OCR Text |
Show Preface to the Reader. AN affected Modefty is very often the greateft Vanity, and Authors are fometimes prouder of their Blufhes than of the Praifes that occafion'd them. I (han't therefore, like a Foolifh Virgin, fly to be purfued, and deny what I chiefly with for. 1 a m very willing to acknowledge the Beauties of this Play, efpecially thofe of the third Night, which not to be proud of, were the heighth of Impudence: W h o is afham'd to value himfelf upon fuch Favours, undervalues thofe who confirm'd them. As I freely fubmit to the Criticifms of the Judicious, fo \ cannot call this an ill Play, fince the T o w n has allow'd it fuch Succefs. W h e n they have pardon'd m y Faults, 'twere very ill manners to condemn their Indulgence. Some may think (my Acquaintance in T o w n being too flender to make a Party for the Play) that the Succefs muft be deriv'd from the pure Merits of the Caufe. I a m of another Opinion: I have not been long enough in T o w n to raife Enemies again'f m e ; and the Englifh are ftill kind to Strangers. I a m below the Envy of great Wits, and above the Malice of little ones. I have not difpleas'd the Ladies, nor offended the Clergy; both which are n o w pleas'd to fay, that a Comedy may be diverting without Smut and Profanenef?. Next to thofe Advantages, the Beauties of Action gave the greateft Life to the Play, of which the T o w n is fo fenfible, that all will joyn with m e in Commendation of the Actors, and allow (without detradling from the Merit of others) that the Theatre Royal affords an excellent and complcat Set of Comedians. Mr. Wilks's Performance has fet him Co far above Competition in the part of Wildair, that none can pretend to envy the Praife due to his Merit. That he made the Part, will appear from hence, that whenever the Stage has the Misfortune to lofe him, Sir Harry Wildair m a y go to the Jubilee. A great many quarrel at the Trip to the Jubilee for a Mif-nommer: I muft tell them, that perhaps "there are greater Trips in the Play; and when I find that more exact Plays have had better Succefs, I'll talk with the Criticks about Decorums, Sic. However, if I ever commit another Fault of thi3 Nature, I'll end*e avour to make it more excufablPe.R O- |