with bitterns, herons, cranes, and peacocks ? But it is vain for us to complain of the faults and errors of the world, unléfs we lend our helping-hand to retrieve them. To conclude, our greatest Author of Dramatic Poctry, Mr. Dryden, has made use of the mysteries of this Art in the Prologues to two of his Plays, one a Tragedy, the other a Comedy; in which he has shewn his greatest art, and proved most successful. I had not seen the Play for some years, before I hit upon almost the same words that he has in the following Prologue to “ All for Love:” “ Fops may have leave to level all they can, “ As Pigmies would be glad to top a man. “ Half-wits are fleas, so little and so light, “ We scarce could know they live, but that they bite. “But, as the rich, when tir'd with daily feasts, “ For change, become their next poor tenant's guests, • Drink hearty draughts of Ale from plain brown bowls, “ And snatch the komely Rasher from the coals; “ So you, retiring from much better cheer, * For once may venture to do penance here ; 6. And, since that plenteous Autumn now is past, “ Whose grapes and peaches have indulg'd your taste, * Take in good part from our poor l'oet's board « Such shriveled fruit as Winter can afford.” How fops and fleas thould come together, I cannot easily account for; but I doubt not but his ale, rajber, grapes, peaches, and priveled apples, might “ Pit, “ Box, and Gallery," it well enough. His Prologue to 66 Sir Martin Mar-all” is such an exquisite Poem, taken from the same Art, that I could with it translated into Latin, to be prefixed to Dr. Lifter's Work. The whole is as follows: : PROLOGUE. *** Are yet *“ Fools, which each man meets in his dish each day, the great regalia of a play; *** In which to poets you but just appear, * To prize that highest which cost them so dear. <<< Fops in the town more eafily will pass, * One story makes a statutable ass: “ But such in Plays must be much thicker fown, “ Like yolks of eggs, a dozen beat to one. Obferving Poets all their walks invade, “ As men watch woodcocks gliding through a glade; * And, when they have enough for Comedy, “ They 'stow their several bodies in a pye. « 'The Poet's but the Cook to fathion it, • For, Gallants, you yourselves have found the wit, : To bid you welcome, would your bounty wrong: “None welcome those who bring their cheer * along." The image (which is the great perfection of a Poet) is to extremely lively, and well painted, that methinks I fee the whole audience with a dish of buttered eggs in one hand, and a woodcock-pye in the other. I hope I a * Some Criticks read it Chair. King. may may be excufed, after so great an example; for I declare I have no defign but to encourage Learning, and am very far from any defigns against it. And therefore I hope the worthy gentleman, who said that the “ Journey to London" ought to be burnt by the common hangman, as a Book, that, if received, would discourage ingenuity, would be pleased not to make his bonfire at the upper end of Ludgate-street, for fear of endangering the Booksellers' shops and the Cathedral. I have abundance more to say upon these subjects; but I am afraid my first course is so tedious, that you will excuse me both the second course and the dessert, and call for pipes and a candle. But consider, the Papers come from an old Friend; and spare them out ef compaflion to, SIR, &c. SIR, to, and therefore have not troubled you with my Letters to congratulate your good fortune in London, or to bemoan our unhappiness in the loss of you here. The occasion of this is, to desire your assistance in a matter that I am fallen into by the advice of some friends ; but, unless they help me, it will be impoflible for me to get out of it. I have had the misfortune to : in Windfor bowls, baron bracks, and large fimnels, fent for presents from Lichfield. But now, on the contrary, it would shew his reading, if the Poet put a ben-turkey upon a table in a Tragedy; and therefore I would advise it in Hamlet, instead of their painted trifles; and I believe it would give more satisfaction to the actors. For Diodorus Siculus reports, how the filters of Meleager, or Diomedes, mourning for their brother, were turned into hen-turkeys; from whence proceeds their stateliness of gate, reservedness in conversation, and melancholy in the tone of their voice, and all their actions. But this wouid be the most improper meat in the world for a Comedy; for melancholy and distress require a different fort of diet, as well as language : and I have heard of a fair lady, that was pleased to say, " that, if she were upon a strange road, 46 and driven to great necessity, she believed she might “ for once be able to sup upon a sack-poset and a fat “ capon.” I ain sure Poets, as well as Cooks, are for having all words nicely chofen and properly adapted; and therefore, I believe, they would shew the same regret that I do, to hear persons of some rank and quality say, “ Pray cut up that goose. Help me to some of that “ chicken, hen, or capon, or half that plover ;” not considering how indiscreetly they talk, before men of -art, whose proper terms are, “ Break that Goose ;'“ fruft that Chicken;"_" spoil that Hen;"'--sauce that “ Capon;"--mince that Plover."-If they are so much out in common things, how much more will they be with bitterns, herons, cranes, and peacocks ? But it is vain for us to complain of the faults and errors of the world, unless we lend our helping hand to retrieve them. To conclude, our greatest Author of Dramatic Poctry, Mr. Dryden, has made use of the mysteries of this Art in the Prologues to two of his Plays, one a Tragedy, the other a Comedy; in which he has fhewn his greatest art, and proved most successful. I had not seen the Play for some years, before I hit upon almost the same words that he has in the fol. lowing Prologue to “ All for Love:” “ Fops may have leave to level all they can, “ As Pigmies would be glad to top a man. 65 Half-wits are Aleas, so little and so light, “ We scarce could know they live, but that they bite. “ But, as the rich, when tir'd with daily feasts, • For change, become their next poor tenant's guests, “ Drink hearty draughts of Ale from plain brown bowls, “ And snatch the homely Raper from the coals; “ So you, retiring from much better cheer, 16 For once may venture to do penance here ; “* And, since that plenteous Autumn now is past, 66 Whose grapes and peaches have indulg'd your taste, « Take in good part from our poor Poet's board 66 Such Thriveled fruit as Winter can afford.” How fops and fleas thould come together, I cannot easily account for ; but I doubt not but his ale, rasher, grapes, peaches, and shriveled apples, might “ Pit, |
