Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A36994
|
The marriage-hater match'd a comedy acted at the Theatre Royal by Their Majesties servants / written by Tho. D'Urfey.
|
D'Urfey, Thomas, 1653-1723.
|
1692
(1692)
|
Wing D2749; ESTC R3836
|
71,044
|
70
|
THE MARRIAGE-HATER Match'd A COMEDY ACTED at the Theatre Royal By THEIR MAJESTIES SERVANTS Written by THO. D'URFEY Gent. LONDON Printed for Richard Bentley at the Post-House in Russel-Street in Covent-Garden 1692. TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS and Truly NOBLE Prince JAMES Duke Marquess and Earl of Ormond in England and Ireland Earl of Ossory and Viscount Thurles Baron of Arclo Lord of the Regallities and Liberties of the County of Tiperary Baron of Lanthony Earl of Brecknock Chancellor of the University of Oxford one of the Lords of the Bed-Chamber to His Sacred Majesty and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter May it Please Your Grace WHEN first my Propitious or Malignant Stars influenc'd the little Genius I now pretend to in Poetry the Incouragement I had from your Noble Grandfather whose Extraordinary Iudgment in the Beauties of that Art as well as Generous Candour in Excusing the Errours of it render'd him best capable of being a Patron ingag'd me to Launch my ill ballass'd Bark into an Ocean where most of our Tribe too late find themselves becalm'd with uncertain Applause or else wrack'd in the storm of ill-natur'd Criticism Yet had that Illustrious Hero's Commands such an August Prerogative over me that knowing my Fame sufficiently Establish'd in his Applause successful enough I ventur'd on 'till his never to be forgotten loss to all in General made me too sadly deplore my own in particular How Charming a thing is Dignity when adorn'd with the glittering Crown of Sence and the humble Robe of Humility The Great Ormond was blest with both in perfection and not only a true Iudge and Generous Patron of Arts and Sciences but modestly familiar with Virtue tho' in Rags never slighting the poor Scholar for his Thread-bare Coat nor pleas'd with the vain outside of an Embroyder'd Fopp whose inside he knew to be unfurnish'd I infer this as lamenting the ill fortune of Poets that are not bless'd with a Friendly Party or a Iudicious Patron whose allow'd Vnderstanding as well as generous good Nature can defend their Works from Malicious Censurers the Time's Vices will bear no Reflection and let the Play be never so just to the Rules if a Rott me Spark finds himself hit or Madam La Pupsey takes the hint that her dear Lap-Dog is expos'd the Labour it self is like to be the Poet 's only Reward Modest Reproof is taken for absurd Abuse and honest Satyr for Dogmatick Slaunder And though Horace reflecting upon such as are blind to â—heir own Vices in his time had Courage enough to dare to tell 'em Stultus Improbus hic Amor est dignusque notari Yet had he liv'd in this Age and in some Satyrical Piece had dar'd to Expose a Maenius c. without a Maecenas to Protect it his Merit tho' never so Extraordinary or Fancy or Stile were it never so pure would all be too weak to defend it against the Critical Party that found themselves Concern'd This I must humbly inform your Grace I mean as to the General state of Satyrical Poets without any reflection upon my own the ensuing Scenes being design'd for diversion and more proper to oblige an Audience to smile than frown and tho' some perhaps being affected with ill Humours might pick out something to dislike they generously agreed to incourage my Profit and those that found themselves pleas'd I thank my Stars still far exceeded the others in number Having at last so well acquitted it self on the Stage tho' the thronging imperfect Action and worse than all the faulty length which I will never be guilty of again render'd it little Diversion the first day I confess I could not stifle my Ambition of defiring this honour of your Graces Patronage and as I have already always found a true Maecenas in your Illustrious Family You by a free and easie grant of so great a favour an endearing sweetness in Behaviour and graceful Condescension have so added to my heap of Obligations that I am disâ—bled by â—xcess to instruct my Pen my heart 's grateful Sentiments All Praise is too low when it approaches to your Graces Character to say you are adorn'd with the Graceful Humility Eternal Honour and Wisdom of your admir'd Grandfather the Merit Loyalty and unequal'd Bravery of your Martial Father whose Loss our Bleeding Country has never yet recover'd i Praise indeed but scarce aspiring to your Desert your Glorious Campaign with his Sacred Majesty and all your other Actions during this Reign sufficiently sounding your Applause and ingaging every true Englishman not only to Love but Admire amongst the Crowd of which I think it my greatest Honour to be Ranked esteeming no good Fortune greater than to be allow'd My Lord Your Lordship 's Most Humble Devoted and Obedient Servant T. D'URFEY A LETTER TO Mr. D'URFEY Occasioned by his PLAY Called the Marriage-Hater Match'd Dear Friend I AM sensible the World will esteem a Friend too Partial a Judge of the performance of a Friend yet since I am satisfied that I can divest my self of all prejudice against the Writings of even an Enemy and allow him that praise which Justice requires I think I may with the greater assurance say that I will give no more favourable Censure on this Play of yours than the severest Critick ought if he but regulate himself according to the merits of the Cause and will let Reason and the Rules of Art weigh more with him than the inconsiderate Railings of some of your Enemies or the ungenerous malice of others who because they have attempted the Province of Comedy with less success think to regain their Credit by Damning every one that has the Art of Pleasing beyond them and since they cannot arrive to the Excellence of the Old way of Writing would advance a new one of their own production adapted to their undesigning Genius But that which is thâ— most strange is that some of our Criticks like Juglers stare us in the face and Palm upon us their own Fancy for the Opinion and Practices of the Ancients and perswade us that a Bundle of Dialogues was all that was ever required to the framing a good Play and that Terence had no other Excellence but the neatness of Phrase Either they never read that Poet themselves or suppose no body else did otherwise I cannot imagine how they can maintain so gross a falsity which may so easily be contradicted by a â—â—ort view of the Plots of his Comedies I will begin with his first called â—â—dria Pamphilus the Son of Simo debauches Glyceriam the supposed Sister of Chrysis a Native of the Island of Andros she proves with Child and he infinitely enamour'd of her promises her Marriage with a full Resolution to be as good as his word but Chremes won with the good Character and Parts of Pamphilus proposes his Daughter Phileumena for his Wife to Simo the Old Men agree and settle the Preliminaries the Wedding day approaches but the death of Chrysis the supposed Sâ—â—ter