(iv) Their warmeft wishes are accomplished; none of their rights have been invaded, except, what without the first poetic authority, I fhould not venture to call a right, the Jus Nocendi. Your tenderness, my lord, for all the followers of the Muses, has been in no inftance more confpicuous, than in your late favour to me, the meaneft of their train; your grace has thrown open (for those who are deny'd admittance into the palaces of Parnaffus) a cottage on its borders, where the unhappy migrants may be, if not magnificently, at least, hofpitably entertained. I fhall detain your grace no longer, than juft to eccho the public voice, that, for the honour, progress, and perfection of letters, your grace may long continue their candid CENSOR, who have always been their generous protector. I have the honor, my lord, to be, with the greatest refpect, and gratitude, Elleftree, July 8, 1760. Your grace's most dutiful," Moft oblig'd, And obedient fervant, SAMUEL FOOTE. I'm damn'd glad on't. For now we shall have a laugh, either with him or at him, it does not fignify which. CANKE R. Not a farthing. B SMART. SMART. D'you know his scheme? CANKE R. Not I. But is not the door of the little theatre open? SMART. Yes. Who is that fellow that feems to stand centry there? CANKE R. By his tatter'd garb, and meagre vifage, he must be one of the troop. SMART. I'll call him. Holo, Mr. Enter PEARSE. What, is there any thing going on over the way? Zounds, let's go and fee what he is about. CAN Sir, this will never do, you must get rid of your high notes, and country cant. Oh, 'tis the true ftroling Enter SMART and CANKER. SMART. Ha, ha, ha, what, hard at it, my boy!Here's your old friend Canker and I come for a peep. Well, and hey, what is your plan? Ay.-Come, come, communicate. What, man, we will lend thee a lift. I have a damn'd fine original for thee, an aunt of my own, juft come from the north, with the true Newcastle bur in her throat; and a nofe and a chin. - I am afraid she is not well enough known: But I have a remedy for that. I'll bring her the first night of your piece, place her in a confpicuous ftation, and whifper the fecret to the B 2 whole ་ But don't name me. For if the fmokes me, for the author, I fhall be dafh'd out of her codicil in a hurry. Ay; that every day, after dinner, as foon as the cloth is remov'd, fights the battle of Minden, batters the French with cherry-ftones, and pursues 'em to the banks of the Rhine, in a ftream of fpilt port. SMART. Oh, damn it, he'll do. FOOTE. Or what fay you to your father-in-law, Sir Timothy? Who, tho' as broken-winded as a Hounslow poft horfe, is eternally chaunting Venetian ballads. Kata tore cara higlia. |