PRINTED FOR

W. LOWNDES.

Anstey's New Bath Guide, 18mo
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Poetical Elegant Extracts, rayal 8vo, or Epitomized

in square 12mo

Pomfret's Poems on Several Occasions, 12mo

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Shakspeare's Plays with Notes, 21 vols, 10 vols or

9 vols 8vo and in 9 vols 18mo

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Vanbrugh's Plays, 2 vols 12mo

Young's Works, 3 vols 8vo

AUTHOR;

A

COMEDY,

IN TWO ACTS,

AS IT IS PERFORMED AT THE

THEATRE-ROYAL IN DRURY-LANE.

WRITTEN BY

SAMUEL FOOTE, Esq.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR W. LOWNDES, 38, BEDFORD STREET.

م

Frinted by T. C. Hansard,

Peterborough-Court,
Fleet-Street

WRITTEN AND SPOKEN BY

MR. FOOTE.

SEVERE their task, who in this critic age,
With fresh materials furnish out the stage!
Not that our fathers drain'd the comic store;
Fresh characters spring up as heretofore
Nature with novelty does still abound;
On every side fresh follies may be found.
But then the taste of every guest to hit,
To please at once, the gall'ry, box, and pit;
Requires at least-no common share of wit.

Thofe, who adorn the orb of higher life,
Demand the lively rake, or modifh wife;
Whilst they, who in a lower circle move,
Yawn at their wit, and flumber at their love.
If light, low mirth employs the comic scene,
Such mirth, as drives from vulgar minds the spleen;
The polish'd Critic damns the wretched fluff,
And cries," 'twill please the gall'ries well enough."
Such jarring judgments who can reconcile,

Since fops will frown, where humble traders smile?
To dash the poet's ineffectual claim,

And quench his thirst for univerfal fame,
The Grecian fabulist, in moral lay,
Has thus addrefs'd the writers of this day.

Once on a time, a fon and fire we're told,

The stripling tender, and the father old,
Purchas'd a jack-afs at a country fair,

To ease their limbs, and hawk about their ware:
But as the fluggish animal was weak,

They fear'd, if both fhould mount, his back wou'd break :

Up gets the boy; the father leads the afs, And through the gazing crowd attempts to pass; Forth from the throng, the grey-beards hobble out, And hail the cavalcade with feeble fhout. "This the respect to reverend age you fhew? "And this the duty you to parents owe? "He beats the hoof, and you are fet astride; "Sirrah? get down, and let your father ride." As Grecian lads were feldom void of grace, The decent, duteous youth, refign'd his place. Then a fresh murmur through the rabble ran; Boys, girls, wives, widows, all attack the man. "Sure never was brute beast so void of nature ! "Have you no pity for the pretty creature? "To your own baby can you be unkind? "Here-Suke, Bill, Betty-put the child behind." Old Dapple next, the clowns compaffion claim'd; "'Tis wonderment, them boobies ben't afham'd. "Two at a time upon a poor dumb beast! "They might as well have carried he at leaft." The pair, still pliant to the partial voice, Difmount and bear the afs-then what a noife! Huzzas-loud laughs, low gibe, and bitter joke, From the yet filent fire, these words provoke. "Proceed, my boy, nor heed their farther call, "Vain his attempt, who strives to please them all!”