Spoken by Mr. FOOTE,

At the Theatre-Royal in DUBLIN,
On the 19th of November, 1773-

PWARDS of twenty years are fied and wafted
Since in this fpot your favour first I tafted.
Urged by your fmiles thro' various realms to roam,
The mufe now brings her motley cargo home;
For frugal Nature, with an equal hand,
Beftows peculiar gifts to every land.
To France fhe gave her rapid repartee,
Bows, and bons mots, fibs, fafhions, flattery,
Shrugs, grins, grimace, and sportive gaiety:
Armed with the whole artillery of love,
Latium's foft fons poffefs the powers to move:
Humour, the foremost of the festive crew,
Source of the comic fcene, fhe gave to you;
Humour, with arched brow, and leering eye,
Shrewd, folemn, fneering, fubtle, flow and fly;
Serious herself, yet laughter ftill provoking,
By teafing, tickling, jeering, gibing, joking:
Impartial gift, that owns nor rank nor birth!
'Tis theirs who rule the realm, or till the earth;
Their's who in fenates wage the wordy war,
And their's whofe humble lot conducts the car:
If aught derived from her adorns my ftrain,
You gave, at least discover'd first, the veins
Should wide experience, or maturing age,
Have brought or mirth or moral to the stage,
To you, the patrons of the wilder fong,
The chafter notes in justice muft belong:
But fhould infirmities with time confpire,
My force to weaken or abate my fire,
Lefs entertainment may arife to you,
But to myself lefs danger will enfue.
If age contracts my mufcles, fhrills my tone.
No man will claim thofe foibles as his own;
Nor, if I halt or hobble thro' the scene,
Malice point out what citizen I mean:
No foe I fear more than a legal fury,
Unless I gain this circle for my jury.

A 2

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DRAMATIS

THE NA BO B.

АСТ. І.

A Chamber.

Enter Lady Oldham and Sir John Oldham.

Lady Oldham.

NOT a fyllable more will I hear!

Sir John. Nay, but, my dear

L. Old. I am amazed, Sir John, at your meannefs! or that you could fubmit to give his paltry proposals fo much as a reading!

Sir John. Nay, my dear, what would you have had me done?

L. Old. Done! returned them with the contempt they deserved. But, come, unfold! I am calm: Reveal the pretty project your precious head has produced.

Sir John. Nay, my dear, as to that, my head produced

L. Old. Nay, I don't wonder that shame has tied up your tongue! But, come; I will spare the confufion, and tell you what you would fay. Here, Lady Oldham, Sir Matthew Mite has

just

juft fent me a letter, modeftly defiring that, in return for the ruin he has brought on me and my house, I would be fo kind as to bestow upon him my darling daughter, the hopes of my-And is it poffible you can be mean enough to think of fuch an alliance? Will you, Sir John, oblige me with an answer to a few fhort questions? Sir John. Without doubt.

in

L. Old. I fuppofe you confider yourself as fprung from a family at least as ancient as any the county you live in?

Sir John. That I fancy will not be denied. L. Old. Nor was it, I fancy, dishonoured by an alliance with mine.

Sir John. My Lady, the very reverse.

L. Old. You fucceeded, Sir, to a patrimony, which though the liberal and hofpitable fpirit of your predeceffors would not fuffer to encrease, yet their prudence took care should never be diminished?

Sir John.. True.

L. Old. From the public and private virtues of your ancestors, the inhabitants of the neighbouring borough thought their best and deareft interests in no hands fo fecure as in theirs?

Sir John. Right.

L. Old. Nor till lately were they fo tainted by the fashion of the times, as to adopt the egregious abfurdity, That to be faithfully ferved and protected above, it was neceffary to be largely bribed and corrupted below?

Sir John. Why, I can't fay, except now and then a bit of venifon, or an annual dinner, they have ever put me to any great

L. Old. Indulge me yet a moment, Sir John! In this happy fituation, did the last

year chear

fully