OCR Text |
Show 14 ftREHEARSAL, free with their Tongues. To which end, my firft Prologue is, that I come out in a long black Veil, and a great huge Hangman behind me, with ;i Furr'd Cap, and his Sword drawn ; and there tell 'em plainly, That if out of Good-nature they will not like m y Play, I'gad, Til e'en kneel down, and he fhall cut m y Head off. Whereupon they all c l a p p i n g - a- Smith. Ay, but fuppofe they don't. Bayes. Suppofe ! Sir, you may fuppofe what you pleafe, I have nothing to do with your Suppofe, Sir ; nor am at allniortified at it, not at all, Sir, I'gad, not one jot, Sir. Suppofe quoth a ! - h a , ha, ha ! [Walks away* Johnf Phoo ! prithee, Bayes, don't mind what he fays; he's a Fellow newly come out of the Country, he knows nothing of what's the Relifh, here, of the Town. Bases. If I writ, Sir, to pleafe the Country, I fhould have follow'd the old plain way ; but 1 write for fome Perfons of Quality, and peculiar Friends of mine, that underftand what Flame and Power in writing is; and they do m e right, Sir, to approve of what I do. Johnf. Ay, ay, they will clap, I warrant you; never fear it. Bayes. I'm fare the Defign's good : that cannot be deny'd. And then for Language, I'gad, I defy 'em all in nature, to mend it. Befides, Sir, I have printed above a hundred Sheets of Paper, to infinuate the Plot into the Boxes; and, withal, have appointed two or three dozen of m v Friends, to be ready in the Pit, who, I'm fure, will clap,' and fo the reft, you know, muft follow ; and then, pray, Sir, what becomes of your fuppofe ? ha, ha, ha! Johnf Nay, if the Bufinefs be fo well laid, it cannot Bayes. I think fo, Sir ; and therefore would chufe this to be the Prologue. For, if I could engage 'em to clap, before they fee the Play, you know it would be fo much the better, becaufe then they were engaged : for let a Man write ever fo well, there are, now-a-dav?, a fort of Pa> •fons, thev call Criticks, that, I'gad, have no more \\ it in them than fo many Hobby-Horfes; but they'll laugh at you, Sir, and find fault, and oenfure things, that, I'gad, I'm fure they are not able to do themfelves. A fort of envious Perfons, that emulate the Glories of Pcribns of Parts, and The R E H E A R S A L . IC and think to build their Fame, by ca'uminating of Perfons, that, I'gad, to m y knowledge, of all Perfons in the World are, in nature, the "Perfons that do as much defpife all that as a In fine, I'll fay no more of'em. Johnf. Nay, you have faid enough of 'em, in all confidence : I'm fure more than they'll e'er be able to anfwer. Bayes. W h y , I'll tell you, Sir, fincerely, and bonafde, were it not for die fake of fome ingenious Perfons, and choice Female Spirits, that have a value for m e , I would fee 'em all hang'd, I'gad, before I would e'er fet Pen to Paper ; but let 'em live in Ignorance like Ingrates. Johnf I marry ! that were a way to be reveng'd of 'em indeed : A n d if I were in your place now, I wou'd do fix Bayes. N o , Sir ; there are certain Ties upon me, that I cannot be difengaged from ; otherwife I would. But pray, Sir, how do you like m y Hangman ? Smith. By m y troth, Sir, I mould like him very well. Bayes. But how do you like it, Sir ? (for I fee you can judge:) Would you have it for a Prologue, or the Epilogue ? Johnf Faith, Sir, 'tis fo good, let it e'en ferve for both. Bayes. N o , no ; that won't do. Befides, I have made another. Johnf What other, Sir ? Bayes. W h y , Sir, m y other is Thunder and Lightning-. Johnf That's greater ; I'd rather ftick to that. Bayes. D o you think fo ? I'll tell you then ; tho' there have been many witty Prologues written of late, yet, I think, you'll fay, this is a non pareillo : I'm fure nobody has hit upon it yet. For here, Sir, I make m y Prologue, to be a Dialogue : And as, in m y firft, you fee, I ftrive to oblige the Auditors by Civility, by good Nature, good Language, and all that;. fo, in this, by the other wav, in terrorem, I chufe for the Perfons Thunder and Lightning. Do you apprehend the Conceit ? Johnf. Phoo, pox! then you have it cock-fure. They'll be hang'd before they'll dare affront an Author, that has them at that lock. Bayes I have made, too, one of the moft delicate dainty Similies in the whole World, I'gad, if I know but how to apply it.. Smith. Let's hear it, I pray you, 1 ' *&U |