Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A51805
|
The generous choice a comedy / written by Mr. Manning.
|
Manning, Mr. (Francis), fl. 1688-1716.
|
1700
(1700)
|
Wing M486; ESTC R7537
|
41,780
|
56
|
THE Generous Choice A COMEDY As it is Acted at the New Theatre IN Little Lincolns-Inn-Fields BY His MAJESTY's SERVANTS Wâ—iâ—â—â—n by Mr. MANNING Lectori credere mallem Hor. LONDON Printed for R. Wellington at the Dolphin and Crown the West-end of St. Paul's Church-yard And A. Bettesworth at the Red Liâ—n on London-Bridge 1700. Newly Published The History of the Reign of Lewis XIII King of France and Navarre containing the most Remarkable Occurrences in France and Europe during the Minority of that Prince By Mr. Michel le Vassor Price 〈◊〉 A Collection of Novels in 2 Vol. viz. The Secret History of the E. of Essex and Q. Elizabeth The Happy Slave in Three Parts And The Double Cuckold To which is added The Arâ— of â—easing in Conversation By Cardinal Richlieu Vol. II. contains The Herâ—â—ne Musqueteer in 4 Parts Incognita or love and Duty Reconcil'd By Mr. Congreve The Pilgrim in 2 parts Price 10 s. Each Volume may be had singly The Tragical History of Richard the Third as it is Acted at the Theatre Royal Written by Mr. Cibber Price 1 s. is this Day publish'd where Gentlemen may have all sorts of Plays and Novels TO Christopher Codrington Esq SIR I Must own the first and chiefest Advantage I propos'd to my self in this Play was To gain the only Opportunity perhaps I shall ever have of acknowledging to the World how very much I am bound to be Yours not only out of Gratitude but Inclination From hence it might be expected according to the Course of Dedications that I should forget both You and my self in tiring you with your own Praises No Sir I consider to whom I write nor need you blush at what I am going to say tho' I know you are more afraid of your Friends on such an Occasion as this than your Enemies on any other Were it possible for me to think of but attempting your Character I should esteem my self very Happy if I could reach so far as the Out-lines of the Original To proceed any further were to draw upon my self a harder Task than ever any Painter yet had 'T were todwell upon Lights altogether without ev'n the Mixture of a Shade But if I had Strength to support the Undertaking I should beg leave to mention your Affability of Temper your Perfection in Learning a Delicacy in your Thoughts a noble Vivacity in your Expressions a matchless Fire in your Fancy and a great Exactness of Judgment To change the Scene your Personal Bravery in the Camp your Gallantry at Court your Zeal to serve your Friends your Humanity to all the World and your easie Dispatch in Business Thus consummate in Merit no wonder your Great Master's Favor should shine upon you with such Distinction as to send so Gallant a Son to succeed so Renown'd a Father in his Commands and Governments Abroad Permit me Sir on this occasion to wish you a Prosperous Voyage and all the Happiness that ever Man enjoy'd I cannot end better than with such a Wish nor can it be sent to you with greater Fervency by any one than SIR Your much Oblig'd Humble Servant F. M. PROLOGUE AS Orange-Plants that by the Gard'ner's Care T' rive by degrees and spread abroad in Air Expand their Branches and extend their Roots As thro' their Veins prolifick moisture shoots Noâ— growing fertile gratefully produce Blossoms and Fruit for their Preserver's Vse So the young Writer of the following Scenes To his good Friends on whose Support he leans Presents his very Blossom of a Play Which if you 'l have the Patience but to stay May ripen the generous Fruit one Day His humble Muse a tender Plant is found Which the first Year with Buds alone is crown'd But if mild Seasons nurse its spreading Root Succeeding years may bring forth grateful Fruit. Would to kind Heav'n That Harvest were in view For at our Lung's Expence We daily shew There ne'er was such a Dearth of Wit as now Yet were it so that Plenty at this time With her full Horn inrich'd our peaceful Clime Now to produce our Stores would be a Crime For our Wise Stage-Reclaimers would resent Th' Offence and bid us mortify in Lent Thus might we hope there 's Colour to excuse This Author's first Attempt and dawning Muse Sooth then his Pain and make his Sentence easy Methinks in Lent some Charity should seize you If you Judge nicely he despairs to Please you EPILOGUE Spoken by Miss Porter OVR Author thinks Himself Arraign'd to Day You are his Jury and his Crime the Play Me He retains a Counsel in his Case What Fee He gave me I leave You to guess I come to plead before you vent your Spight And by your Verdict Fine Him the Third Night First then as Criminals are wont He chuses Out of his Jury such and such refuses The Critick He excepts nor is it fit One should be thought for t'other's Faults a Wit Those Ladies next that shrow'd in Masks their Graces And dare shew any thing except their Faces This Plot He to their Judgments won't Submit For They 're contriving how Their own may hit The Singe han't half so many as the Pit And least their Favours should at last intrap him He 'd rather have the Vizzards Hiss than Clap Him For want of Mercy Wits are banish'd hence And most of Those who Write for want of Sense To close the Rear He challenges by Crowds Brush'd Beavers Nat'ral Bobs and Velvet Hoods And all behind the Scenes and all above the * Alluding to the Upper Gallery above the Ceiling Clouds To the Few left He lays This Maxim down That each should make the Poet's Case his own Whoe're Themselves of Ruine are afraid All Those should Him their Fellow-suff'rer Aid Souldiers Disbanded should their Pity shew And India-Merchants either Old or New You City-Dames that from your Husbands fly With borrow'd Looks to Please the Play'rs Eye And grace with Patch and Paint the Gallery When blush on blush and Charms Inch thick you lay If He your Arts should Damn as you his Play Would it not grieve you Yet the same the Case is How many here are Authors of their Faces To the sweet Beaux We make our next Complaint Both you that Vgly are and you that Paint How Sirs shall we for what He feels prepare you Let 's see What is' t would next to Fighting scare you Suppose you should in some Lampoon appear Psha What is that You 've been too often there Were you confin'd by Surgeon or by Jayler Or what is worse Deserted by your Taylor No 'T is the greatest Penance we can find To leave you Comb'd and Powder'd to the Wind As you fear This be to the Poet kind We hope at last we may good Luck divine From those Bright Stars that in the Boxes Shine Such Beauteous Eyes should smiling Favours grant Nor Pity be the only Charm they Want You n'er should Blame to whom all Praise is Due Think but of Him as all
you have been Ber. I fell in my accident as you shall know another time In the mean while we are all satisfied Joy to you all I could almost wish my self in the same condition but not with Eleonora Don Fredrick Fred. You once wish'd it with her Don Bernardo Seb. Eleonora and Bernardo This must be he who writ that Letter Sir I believe we are both deliver'd from the same perfidious Woman Did not you write lately to one Eleonora Ber. I dare confess it She us'd me ill and I let her know it Possibly your understanding with her brought you to know it Seb. That she has been of my acquaintance I don't disown But 't was pure accident made me see the Letter It serv'd to confirm me in what I before suspected and I have since broke of all correspondence with her Ber. I am glad on 't for she is a very Jilt But what had Don Philip done to her that she should hire Ruffians to Murder him Phil. Was it she then that set those Villains on to Murder me when I was so seasonably releiv'd by you Ber. So I afterwards discover'd by one of the same Ruffians whom I had wounded and seized after they had attack'd me by mistake of the Sword you gave me at parting and it seems Eleonora had hired them for a hundred Crowns to Murder you Phil. What a She-Devil is this I knew her formerly at Madrid a Woman of a light Character who would fain have perswaded me to marry her When she could not prevail she remov'd from thence hither as I had been inform'd Wherefore when I came to this Town I recollected what I had heard and enquiring her out I last Night made a visit to her and it seems by the story when I went from her she sent Villains after me to dispatch me Seb. What did she entertain You too Phil. O she was my old acquaintance and I suppose would have been reveng'd on me for the slight I had put upon her Seb. What a rare Wife I should have had Fortune thou deserv'st all things from me Fred. Well she is going to be reveng'd upon you all For I was told but now that she is resolv'd to leave the seducing World and end her Days in a Nunnery Ber. That would be strange Phil. But the best Action of her Life Seb. Ay ay to a Nunnery let her go In the mean time let Us think a little of this World and since you are all agreed let the Ladies retire and shift themselves into their own habits and wee 'l see you joyn'd together before Noon is past Fred. With all my Soul Come my Cornelia hast to make me happy Corn. Be it as you please Phil. Tho' Marriage is accounted by some a kind of servitude yet I hope my Olivia we shall have no repenting before the Year is out at least Ol. I shall make it my endeavour to give no cause on my side Phil. Come on then let us hasten to the Trial One pleasure at least I am before hand sure of and that is in the thought of making satisfaction for the wrong I have done For whatsoe'er delight Bad Men can find In doing wrong 't is the unblemish'd mind That makes our Lives most sweet our Pleasures most refin'd ADVERTISEMENT THere is newly Published the History of Lewis XII King of France and Navarre containing the most remarkable Occurrences in France and Europe during the Minority of that Prince By Monsieur Michelle Vasser Price 5 s. A Collection of Novels in two Volumes viz. The secret History of the Earl of Essex and Queen Elizabeth The Happy Slave and the Double Cuckold To which is added the Art of Pleasing in Conversation By Cardinal Richlieu Vol. II. The Heroine Musqueteer In Four parts Or Love and Duty Reconciled By Mr. Congreve The Pilgrim in two parts Price of the two Volumes 10 s. Each Volumes may be had singly There is in the Press the Elements of History from the Creation of the World to the Monarchy of Constantine the Great being an Abridgment of Howel's History of the World Done by himself Containing the affairs of the Empires in a new order and method With a description of the Kingdoms and Republicks Contempory with them And a brief account of their Magistrates and Political Governments Written Originally in Latin By William Howel L L. D. for the use of the Universities and now Translated into English Price 5 s. Where Gentlemen and Ladies may be furnished with all sorts of Novels and Plays This Day is Published the last New Tragedy call'd Richard the Third Written by Mr. Cibber FINIS