PROLOGUE TO PHEDRA AND HIPPOLITUS Spoken by Mr. Wilks. LONG has a race of heroes fill'd the stage, While lull'd by found, and undisturb'd by wit, 5 And from the dull fatigue of thinking free, Our home-spun authors must forfake the field, To your new taste the poet of this day ΙΟ Shunn'd Phædra's arms, and scorn'd the proffer'd joy, * A Tragedy; written by Mr. Edmund Smith. '. 20 22 PROLOGUE TO THE TENDER HUSBAND. Spoken by Mr. Wilks. In the first rife and infancy of farce, When fools were many, and when plays were scarce, In every piece, a coxcomb that was new. But now our British theatre can boast Drolls of all kinds, a vast unthinking host! 5 ΤΟ Cuckolds, and cits, and bawds, and pimps,and beaus; And punks of diff'rent characters we meet As frequent on the stage as in the pit. Our modern wits are forc'd to pick and cull, 15 They fearch the Town, and beat about the Park, 20 To all his most frequented haunts resort, Oft' dog him to the ring, and oft' to court, A Comedy, written by Sir Richard Steele. As love of pleasure or of place invites, 25 And sometimes catch him taking snuff at White's. And that there may be fomething gay and new, The first a damfel travell'd in romance, 31 35 The other more refin'd, the comes from France; Refcue, like courteous knights, the nymph from danger, And kindly treat, like well-bred men, the stranger.38 EPILOGUE TO THE BRITISH ENCHANTERS WHEN Orpheus tun'd his lyre with pleasing woe, Rivers forgot to run and winds to blow, While lift'ning forests cover'd, as he play'd, The foft musician in a moving shade. That this night's strains the same success may find, s The force of mufic is to mufic join'd; • A dramatic Poem, written by the Lord Lanfdown. Where founding ftrings and artful voices fail, The birds to warble, and the springs to flow. The fame dull fights in the fame landscape mix'd, Scenes of ftill life, and points for ever fix'd, A tedious pleasure on the mind bestow, And pall the sense with one continu'd show: But as our two magicians try their skill, The vifion varies, tho' the place stands still, While the same spot its gaudy form renews, Shifting the prospect to a thousand views. Thus (without unity of place tranfgreft) Th' Enchanter turns the critic to a jest. But howfoe'er, to please your wand'ring eyes, Bright objects disappear and brighter rise, 20 26 POEMATA. HONORATISSIMO VIRO CAROLO MONTAGU ARMIGERO, SCACCHARII CANCELLARIO, ERARII PREFECTO, REGI A SECRETIORIBUS CONSILIIS, ETC. Cum tanta auribus tuis obftrepat vatum nequiffimorum turba, nihil est cur queraris aliquid inufitatum tibi contigiffe, ubi præclarum hoc argumentum meis etiam numeris violatum confpexeris. Quantum virtute bellica præftant Britanni, recens ex rebus geftis teftatur gloria; quam vero in humanioribus Pacis ftudiis non emineamus, indicio funt quos nuper in lucem emifimus verficuli. Quod fi Congrevius ille tuus divino, quo folet, furore correptus materiam hanc non exornasset, vix tanti effet ipfa Pax, ut illa lætaremur tot perditiffimis Poetis tam mifere decantata. At, dum alios infector, mei ipfius oblitus fuiffe videor, qui haud minores forfan ex Latinis tibi moleftias allaturus fum, quam quas illi ex vernaculis fuis carminibus attulerunt; nifi quod inter ipfos cru |