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Show The Epijtle ^Dedicatory. , Y £ u . hj*ve here Seven Hundred Lines more in the Print, than was upon the Stage, which I cut out in the appreheniion and dread of a long The Abbe's Chara&er languHhes in the Fifth Act for want of the Scene between him and Sir Antony, which I plainly faw before, but was contented to leave a Gap in the A&ion, and to lof> the Advantage of M r . Lee's Playing (which, thro' his Part, that Place only gave him an occafion to fhew) than run the venture of offending the W o m e n ; not that there is one indecent Expreffion in it; but the over-fine Folk might run it into a Defign I never had in my Head: M y Meaning was, to expofe the Vice; and! thought it could not be more contemptibly ex-pos'd, than in the Perfon of a wanton old Man, that muft make ev'n the moft reafonable Pleafure ridiculous. I a m gratefully fenfible of the general Good- Nature of the T o w n to me, which you muft give m e leave to value my felf upon, fince the Pride proceeds from an Opinion, that I have deferv'd no otherwife from any Man. But I muft make m y Boaft (tho' with the moft acknowledging Refpecl) of the Favours from the Fair Sex (I may call 'em Favours, and I may boaft of Ladies Favours, when there are fo many concern'd) in fo vifibly promoting my Intereft, on thofe Days chiefly (the Third, and the Sixth) when I had the tendereft Relation to the Welfare of m y Play. I won't from their Encouragement imagine I a m the better Poet, but I will for the future, endeavour not 10 give em cauie of repeming fo fcafonable apiece of Good-Nature ; and if I can't give 'em a good Comedy I won't give 'em a very bad one: This has had us The Epijile "Dedicatory. ,te Fate, and a very favourable one. And I cannot but have the better Efteem of it, for bringing fo many of m y Well-withers together. So far for Prefacing. N o w , Sir, as to m y Dedication: I fear my Credit in this place, is as little worth as in Umbard-flreet; you may take up M o n y upon it, as foon as a Reputation : But the Bleffing of your Fortune lies in having as little need of your Friend's Purfe in the City, as your Friend's Praife mCovent-Garden: They w h o k n o w you, will take you upon your o w n W o r d ; and they w ho don't, will hardly upon mine. However, this I muft fay, if there beaQuicknefs in the Dialogue and Converfation of this Comedy, I o w e it in a great Meafure to my Familiarity with you; which, in the Freedom of feveral Years, has giv'n m e a thoufand Occafions of Envy and Admiration ; and at laft perfwaded m e to an Imitation of what 1 have heard with fo much Pleafure and Pain. I would not flatter a Friend: But I have often thought, and fometimes told you, that were it as much in your Inclination, as'tis in your Power, to write Comedy, no M a n could better fucceed in't, becaufe no Man-can be more naturally defign'd for the Undertaking. I don't pretend to add any thing to the Cha-rader of a M a n fo very well known : If I have a Defign, behind the pleating m y felf, in Dedicating this Play to you, 'tis to fecure the Efteem of being thought your Friend: As I have the 1 itle, I defire to continue the Thing; being very much b Tour Humble Servant, ^ T. SOUIHERNE, |