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Show 66 The Pablifier to the Reader. T h c n r'a fuch Plays as thefe r The StentafXt\ i PartL the c0Ckk before tie S S 5 % - - /•// ; The Slighted Maid ; the UniZ V doms ; th Wild Gallant ; the Englifb Monfteur • TA X lain; and, c. %J 7 ^ ' ** ** You will meet with feveral PalTages out of allrW,. cept: th. Unite, s, (which was never p^ted)t the follow™ as you will find out of fevend Plays which are here omitted. ai 0ther Our moft noble Author, to manifeft his juft IP(p~na,- and Hatred of, this fulfome new way of W r L f f S f ? utmoft Intereft and Endeavours to ftifte it at i t* a bs mg-on the Stage, by engaging all his l4rds f ^ and ran down thefe Play" efpeciaily the ffl£ winch had like to have L u g n t his life into ^ £ * " ' The Author of it being nobly born, of an ancient and numerous Family, had many of his Reladons and Send m the Cock-pit, during the acting it , fome of them D TUrlt and W ic„t; SdftftftBS it, he eicap'd ; but he was threatened hard : howev Z I have nZh C°mP?'d 3 * fll°rt *"* th°' b? wh« «• j. nave not been inform d. After this, our Author endeavoured, by Writine to ex pofi= the Follies of thefe new-faftiion'd Pllys, £ 2 * £ pei Colours and to fet them in fo clear a Light, that the People might be able to difcover what TraO? it was, of which they were fo fond, as he plainly hints in the Prologue: ^ V n fet 15linfeIf t0 the compofing of this Farce. W hen His Grace began it, I could never learn, nor is it very material. Thus much we may certainly gather from the Editions ©t the Plays reflected on in it, that it was before the End of 1663» and finished before the End of 1664; becaufe it had been feveral times rehears'd, the Players were perfect: in their Parts, and all tilings in readinefs for its acting, before the great^Plague 1665, which prevented it. But what was fo ready for the Stage, and fo near being aftcd, at the breaking out of diat terrible Sicknefs, was very The Publijher to the Reader. 67 very different from what you have fince feen in Print • in that he call'd his «>oet Bilboa -, by which N a m e the Town generally underftood Sir Robert Howard to be the Perfon pointed at. Befides, there were very few of this new fort of Plays then extant, except thefe before-mentioned, at that I and more than were in being, codd not be ridicul'd. The acting of this Farce being thus hinder'd, it was laid by for feveral Years, and came not on the publick Theatre till the Year 1671. During this Interval, many great Plays came forth, writ in Heroick R h y m e ; and, on the Death of Sir William D Avenant, 1669, M r . Dry den, a n e w Laurent, appear'd on the Stage, muchadmir'd, and highly applauded, which mov'd the Duke to change the N a m e of his Poet from Bilboa to Bayes, whofe Works you will find often mentioned in the following K Thus far, kind Reader, I have follow'd the Direction of m y new Acquaintance, to the utmoft Extent of m y Memory, without tranfgreffing the Bounds he : ffigi'd m e, and I a m free from any Fear of having difpleaftdliim : 1 wifh I could juflly fay as much, with relation to the Offences I have committed againft yourfelf, and all judicious Perfons who fhall pcrufe this poor Addrcfs. I have nothing to fay in m y o w n Defence : I plead guilty, and throw myfelf at your feet, and beg for mercy ; and not without hope, fince what I have here writ did not proceed from the leaft Malice in me, to any Perfon or family in the World, but from an honeft Defign to enable the meanefl Readers to underftand all the Paf-fages of this Farce, that it m a y fell the better. I am, with all Submiflion, Tour m:fi Obliged, Humble Servant. PLAYS |