Selected quad for the lemma: majesty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
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B22957
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The unnatural brother a tragedy, as it was acted by His Majesty's servants at the theatre in Little Lincolns-Inn-Fields.
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Filmer, Edward, b. ca. 1657.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing F907
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35,641
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62
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the_o unnatural_a brother_n a_o tragedy_n as_o it_o be_v act_v by_o his_o majesty_n servant_n at_o the_o theatre_n in_o little_a lincolns-inn-field_n london_n print_v by_o j._n orme_n for_o richard_n wilkin_n at_o the_o kings-head_n in_o st._n paul's-church-yard_n mdcxcvii_o advertisement_n there_o be_v late_o publish_v ibrahim_n the_o xiii_o emperor_n of_o the_o turk_n a_o tragedy_n and_o the_o spanish_a wife_n a_o farce_n both_o write_a by_o mrs._n marry_o pix_n the_o young_a brother_n or_o amorous_a jilt_n write_v by_o mrs._n a._n behn_n print_v and_o sell_v by_o richard_n wellington_n the_o preface_n not_o many_o day_n after_o the_o very_a cold_a reception_n which_o this_o play_n meet_v with_o on_o the_o stage_n as_o i_o be_v walk_v up_o and_o down_o my_o chamber_n something_o discontent_v though_o not_o much_o mortify_v neither_o at_o the_o unkindness_n of_o the_o town_n i_o happen_v to_o cast_v my_o eye_n on_o a_o book_n which_o lie_v in_o a_o window_n and_o that_o prove_v to_o be_v the_o first_o volume_n of_o mr._n drydens_n play_n i_o open_v it_o by_o mere_a chance_n just_a on_o a_o prologue_n of_o he_o which_o begin_v thus_o self_n love_n which_o never_o right_o understand_v make_v poet_n still_o conclude_v their_o play_n be_v good_a and_o malice_n in_o all_o critic_n run_v so_o high_a that_o for_o small_a error_n they_o whole_a play_n decry_v so_o that_o to_o see_v this_o fondness_n and_o that_o spite_n you_o will_v think_v that_o none_o but_o madman_n judge_v or_o write_v i_o be_v both_o surprise_v and_o please_v with_o that_o chance_n which_o have_v so_o throw_v i_o on_o those_o verse_n for_o whereas_o before_o i_o have_v for_o some_o time_n torture_v my_o brain_n to_o find_v out_o those_o many_o imperfection_n which_o probable_o may_v have_v occasion_v the_o ill_a success_n of_o this_o play_n i_o then_o begin_v to_o lay_v aside_o some_o part_n of_o that_o care_n and_o to_o think_v that_o the_o malice_n and_o ill_a nature_n of_o the_o critic_n in_o catch_v at_o every_o little_a slip_n and_o improve_n of_o every_o inconsiderable_a fault_n may_v perhaps_o have_v a_o equal_a hand_n in_o that_o misfortune_n with_o the_o weakness_n or_o fondness_n of_o the_o poet._n i_o have_v no_o other_o way_n to_o clear_v this_o point_n and_o find_v out_o the_o truth_n of_o the_o matter_n but_o to_o employ_v all_o the_o friend_n and_o acquaintance_n i_o have_v about_o the_o town_n to_o inquire_v into_o those_o objection_n which_o be_v general_o make_v against_o this_o play_n they_o do_v it_o and_o as_o i_o have_v very_o good_a reason_n to_o believe_v give_v i_o a_o faithful_a account_n of_o all_o and_o yet_o all_o at_o last_o come_v to_o no_o more_o than_o this_o that_o the_o play_n be_v too_o grave_a for_o the_o age_n that_o i_o have_v make_v choice_n of_o too_o few_o person_n and_o that_o the_o stage_n be_v never_o fill_v there_o seldom_o appear_v above_o two_o at_o a_o time_n and_o never_o above_o three_o till_o the_o end_n and_o wind_a up_o of_o the_o whole_a these_o be_v the_o mighty_a fault_n that_o have_v so_o entire_o damn_v this_o play_n and_o yet_o if_o these_o must_v be_v think_v fault_n now_o in_o our_o nice_a age_n i_o be_o sure_a they_o be_v not_o think_v such_o heretofore_o by_o the_o ancient_n for_o they_o general_o make_v use_v of_o but_o few_o person_n and_o never_o make_v it_o any_o part_n of_o their_o business_n to_o fill_v the_o stage_n nay_o we_o all_o know_v that_o horace_n lay_v it_o down_o as_o a_o rule_n nec_fw-la quarta_fw-la loqui_fw-la persona_fw-la laboret_fw-la nor_o be_v these_o thought_n fault_n by_o our_o more_o modern_a critic_n about_o fifteen_o or_o twenty_o year_n ago_o when_o that_o excellent_a play_n of_o the_o orphan_n first_o appear_v on_o the_o stage_n for_o that_o though_o liable_a to_o all_o the_o very_a same_o exception_n which_o hitherto_o have_v be_v make_v against_o this_o yet_o be_v receive_v with_o all_o the_o applause_n imaginable_a i_o must_v confess_v foresee_v part_n of_o what_o have_v since_o happen_v and_o mere_o to_o gratify_v the_o rabble_n after_o i_o have_v finish_v this_o play_n i_o add_v a_o comical_a part_n to_o it_o wherein_o so_o there_o be_v but_o a_o smart_a kind_n of_o a_o hurry_n and_o confusion_n with_o a_o song_n or_o two_o at_o the_o end_n his_o nam_fw-la plebecula_fw-la gaudet_fw-la i_o think_v it_o will_v have_v pass_v well_o enough_o but_o the_o comedy_n be_v altogether_o independent_a from_o the_o tragedy_n and_o the_o whole_a appear_v something_o too_o long_a the_o first_o time_n it_o be_v act_v i_o easy_o consent_v to_o have_v it_o all_o leave_v out_o and_o so_o throw_v myself_o whole_o on_o the_o man_n of_o sense_n for_o my_o judge_n verum_fw-la equitis_fw-la quoque_fw-la jam_fw-la migravit_fw-la ab_fw-la aure_fw-la voluptas_fw-la omnis_fw-la ad_fw-la incertos_fw-la oculos_fw-la &_o gaudia_fw-la vana_fw-la for_o to_o my_o cost_n i_o find_v that_o even_o our_o man_n of_o sense_n have_v be_v so_o long_o entertain_v with_o the_o gaudy_a glare_a splendour_n of_o our_o operas_fw-la that_o nothing_o now_o can_v please_v their_o eye_n but_o what_o dazzle_v they_o and_o that_o their_o ear_n have_v of_o late_a be_v so_o well_o belabour_v with_o drum_n kettledrum_n trumpet_n and_z hautboys_z that_o they_o be_v almost_o become_v deaf_a to_o sense_n or_o any_o thing_n else_o convey_v to_o they_o in_o a_o less_o noise_n than_o those_o their_o darling-consort_n general_o be_v but_o no_o more_o of_o this_o which_o may_v seem_v a_o little_a tart_a and_o to_o savour_v strange_o of_o the_o vanity_n of_o a_o discontent_a poet_n who_o will_v be_v sure_a to_o find_v out_o any_o other_o reason_n for_o the_o miscarriage_n of_o his_o play_n than_o that_o which_o be_v perhaps_o the_o only_a true_a one_o i_o mean_v the_o badness_n of_o it_o but_o i_o have_v almost_o forget_v to_o acquaint_v the_o reader_n with_o one_o objection_n more_o against_o this_o play_n than_o what_o i_o have_v yet_o mention_v on_o the_o three_o day_n there_o be_v a_o certain_a lady_n in_o one_o of_o the_o box_n who_o think_v she_o can_v not_o more_o effectual_o decry_v it_o than_o by_o declare_v aloud_o that_o it_o be_v nothing_o but_o a_o old_a story_n take_v out_o of_o cassandra_n and_o i_o ready_o grant_v it_o yet_o can_v by_o no_o mean_n allow_v that_o to_o be_v a_o fault_n mr._n dryden_n have_v say_v too_o much_o in_o the_o defence_n of_o such_o a_o innocent_a piece_n of_o theft_n and_o extreme_o well_o justify_v the_o thing_n both_o by_o his_o argument_n and_o practice_n all_o i_o desire_v of_o that_o lady_n by_o way_n of_o amends_o be_v that_o if_o ever_o these_o paper_n have_v the_o happiness_n to_o reach_v her_o hand_n she_o will_v be_v please_v to_o renew_v her_o acquaintance_n with_o the_o story_n of_o alcinoe_n in_o that_o romance_n and_o compare_v it_o with_o this_o play_n and_o then_o i_o dare_v be_v bold_a to_o affirm_v she_o will_v not_o think_v i_o overmuch_o behold_v to_o it_o but_o may_v perhaps_o be_v so_o charitable_a as_o to_o entertain_v a_o more_o favourable_a opinion_n both_o of_o the_o play_n and_o of_o the_o poet._n i_o have_v but_o one_o word_n more_o to_o the_o reader_n and_o then_o i_o shall_v leave_v he_o to_o the_o play_n either_o to_o read_v it_o or_o let_v it_o alone_o which_o he_o please_v and_o that_o be_v that_o he_o will_v not_o charge_v i_o with_o any_o error_n of_o the_o press_n the_o bookseller_n in_o my_o absence_n have_v undertake_v the_o care_n of_o inspect_v it_o and_o therefore_o he_o only_o ought_v to_o be_v accountable_a for_o all_o such_o fault_n edw._n filmer_n prologue_n bless_v be_v these_o happy_a day_n if_o ever_o any_o when_o poet_n flow_v with_o wit_n and_o you_o with_o money_n but_o now_o both_o wit_n and_o money_n run_v so_o low_a they_o be_v at_o the_o poor_a ebb_n they_o ever_o can_v know_v this_o clip_v that_o dwindle_v into_o farce_n and_o show_n as_o for_o our_o coin_n the_o wisdom_n of_o the_o state_n may_v stop_v our_o ruin_n and_o prevent_v our_o fate_n what_o will_v nâ—t_o pass_v by_o tale_n may_v pass_v by_o weight_n but_o who_o can_v our_o corrupt_a wit_n restore_v and_o make_v that_o currant_n as_o it_o be_v before_o o_o can_v we_o but_o with_o equal_a balance_n sit_v and_o by_o the_o nice_a sâ—ruples_n weigh_v out_o wit_n how_o many_o piece_n good_a and_o fair_a to_o sight_n will_v yet_o be_v find_v by_o many_o grain_n too_o light_a in_o this_o great_a dearth_n of_o wit_n our_o poet_n here_o presume_v to_o treat_v you_o with_o his_o country_n fare_v not_o that_o he_o think_v it_o better_o than_o your_o own_o or_o what_o you_o daily_o meet_v with_o in_o this_o town_n no_o though_o a_o poet_n he_o be_v not_o so_o vain_a you_o be_v to_o judge_v he_o but_o to_o entertain_v freedom_n of_o censure_n he_o