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Show TO ALL Friends round the Wrekin. My Lards and Gentlemen, TNftead of the mercenary Expectations that attend AddrefTes •*• of this Nature, I humbly beg, That this m a y be received as an Acknowledgment for the Favours you have already conferr'd; I have tranfgrefs'd the Rules of Dedication in offering you any thing in that Style, without firft asking your Leave: But the Entertainment I found in Shropfhire commands m e to be grateful, and that's all I intend. 'Twas m y good Fortune to be order'd fome time ago into the Place which is made the Scene of this Comedy; I was a perfect Stranger to every thing in Salop, but its Character of Loyalty, the Number of its Inhabitants, the Alacrity of the Gentlemen in recruiting the Army, with their generous and ho-fpitable Reception of Strangers. This Character I found fo amply verify'd in every Particular, that you made Recruiting, which is the greateft Fatigue upon Earth to others, to be the greateft Pleafure in the World to me. The Kingdom cannot fhew better Bodies of Men, better Inclinations for the Service, more Generofity, more good Under- Itanding, nor more Politenefs than is to be found at the Foot of the Wrekin. Some little Turns of Humour that I met with almoft within the Shade of that famous Hill, gave the Rife to this Comedy; and People were apprehenfive, that, by the Example of fome others, I would make the T o w n merry at the Expence of the Country-Gentlemen : But they forgot that I was to write a Comedy, not a Libel; and that whilft I held to Nature, no Perfon of any Character in your Country could fuffer by being expos'd. I have drawn the Juftice and the Clown in their Purls Naturalibus; the one an apprehenfive, fturdy, brave Blockhead ; and the other a worthy, honeft, generous Gentleman, hearty in his Country's Caufe, and of as good an Under-ftanding as I could give him, which I muft confefs is far fhort of his own. 4 I humbly |