HON

FRANC

HALE

ALETO GE

To the Right Honourable

Sidney Lord Godolphin,

Lord High-Treasurer of England, and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter.

MY LORD,

F thofe Cares in which the Service of a Great QUEEN, and the Love of Your Country, have fo juftly engag'd Your Lordship, would allow any Leisure to run back and remember those Arts and Studies, which were once the Grace and Entertainment of Your Lordship's Youth; I have Prefumption_enough to hope, that this Tragedy may, fome Time or other, find an Hour to divert Your Lordship. Poetry, which was fo venerable to former Ages, as in many Places to make a Part of their Religious Worship, and every where to be had in

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the highest Honour and Efteem, has miferably languifh'd and been defpis'd, for want of that Favour and Protection which it found in the farnous Augustan Age. Since then, it may be afferted without any Partiality to the prefent Time, it never had a fairer Profpect of lifting up its Head, and returning to its former Reputation, than now: And the best Reason can be given for it, is, that it feems to have a particular Hope from, and Dependence upon, Your Lordship; and to expect all juft Encouragement, when those Great Men, who have the Power to protect it, have fo delicate and polite a Tafte and Understanding of its true Value. The Reftoring and Preferving any Part of Learning, is fo generous an Action in it felf, that it naturally falls into Your Lordship's Province, fince every Thing that may ferve to improve the Mind, has a Right to the Patronage of fo great and univerfal a Genius for Knowledge as Your Lordfhip's. It is indeed a Piece of good Fortune, upon which I cannot help congratulating the prefent Age, that there is fo Great a Man, at a Time, when there is fo great an Occafion for him. The Divifions which Your Lordship has heal'd, the Temper which You have reftor'd to our Councils, and that indefatigable Care and Diligence which You have us'd in preferving our Peace at Home, are Benefits fo virtuoufly and fo feasonably conferr'd upon Your Country, as fhall draw the Praifes of all wife Men, and the Bleffings of all good Men upon Your Lordship's Name. And when thofe unreafonable Feuds and Animofities, which keep Faction alive, fhall be bury'd in filence and forgotten, that great publick Good fhall be univerfally acknowledg'd,

as the happy Effect of Your Lordship's moft equal Temper and right Understanding. That this Glorious End may very fuddenly fucceed to your Lordship's Candor and generous Endeavours after it, muft be the Wish of every good. Englishman. I am,

My LORD,

(Your Lordship's most Obedient,

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Humble Servant,

N. ROWE

PROLO G U E.

Spoken by Mr. Betterton.

To Night, in Honour of the marry'd Life,
Our Author treats you with a Virtuous Wife;
A Lady, who, for Twenty Years, withstood
The preffing Inftances of Flesh and Blood:
Her Husband, ftill a Man of Senfe reputed,
(Unless this Tale bis Wifdemi have confuted,)
Left her at ripe Eighteen, to feek Renown,
And Battle for a Harlot at Troy Town ;
To fill his Place, fresh Lovers came in Shoals,
Much fuch as now-a-Days are Cupid's Tools,

Some Men of Wit, but the most part were Fools.
They fent her Billets doux, and Presents many,
Of ancient Tea and Thericlean China;

Rail'd at the Gods, toasted her o'er and o'er,

M

Dress'd at Her, danc'd, and fought, and figh'd, and fwore;
In short, did all that Men could do to have her,
And damn'd themselves to get into her Favour;
*But all in vain: the Virtuous Dame flood Buff,
in main: the
And let 'em know that she was Coxcomb Proof.
Meffieurs the Beaux, what think you of the Matter!
Don't you believe old Homer given to Flatter?

When