Selected quad for the lemma: majesty_n
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A55540
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The Cornish comedy as it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Dorset-Garden by His Majesty's servants.
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Powell, George, 1658?-1714.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing P3048; ESTC R19406
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43,608
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62
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THE Cornish Comedy As it is ACTED AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL IN Dorset-Garden BY His MAJESTY's Servants Non fumum ex fulgore sed ex fumo dare lucem Cogitat Hor. de Arte Poetica LONDON Printed for D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar and T. Bennet at the Half Moon in St. Paul's Church-yard and K. Gately at the upper end of Ship yard without Temple-Bar MDCXCVI TO CHRISTOPHER RICH Esq One of the Pattentees of His Majesty's Theatres SIR THIS Play the Conception of a few loose hours being committed by the Author to my Hand to Dispose in the World I cannot Discharge the Adoption I have taken of it better than by making a Present of it here And truly SIR for a Worthy Patron You stand my Noblest Choice Ev'n the proudest Greatness and Nobility are but Poorer Shrines to Offer at For that Great Lord and this Noble Lady may Patronize a Play and Cherish an Author But You SIR in Your Higher Province are the Support of Playing it Self And if the Diversion of the Stage makes so considerable a part of the Entertainment of the Age without Flattery I may tell You That Your Self is one of the Greatest Founders of that Feast For no Man has pusht Fairer or ventured Franklier to carry on the Muses Cause even in their Mourning Days and most Declining Circumstances and with that Unmurmuring Cheerfulness that You never Repined at Your Profusest Favours in their Protection As You stand thus Extraordinary Qualified for this Humble Address so I avow to the World That I intend in this Offering a Piece of Devotion above that of a Common Dedication For I do not so much Dedicate the Play to You as I do my Self You are so much the Gentleman a Name that includes all Titles in Your Candour and Goodness and the Conduct of Your whole Administration amongst us that nothing but the highest ingratitude can play the Infidel with You. 'T is true You have Unhappily met with too many Barbarous Returns from Muâ—…murers and Mutineers whilst the Popular Outcry of Oppression the too Common though never so False Pretence for Rebellion has not been wanting to too many Renegadoes to fall from You But as the fairest Standard and the Best Cause will sometimes have Deserters their Revolt is their Shame not Yours For Your True Worth when throughly known will be found to stand above the Reach of their false Calumny and Detraction And against all such poor Apostacy I here enter my publick Protestation and Abhorrence and here like an Honest Subscription to a Loyal Association declare my self SIR Your Ever Unshaken and most truly Faithful Servant GEORGE POWELL THE PREFACE I Am not ignorant that Criticks like London Iuries are apâ—… iâ—… give quite different Verdicts upon the same Faults aggravated 〈◊〉 the same Circumstances and the same Thing shall be Condemned as an Inexcuseable Fault in one and Applaâ—…ded as a Beauty in another This Reflection made me at first unwilling to expose this Play to the publick View but when I considered how many Young Criminals have found Favour for no other Reason that I could find but that it was their first Fault I resolved to let it stand its Tryal where I shall leave it to take its Fate according to its Deserts This Play was written for my own private Diversion in the Country where the Scene is laid and brought on the Stage for the Diversion of others If it has had the good Fortune to please I have my end If not yet I hope my good Natur'd Intention will be so far from being Imputed to me as a Fault that it will Atone at least for someof the Errors I have committed There is one Objection made by Persons of that strange Antipathy to any thing that is Obscene that the least tincture of it strangely Disorders them that is laid to its Charge which after the Plays I have seen crowded and admired did not a little surprize me for I was so far from being Conscious to my self of having intrenched on Decency more than ordinary that my greatest fear was that it would prove too Modest for this Age But I hope this is only a piece of Female Hypocrisie and that which is condemned in publick will become Matter of private Diversion But Reader I will stay thee no longer at the Door go in and see what the Nice Humour of this Age takes Offence at and with me Congratulate the happy Change PROLOGUE By Mr. Haines in a Barrister's Gown May it please this Honourable House MY Cornish Clyent whose Mâ—…se is to be try'd Begs what I humbly conceive â—…an't be deny'd That you 'll admit me Counsel of his side We Claim it by the Act Pray hear our Reason Nonsence is always in this Court held Treason Therefore I Move That Silence in this Court be kept Whilst we against the Iury do except First then We Challenge Criticks They don't Act like Christians They 'r Hittites Gergashites they 'r meer Physitians To us I 'm sure and still will so remain Till Sampson like our Locks are grown again And next All those who make a Trade of Writing As Fencing-Masters are forbidden Fighting We Challenge All Quality-Fops that Whisper Orange-Wenches Why are such Locusts suffer'd on our Benches They put off rotten Oranges to a Novice Hussy's If you 'd Thrive Set up an Insurance Office In Cupid's Mansions Lovers will desire That all his Tenants be secur'd from Fire We Challenge with Submission All your News Whisperers who with wise Grimaces Carry the Fate of Kingdoms in their Faces In Theory of Warfare so well known That ere the Siege was laid they 'd ta'en the Town Be all such Coffee Iudges banisht hence Let 'um to Garraway's there beat the French We Challenge Peremptorily All Toping Rakes that Booz till break a day Then Stagger to the Chocolate House thence to the Play To Break a poor Fellow's Head would have 'um pay Thirsting for Fame but Thirsting more for Drink How can they Iudge that can't pretend to Think My Client likes none of those for Iurymen No Soldier nor no Courtier With Submission Who then Since he scorns Wits and all Poetick Rules We move for a Jury of such the Wits call Fools Rich Country-Puts and Grave Substantial Cits Who live on their own Estates and not like Wits Well-meaning Dunces by Predestination That Laugh at all your frothy Wit o' th' Nation Who when you Wits Swear Damme 'T is all Stuff Will cry No Faith methinks 't is well enough These are the Men that we expect to Night Should do both Vizor Mask and Poet right Like Hudibras profound in Analiticks Such 〈◊〉 would save the Play and Damn the Critick Wâ—… 〈◊〉 such a Iury our Poet will look as blank As he were to receive his Third day from the Bank The First Part of the Dialogue Sung by Mr. Bowen and Mrs. Cross between the Second and Third Acts. The Words by Mr. Haynes and Set by Mr. Clarke Damon IF