitation to dinner at Sir George Baker's, to meet the Misses Homeck, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Miss Reynolds, Angelica Kauffinan, and others.-See Life, ch. xvii.] † [Mary Horneck (Mrs. Gwyn).] [Catherine Horneck, afterwards Mrs. Bunbury.] § [Ensign (afterwards General) Horneck.] (By the bye you may tell him, When he comes to enlist. Your worships must know An order went out, For the foot guards so stout Yet how can I when vext, For sending so late From wisdom to stray, And Angelica's whim To be frolick like him, But, alas! your good worships, how could they be wiser, When both have been spoil'd in to-day's Advertiser ?* [The following is the compliment alluded to: OLIVER GOLDSMITHL "While fair Angelica, with matchless grace, O Reynolds with astonishment we see, This tomb, inscrib'd to gentle Parnell's name, The transitory breath of fame below: More lasting rapture from his works shall rise, EPILOGUE ΤΟ THE GOOD NATURED MAN, Spoken by Mrs. Bulkley.t As puffing quacks some caitiff wretch procure Forced to submit, with all our pride we own, Such strength, such harmony excell'd by none, [First printed by T. Davies, in "Miscellanies by the Author of the Rambler," and written about the year 1770.] The author, in expectation of an Epilogue from a friend at Oxford, deferred writing one himself till the very last hour. What is here offered, owes all its success to the graceful manner of the actress who spoke it. |