THE DOG AND SHADOW.

RE cibum portans catulus dum spectat in undis,

Apparet liquido prædæ melioris imago :
Dum speciosa diu damna admiratur, et alte
Ad latices inhiat, cadit imo vortice præceps
Ore cibus, nec non fimulachrum corripit una..
Occupat ille avibus deceptis faucibus umbram ;,
Hludit species, sac dentibus aëra mordet..

Τ Ο Α FRIEND, Who had been much abused in many different LIBELS.

'HE greatest Monarch may be stabb’d by night,

And fortune help the murderer in his flight;
The vilest ruffian may commit a rape,
Yet safe from injurd innocence escape ;
And Calumny, by working under ground,
Can, unreveng'd, the greatelt merit wound.

What's to be done ? Shall Wit and Learning chufe
To live obscure, and have no fame to lose ?
By Cenfure frighted out of Honour's road,
Nor dare to use the gifts by Heaven bestow'd?
Or fearless enter in through Virtue's gate,
And buy distinction at the dearest rate ?

VOL.I.

BILLET

BILLET to the COMPANY of PLAYERS.

THE *HE inclosed Prologue is formed upon the story of

the Secretary's not suffering you to act, unless you would pay him 300l. per annum; upon which you got a licence from the Lord Mayor to act as strollers.

The Prologue fupposes), that, upon your being forbidden to act, a company of country-strollers came and hired the Play-houfe, and your cloaths, &c. to act in.

THE

PROLOGUE.

OUR set of strollers, wandering up and down,' Hearing the house was empty, came to town; And, with a licence from our good Lord Mayor, Went to one Griffith, formerly a player ; Him we persuaded with a moderate bribe, To speak to Elrington and all the tribe, To let our company supply their places, And hire us out their scenes, and cloaths, and faces.. Is not the truth the truth? Look full on me; I am not Elrington, nor Griffith he. When we perform, look sharp among our crew, There's not a creatuie here you ever knew'. The former folks were servants to the king ; We, humble ftrolluis, always on the wing.

Now,

Now, for my part, I think upon the whole,
Rather than starve, a better man would stroll.

Stay, let me fee-Three hundred pounds a year,
For leave to act in town ?' 'Tis plaguy dear.
Now, here 's a warrant ; Gallants, please to mark,
For three thirteens and fix pence to the clerk.
Three hundred pounds !, were I the price to fix,
The publick should bestow the actors fix.
A score of guineas, given under-hand,
For a good word or so, we understand,
To help an honest lad that's out of place,
May cost a crown or so; a common case :
And, in a crew, 'tis no injustice thought
To thip a rogue, and pay him not a groat.
But, in the chronicles of former ages,
Who ever heard of servants paying wages ?

I pity Elrington with all my heart ; Would he were here this night to act my part ! I told him what it was to be a stroller : · How free we acted, and had no comptroller : In every town we wait on Mr. Mayor, First get a licence, then p:oduce our ware ; We found a trumpet, or we beat a drum ; Huzza ! (the school boys roar) the players are come ! And then we cry, to fpur the bumpkins on, Gallants, by Tuesday next we must be gone, I told him, in the smootheit way I could, All this and more, yet it would do no good. But Elrington, tears falling from his checks, He that has thone with Betterton and Wilks,

To whom our country has been always dear,
Who chose to leave his dearest pledges here,
Owns all your favours, here intends to stay,
And, as a stroller, act in every play:
And the whole crew this resolution takes,
To live and die all strollers for your fakes :
Not frighted with an ignominious name,
For your displeasure is their only thame.
A

рох on Elrington's majestic tone ! Now to a word of business in our own.

Gallants, next Thurfday night will be our last;
Then, without fail, we pack up for Belfast.!
Lose not your time, nor our diversions miss,..
The next we act shall be as good as

this.

E P I G R A M. GREAT folks are of a finer mold;

Lord! how politely they can scold ! While a coarse English tongue will itch, For whore and rogue; and dog and bitch.

PROLOGUE to a PLAY for the Benefit of the
DISTRESSED WEAVERS. By Dr. SHERIDAN.

Spoken by Mr. ELRINGTON. 1721.
REAT
G?

and little wool-is now become

cry The plague and proverb of the Weaver's loom: No wool to work on, nuither weft nor warp; Their pockets empty, and their stomachs sharp.

Provokd, Forsake your

Provok'd, in loud complaints to you they 'ery :
Ladjes, relieve the weavers; or they die!

filks for stuifs; nor think it strange,
To fhift your cloaths, tince you delight in change.
One thing with freedom I'll presume to tell-
The men will like you every bit as well.

See I am dress'd from top to toe in stuff;
And, by my troth, I think I'm fine enough :
My wife admires me more, and swears she never,
In any dress, beheld me look fo clever.
And, if a man be better in such ware,
What great adyantage must it give the fair!
Our wool from lambs of innocence proçceds :
Silks come from maggots, callicoes from weeds :
Hence 'tis by fad experience that we find
Ladies in silks to vapours much inclin'd
And what are they but maggots in the mind ?
For which I think it reason to conclude
That cloaths may change our temper like our food.
Chintzes are gawdy, and engage our eyes
Too much about the party-colour'd dyes :
Although the lustre is from you begun,
We see the rainbow, and neglect the sun.

How sweet and innocent's the country maid,
With small expence in native wool array'd ;
Who copies from the fields her homely green,
While by her shepherd with delight the 's seen!
Should our fair ladies dress like her in wool,
How much more lovely, and how beautiful,

Without

P 3