Poets of late so scurrilous are grown,
Instead of Courting, they abuse the Town: 
And when an Epilogue entirely pleases,
In thundering Jests, it takes the House to pieces;
The Pit smiles when the Gallery_’s misus’d,
The_ Gallery sniggers when the Pit_’s abus’d_;
Side-Boxes wou’d with Ladies Foibles play, }
But they themselves stand Buff to all we say, }
For nothing strikes them Dead, but—­Please to pay:  }
The Upper Regions angry if pass’d by;
But when some wond’rous Joke shall thither fly.
Faith, Jack, here’s Sense and Learning in this Play,
We’ll make our Ladies come the Poet’s Day.
This Author wou’d by gentler Means persuade you,
And rather sooth your Follies than degrade you. 
Parties may rail, and bully Courtiers Graces,
But fawning, well-tim’d Ballads, shou’d get Poets Places. 
Your Absence lately, how we all have mourn’d;
Some pray’d, some fasted too, till you return’d: 
But now those melancholly Days retire,
And eager Wit restrain’d, darts fiercer Fire: 
Favours unlimited we hope you’ll grant us,
And not let dear-bought Foreigners supplant us. 
This PLAY, our Author hopes, may please the Town, }
Not that He claims a Merit of his own, }
But half our_ Comick Bards are dead and gone. }
Things scarce attainable more nice appear;
Coffee was scarce a Treat, till very dear. 
To raise his Genius, with some pains he strove,
As we in Acting shou’d each Day improve. 
But as Whims only seem to please this Age, }
If Wit and Humour won’t your Hearts engage, }
We’ll have a Moving-Picture on the Stage. }

F I N I S.

(final leaf, recto)

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library:  University of California

THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY

General Editors

H. RICHARD ARCHER
     William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

R.C.  BOYD
     University of Michigan

E.N.  HOOKER
     University of California, Los Angeles

JOHN LOFTIS
     University of California Los Angeles

The Society exists to make available inexpensive reprints (usually facsimile reproductions) of rare seventeenth and eighteenth century works.

The editorial policy of the Society continues unchanged.  As in the past, the editors welcome suggestions concerning publications.

All correspondence concerning subscriptions in the United States and Canada should be addressed to the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 2205 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 18, California.  Correspondence concerning editorial matters may be addressed to any of the general editors.  Membership fee continues $2.50 per year.  British and European subscribers should address B.H.  Blackwell, Broad Street, Oxford, England.