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Show 12 The R E H E A R S A L. Bayes. W h v , Sir, there is in the French Tongue, a certain Criticifm, which by the Variation of the Mafculine Adjedive inftead of the Feminine, makes a quite different Signification of the W o r d : as for example, Ma vie is my Life; but if before vie you put Men mftead of Ma, you make it Bawdy. Johnf. Very true. Bayes. N o w , Sir, I having obferved tins, fet a Trap for her the other day in the Tyring-Room ; for this faid I, Adieu be I Efperanfa de ma vie (which I'gad, is very pretty:) to which fhe anfwer'd, I vow, almoft as prettily every jot; for faid fhe, Songes a ma vie Monfieur : Whereupon I prefently fnapp'd this upon her, Non, non, Madam--* Songes vous a mon, by gad, and nam'd the thing directly to her. Smith. This is one of the richeft Stories, Mr. Bayes, that ever I heard of. Bayes. I, let m e alone, I'gad, when I get to 'em; I'll nick 'em, I warrant you : But I'm a little nice ; for you muft know, at this time, I a m kept by another W o m a n in the City. Smith. H o w kept! for what! Bayes. Wrhy, for a Beau Garcon : I am, i'fackins. Smith. Nay, then w e fhall never have done. Bayes. And the Rogue isfo fond of m e , Mr. John/on, that I vow to God, I know not what to do with myfelf. Johnf. D o with thyfelf! N o ; I wonder how thou can'ft make a fhift to hold out, at this rate. Bayes. O Devil, I can toil like a Horfe ; only feme-times, it makes m e melancholy : And then I vow to Gad, for a whole D a y together, I a m not able to fay you one i'ood Thing if it were to fave m y Life. ' Smith. That w e do verily believe, Mr. Bayes. § Bayes. And that's the only thing, I'gad, which mads me, m m y Amours; for I'll tell you, as a Friend, Mr. Johnfon, m y Acquaintance, I hear, begin to give out that I a m dull: N o w I a m the fartheft from it in the whole World, I'gad: but only forfooth, they think I am JO becaufe I can fay nothing. Johnf Phoo, Pox; that'sill-natur'dly done of em. Bayes. hy, gad, there's no trufting o' thefe Rogues; but ,-~a--"Come, let's fit down, Look you, Sirs, tne chiet The R E H E A R S A L . 13 Hinge of this Play, upon which the whole Plot moves and turns, and that caufes the variety of all the feveral Accidents, which you know are the Things in Nature that make up the grand Refinement of a Play, is, that I fuppofe two Kings of the fame Place ; as for example, at Brentford, for I love to write familiarly. N o w the People having the fame Relations to 'em both, the fame Affections, the fame Duty, the fame Obedience, and all that; are divided amongft themfelves in point of Devoir and Intereft, how to behave themfelves equally between 'em : Thefe Kings differing fometimes in particular; tho' in the main, they agree, (I know not whether I make myfelf well underftood.) Johnf. I did not obferve you, Sir : Pray fay that again. Bayes. W h y , look you, Sir, (nay, I befeech you, be a little curious in taking notice of this, or elfe you'll never underftand m y Notion of the Thing) the People being em-barrafs'dby their equal Ties to both, and the Sovereigns concerned in a reciprocal regard, as well to their o w n Intereft, as the Good of the People, they make a certain kind of a - you underftand m e - U p o n which there do arife feveral Difputes, Turmoils, Heart-burnings, and all that In fine you'll underftand it better when you fee it. [Exit to call the Players. Smith. I find the Author will be very much obliged to the Players, if they can make any Senfe out of this. Enter Bayes. Bayes. N o w , Gentlemen, I wou'd fain ask your Opinion of one thing : I have made a Prologue, and an Epilogue, which may both ferve for either; [that is, the Prologue for the Epilogue, or the Epilogue for the Prologue ;] (do you mark ?) nay, they m a y both ferve too, I'gad, for any other Play as well as this. Smith. Very well, that's indeed artificial. Bayes. And I would fain ask your Judgments, now, which of them would do beft for the Prologue. For you mult know there is, in nature, but two ways of making very good Prologues. Tiie one is by Civility, by Infinuation, • good Language, and all that, to - - a - - in a manner, fteal your Plaudit from the Courtefy of the Auditors: T he other, by making ufe of fome certain perfonal things, which may keep a hank upon fuch cenfuring Perfons, as cannot otherways, I'gad, in nature, be hinder'd from being too |