I'l e'en kneel down, and he shall cut my head off. Whereupon they all clapping--a SMI. But, fuppose they do not. BAYES. Suppofe! Sir, you may fuppofe what you please, I have nothing to do with your fuppofe, Sir, nor am not at all mortifi'd at it; not at all, Sir; I gad, not one jot. Suppofe quoth a!-- [Walks away.] JOHNS. Phoo! pr'ythee, Bayes, don't mind what he fays: he's a fellow newly come out of the Country, he knows nothing of what's the relish, here, of the Town. BAYES. If I writ, Sir, to please the Country, I should have follow'd the old plain way; but I write for fome perfons of Quality, and peculiar friends of mine, that understand what Flame and Power in writing is: and they do me the right, Sir, to approve of what I do. JOHNS. I, I, they will clap, I warrant you; never fear it. BAYES. I'm fure the defign's good that cannot be deny'd. And then, for language, I gad, I defie 'em all, in nature, to mend it. Befides, Sir, I have printed above a hundred sheets of papyr, to infinuate the Plot into the Boxes:' and withal, have appointed two or three dozen of my friends, to be readie in the Pit, who, I'm fure, will clap, and so the reft, you know, must follow; and then pray, Sir, what becomes of your fuppofe? ha, ha, ha. JOHNS. Nay, if the business be fo well laid, it cannot mifs. BAYES. I think fo, Sir: and therefore would chuse this for the Prologue. For if I could engage 'em to clap, before they fee the Play, you know 'twould be so much the better; because then they were engag'd: for, let a man write never fo well, there are, now-adays, a fort of persons, they call Critiques, that, I gad, have no more wit in 'em than so many Hobby-horses; but they'l laugh you, Sir, and find fault, and cenfure things that, A gad, I'm fure they are not able to do themselves. A fort of envious perfons, that emulate the glories of perfons of parts, and think to build their (a) He contracted with the King's Company of Actors, in the Year 1668, for a whole Share, to write them four Plays a Year. Key 1704. (6) E. Malone, Life of Dryden, p. 72-74, Ed. 1800, adduces evidence to show that the number of plays was three a year, for which Dryden received 1 share in the King's Company, equal to about 300 or £400 a year, fame, by calumniating of perfons that, I gad, to my knowledge, of all perfons in the world are, in nature, the perfons that do as much despise all that, as a———————In fine, I'l fay no more of 'em. JOHNS. I, I, you have said enough of 'em in conscience: I'm sure more than they'l ever be able to answer. BAYES. Why, I'l tell you, Sir, fincerely, and bona fide; were it not for the fake of fome ingenious perfons, and choice female fpirits, that have a value for me, I would fee 'em all hang'd before I would e'er more fet pen to papyr; but let 'em live in ignorance. like ingrates. JOHNS. I marry that were a way to be reveng'd of 'em indeed: and, if I were in your place, now, I would do it. BAYES. No, Sir; there are certain tyes upon me,' that I cannot be difingag'd from; otherwife, I would. But pray, Sir, how do you like my hang-man? SмI. By my troth, Sir, I fhould like him very well. BAYES. I, but how do you like it? (for I see you can judge) Would you have it for the Prologue, or the Epilogue? JOHNS. Faith, Sir, it's fo good, let it e'en ferve for both. BAYES. No, no; that won't do. Befides, I have made another. JOHNS. What other, Sir? BAYES. Why, Sir, my other is Thunder and Lightning. JOHNS. That's greater: I'd rather stick to that. BAYES. Do you think fo? I'l tell you then; though there have been many wittie Prologues written of late, yet I think you'l say this is a non pareillo: I'm fure no body has hit upon it yet. For here, Sir, I make my Prologue to be Dialogue: and as, in my first, you see I ftrive to oblige the Auditors by civility, by good nature, and all that; fo, in this, by the other way, in 'Almah. So, two kind Turtles, when a florm is nigh J. DRYDEN. The Conquest of Granada. Part II., Act i. Sc. ii., p. 82. Ed. 1672. 'Song in Dialogue. Evening. I am an Evening dark as Night, Jack. Whither, whither, whither Evening. Hither, hither, hither. [Within. Jack. Thou art fome pratling Eccho, of my making. Evening. Thou art a Foolish Fire, by thy miflaking I am the Evening that creates thee. Enter Fack in a black Suit border'd with Glow-worms, a Coronet of Shaded Beams on his head, over it a Paper Lantern with a Candle in't. Terrorem, I chufe for the perfons Thunder and Lightning. Do you apprehend the conceipt? JOHNS. Phoo, pox! then you have it cock-fure. They'l be hang'd, before they'l dare affront an Author, that has 'em at that lock. BAYES. I have made, too, one of the moft delicate, daintie Simile's in the whole world, I gad, if I knew but how to applie it. SMI. Let's hear it, I pray you. BAYES. 'Tis an allufion to love. 1 1 So Boar and Sow, when any form is nigh, And fnort, and gruntle to each others moan. How do you like it now, ha? JOHNS. Faith, 'tis extraordinary fine and very applicable to Thunder and Lightning, methinks, because it fpeaks of a Storm. BAYES. I gad, and fo it does, now I think on't. Mr. Fohnfon, I thank you : and I'l put it in profecto. Come out, Thunder and Lightning. Thun. I am the bold Thunder. BAYES. Mr. Cartwright, pr'ythee fpeak a little louder, and with a hoarfer voice. I am the bold Thunder Phaw! fpeak it me in a voice that thunders it out indeed: I am the bold Thunder. Thun. I am the bold Thunder. Light. The brisk Lightning, I. BAYES. Nay you must be quick and nimble. |