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OUIUM CU

INITATE

To the Right Honourable

CHARLES Lord HALLIFAX.

MY LORD,

FI could have the Vanity to make a Merit of Dedicating this TRAGEDY, I fhould here take an Opportunity of telling You, that I am, in This, endeavouring to make the beft, and on

ly Return I am capable of, for all thofe Marks of exceeding Goodness and Humanity, which I have ftill had the Honour to meet with from Your Lordship. But fince the Matter is quite otherwise, fince it is highly to my Advantage to shelter my felf under fo great a Name; fince I have done my felf fo much Honour by it; I am bound to own, with all the Gratitude I am capable of, that Your Lordship's Patronage is a new, and will be a lafting Obligation upon me.

Moft kinds of Poetry, but especially TRAGEDIES, come into the World now, like Children born under ill Stars; a general Indifference, or rather Dif

A 3

inclination,

inclination, attends like a bad Influence upon 'em ; and after having buftled thro'ill Ufage, and a fhort Life, they fleep and are forgotten. The Relish of Things of this kind is certainly very much alter'd from what it was fome time fince; and tho' I wont prefume to cenfure other Peoples Pleasures, and prefcribe to the various Taftes of Mankind; yet I will take the Liberty to say, that those who fcorn to be entertain'd like their Fore-Fathers, will hardly fubftitute fo reasonable a Diverfion in the Room of that which they have laid afide. I could wish there were not fo much Reafon as there is to attribute this Change of Inclinations, to a Difesteem of Learning it felf. Too many People are apt to think, that Books are not neceffary to the finishing the Charaeter of a fine Gentleman; and are therefore eafily drawn to defpife what they know nothing of. But, my Lord, among all thefe mortifying Thoughts, it is ftill a Pleafure to the Mufes, to think there are fome Men of too delicate Understandings to give in to the Taftes of a deprav'd Age; Men that have not only the Power, but the Wiil, to protect thofe Arts which they love, because they are Masters of 'em.

It would be very eafie for me to diftinguish one ámong thofe few, after the moft advantageous Manner; but all Men of common Senfe have concurr'd in doing it already, and there is no need of a Panegyrick.

I could be almoft tempted to expoftulate with the reft of the World (for I am fure there is no Occafion to make an Apology to Your Lordship) in Defence of Poetry. I am far from thinking of a good Poet, as the Stoicks did of their Wife-man, that he was fufficient for every thing, could be every thing, and excel in every thing, as he pleas'd; yet fure I may be allow'd to fay, that, that Bright

nefs,

nefs, Quickness, that Strength and Greatness of Thinking, which is requir'd in any of the nobler Kinds of Poetry, would raise a Man to an uncommon Diftinction in any Profeffion or Bufinefs, that has a Relation to good Senfe and Understanding. One modern Inftance can at t be given, where the fame Genius that fhone in Poetry, was found equal to the first Employments of the State; and where the fame Man, who by his Virtue and Wifdom was highly useful to, and inftrumental in the Safety and Happiness' of his native Country, had been equally ornamental to it in his Wit.

This is what I could not help faying, for the Honour of an Art which has been formerly the Favourite of the greatest Men. Not that it wants a Recommendation to Your Lordship, who have always been a conftant and generous Protector of it. This indeed would be much more properly faid to the World and when I have told 'em what Men have equally adorn'd it, and been adorn'd by it, I might not unfitly apply to 'em, what Horace faid to the Pifo's;

Ne fortè Pudori

Sit tibi Mufa Lyra folers & Cantor Apollo. For my own inconfiderable Pretenfions to Verfe, Ifhall, I confefs, think better even of them, than I have ever yet done, if they fhall afford me the Honour to be always thought,

My LORD,

Your Lordship's most Obedient,

and Devoted Humble Servant,

N. Row E.

PROLOGUE.

S'

Spoken by Mr. Betterton.

INCE to your fum'd Fore-Fathers quite contrary;
You from their Pleafumes, as their Wisdom, vary;
What Art, what Method, fhall the Poet find,
To hit the Tafte of each fantaftick Mind?
Legions of Joys your wand'ring Fancies lead,
Like Summer Flies, which in the Shambles breed;
Each Year they warm anew, and to the last fucceed.
Time was, when Fools by Fellowship were known;
But now they firay; and in this populous Town
Each Coxcomb has a Folly of his own.

Some dress, fome dance, fome play; not to forget
Your Piquet Parties, and your dear Baffet.

Some Praife, fome Rail, fome Bow, and fome make Faces:
Your Country Squires hunt Foxes, your Court, Places.

The City too fills up the various Scene,

Where Fools lay Wagers, and where Wife Men win.
One rails at Celia for a late Mifchance,

One grumbles and cries up the Pow'r of France.
This Man talks Foliticks, and that takes Pills;
One cures his own, and one the Nation's Ills.
Now Fidling, and the Charms of Sing-Song, win je;
Harmonious Peg and warbling Valentini.

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