PREF А СЕ.

I

Was always apprehenfive that the Subject of the following Piece was too abstracted and fingular for the Comprehenfion of a mix'd Affembly. Juno, Lucina, Jupiter, Tonans, Phidias, Praxiteles, with the other Gentlemen and Ladies of Antiquity, were, I dare fay, utterly unknown to my very good Friends of the Gallery; nor, to speak the Truth, do I believe they had many Acquaintances in the other Parts of the Houfe. But tho' I defpair of gratifying the Populum Tributim of the THEATRE, yet I flatter myself the Primores Populi will find me no difagreeable Companion in the Clofet, et fatis magnum Theatrum mihi eftis.

I was neither prompted by a lucrative, nor an ambitious Motive to this Undertaking. My Defign was to ferve a Man, who had ever great Merit with his Friends, and to whom, on the Score of fome late Tranfactions, I think the Public vaftly indebted. That my good Intentions for Mr. WORSDALE have proved fucceffful, is entirely owing to the Generofity and Humanity of the Managers of Drury-Lane THEATRE; they have given him a Benefit,

and

and are jointly entitled to my Thanks; but as to Mr. GARRICK, I have more perfonal Obligations. I take this Opportunity of affuring bim, that I fhall ever retain the most grateful Remembrance of his Afiftance, Affiduity, and kind Concerns, at the Birth, Pogrefs, and untimely End of this my last and favourite offSpring.

The Objects of my Satire were fuch as I thought, whether they were confidered in a moral, a political, or a ridiculous Light, deferved the Notice of the Comic Mufe. I was determined to brand thofe Goths in Science, who had prostituted the useful Study of Antiquity to triAling fuperficial Purpofes; who had blasted the Progress of the elegant Arts amongst us, by unpardonable Frauds and abfurd Prejudices; and who had corrupted the Minds and Morals of our Youth, by perfuading them, that what only ferves to illuftrate Literature was true Learning, and active Idleness real Bufinefs. How far this End has been obtained, is now, in the following Sheets, more generally fubmitted so the Public.

PROLOGUE.

Written by Mr. GARRICK,

And fpoken by him in the Character of an Auctioneer.

BEFORE this Court, IPETER PUFF appear,

A Briton born, and bred an Auctioneer;
Who for myself, and eke a hundred others,
My useful, boneft, learned bawling Brothers,
With much Humility and Fear implore ye,
To lay our prefent defp'rate Cafe before ye.
'Tis faid this Night a certain Wag intends
To laugh at us, our Calling, and our Friends:
If Lords and Ladies, and juch dainty Folks,
Are cur'd of Auction-hunting by his Jokes!
Should this odd Doctrine spread throughout the
Land,

Before you buy, be fure to understand.
Oh! think on us what various Ills will flow,
When great Ones only purchaje—what the know.
Why laugh at TASTE? It is a harmless Fashion,
And quite fubdues each detrimental Paffion;
The Fair Ones Hearts will ne'er incline to Man,
While thus they rage for-China and Japan.
The Virtuofo, too, and Connoiffeur,
Are ever decent, delicate, and pure;

The fmallest Hair their loofer Thoughts might hold,

Just

Just warm when fingle, and when married cold:
Their Blood at Sight of Beauty gently flows;
Their Venus must be old, and want a Nofe!
No am'rous Paffion with deep Knowledge thrives;
'Tis the Complaint, indeed, of all our Wives!
Tis faid Virtù to fuch a height is grown,
All Artifs are encourag'd-but our own.
Be not deceiv'd, I here declare on Oath,
Inever yet fold Goods of foreign growth :
Ne'er fent Commiffions out to Greece or Rome;
My beft Antiquities are made at Home.
I've Romans, Greeks, Italians near at hand,
True Britons all-and living in the Strand.
Ine'er for Trinkets rack Pericranium,
They furnish out my Room from Herculaneum.
But bush

my

Should it be known that English are employ'd,
Our Manufacture is at once deftroy'd;
No matter what our Countrymen deferve,
They'llthrive as Ancients, but as Moderns ftarvė
If we should fall-to you it will be owing;
Farewell to Arts-they're going, going, going;
The fatal Hammer's in your Hand, oh Town!
Then fet Us up-and knock the POET down.

B z

Dramatis