Act V.

OMET.

I.Roberts de.

Published for Bells British Theatre Dee?141770.

Thernthmate Se.

MrBENSLEY in the Character of MAHOMET. Such be the fate of all who braves our Law.)

AS PERFORMED AT THE

Theatre-Royal in Dury-Lane,

Regulated from the Prompt-Book,

By PERMISSION of the MANAGERS,

By Mr. HOPKINS, Prompter.

3

ODLE

LONDON:
Printed for JOHN BELL, near Excter-Exchange, in the Strand

and C. ETHERINGTON, at York.

MDCCLXXVI.

1

To the Right Honourable

EDWARD SOUTHWELL,

Efq.

SIR,

I fented this piece to you, as it was always my duty T was the defign of my deceafed hufband to have pre

and inclination to obey his commands whilft living, fo I till find a fecret fatisfaction (though after his death) in performing what he intended.

That he might not put a trifle into your hands, he waited for the opinion of the town; and now that has been favourable, it has fallen to my difconfolate office to make the melancholy offering.

In my unfortunate circumftances, it cannot be expected (though I were capable) that I fhould fpeak either to the merits of the piece, or of the patron; the former may poffibly want a recommendation to the world, but I have often heard my husband fay the latter did not.

What I have more too add is, that you would be pleafed to receive this as the laft teftimony of his esteem and tude, from the hands of his

gra

PROLOGUE.

TO point what lengths credulity has run,

What counfels fhaken, and what states undone ;
What hellish fury wings th' enthufiaft's rage,
And makes the troubled earth one tragic fiage;
What blafphemies Imposture dare advance,
And build what terrors on weak ignorance;
How fraud alone rage to religion binds,
And makes a Pandemonium of our minds;
Our Gallic bard, fir'dawith thefe glorious views,
Firft to his Crufade led the tragic mufe;

Her power through France his charming numbers bore,
But France was deaf for all her priests were fore.
On English ground she makes a firmer stand,
And hopes to fuffer by no hoftile hand.

No clergy here ufurp the free-born mind,
Ordain'd to teach, and not enslave mankind;
Religlon bere bids perfecution ceafe,

Without, all order, and within, all peace;
Truth guards her happy pale with watchful care,
And frauds, though pious, find no entrance there.
Religion, to be facred, must be free;

Men will fufpect where bigots keep the key.
Hooded and train'd like hawks th' enthuftafts fly,
And the priest's victims in their pounces die.
Like whelps born blind, by mother church they're bred,
Nor awake to fight, to know themselves mifled:
Murder's the game-and to the fport unpreft,
Proud of the fin, and in the duty bleft,
The layman's but the bloodhound of the prief.
Whoe'er thou art, that darʼft such themes advance,
To prieft-rid Spain repair, or flavish France.
For Juda's hire there do the devil's task,
And trick up Лavery in religion's mafk.
England fill free, no furer means requires

To fink their fottifh fouls, and damp their martial fires.

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Britons,