Thus oft' by mariners are shown
(Unless the men of Kent are lyars)
Earl Godwin's caftles overflown,
And palace-roofs, and fteeple-fpires.
Mark where the fly Directors creep,
Nor to the fhore approach too nigh!
The monsters neftle in the deep,
To feize you in your paffing by.
Then, like the dogs of Nile, be wife,
Who, taught by instinct how to fhun
The crocodile, that lurking lies,

Run as they drink, and drink and run,

Antæus could, by magic charms,
Recover ftrength whene'er he fell;
Alcides held him in his arms,

And sent him up in air to hell.

Directors, thrown into the fea,
Recover ftrength and vigour there;
But may be tam'd another way,
Sufpended for a while in air.

Directors!, for 'tis you I warn,
By long experience we have found
What planet rul'd when you were born;
We fee you never can be drown'd.

Beware, nor over-bulky grow,
Nor come within your cully's reach;
For, if the fea fhould fink fo low
To leave you dry upon the beach,

You'll

You'll owe your ruin to your bulk:
Your foes already waiting ftand,
To tear you like a founder'd hulk,
While you lie helpless on the fand.

Thus, when a whale hath loft the tide,
The coafters crowd to feize the fpoil;
The monster into parts divide,

And ftrip the bones, and melt the oil.
Oh may fome western tempeft fweep
Thefe locufts whom our fruits have fed,
That plague directors to the deep,.

Driv'n from the South-Sea to the Red. May he, whom Nature's laws obey,

Who lifts the poor, and finks the proud, "Quict the raging of the fea,

"And fill the madnefs of the crowd!"

But never fhall our ifle have reft,

Till thofe devouring fwine run down,
(The devils leaving the poffeft,)
And headlong in the waters drown.
The nation then too late will find,
Computing all their coft and trouble,
Directors promises but wind,

South-Sea at beft a mighty bubble.

THE

THE DOG AND SHADOW.

ORE

RE cibum portans catulus dum fpectat in undis,
Apparet liquido prædæ melioris imago:

Dum fpeciofa diu damna admiratur, et alte
Ad latices inhiat, cadit imo vortice præceps
Ore cibus, nec non fimulachrum corripit una.
Occupat ille avibus deceptis faucibus umbram;
Illudit fpecies, ac dentibus aëra mordet.

TO A

FRIEND,

Who had been much abused in many different LIBELS.

THE greateft Monarch may be stabb'd by night,
And fortune help the murderer in his flight;

The vileft ruffian may commit a rape,
Yet fafe from injur'd innocence escape;

And Calumny, by working under ground,
Can, unreveng'd, the greatest merit wound.

What's to be done? Shall Wit and Learning chuse
To live obfcure, and have no fame to lose ?
By Cenfure frighted out of Honour's road,
Nor dare to use the gifts by Heaven bestow'd?
Or fearless enter in through Virtue's gate,
And buy distinction at the dearest rate ?

VOL. I.

P

BILLET

BILLET to the COMPANY of PLAYERS.

THE

HE inclofed Prologue is formed upon the story of the Secretary's not fuffering you to act, unless you would pay him 300l. per annum; upon which you got a licence from the Lord Mayor to act as ftrollers.

The Prologue fuppofes, that, upon your being forbidden to act, a company of country-ftrollers came and hired the Play-houfe, and your cloaths, &c. to act in.

THE

PROLOGUE.

OUR fet of strollers, wandering up and down,
Hearing the houfe was empty, came to town;
And, with a licence from our good Lord Mayor,
Went to one Griffith, formerly a player;
Him we perfuaded with a moderate bribe,
To fpeak to Elrington and all the tribe,

To let our company fupply their places,

And hire us out their scenes, and cloaths, and faces. Is not the truth the truth? Look full on me;

I am not Elrington, nor Griffith he.

When we perform, look fharp among our crew,
There's not a creature here you ever knew.
The former folks were fervants to the king;
We, humble strollers, always on the wing.

Now,

Now, for my part, I think upon the whole,
Rather than ftarve, a better man would ftroll.
Stay, let me fee-Three hundred pounds a year,.
For leave to act in town? 'Tis plaguy dear..
Now, here's a warrant; Gallants, please to mark,.
For three thirteens and fix pence to the clerk.
Three hundred pounds! were I the price to fix,,
The publick fhould beftow the actors fix..
A fcore of guineas, given under-hand,.
For a good word or so, we understand..
To help an honeft lad that 's out of place,
May cost a crown or so; a common case:
And, in a crew, 'tis no injustice thought
To ship a rogue, and pay him not a groat.
But, in the chronicles of former ages,.
Who ever heard of fervants paying wages?
I pity Elrington with all my heart;
Would he were here this night to act my part!
I told him what it was to be a stroller:
How free we acted, and had no comptroller:
In every town we wait on Mr. Mayor,
First get a licence, then produce our ware;
We found a trumpet, or we beat a drum;
Huzza (the school-boys roar) the players are come !
And then we cry, to fpur the bumpkins on,
Gallants, by Tuefday next we must be gone.
I told him, in the smootheft way I could,
All this and more, yet it would do no good.
But Elrington, tears falling from his cheeks,
He that has fhone with Betterton and Wilks,