Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34302
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Love for love a comedy : acted at the Theatre in Little Lincolns-Inn Fields by His Majesty's servants / written by Mr. Congreve.
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Congreve, William, 1670-1729.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing C5851; ESTC R8699
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67,913
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110
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LOVE for LOVE Written by Mr. CONGREVE LOVE for LOVE A COMEDY Acted at the THEATRE in Little Lincolns-Inn Fields BY His Majesty's Servants Written by Mr. CONGREVE Nudus agris nudus nummis paternis Insanire parat certa ratione modoque Hor. LONDON Printed for Iacob Tonson at the Iudge's-Head near Inner-Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet 1695. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES Earl of Dorset and Middlesex Lord Chamberlain of His Majesty's Houshold and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter c. MY LORD A Young Poet is liable to the same Vanity and Indiscretion with a Young Lover and the Great Man that smiles upon one and the Fine Woman that looks kindly upon t' other are each of 'em in Danger of having the Favour publish'd with the first Opportunity But there may be a different Motive which will a little distinguish the Offenders For tho' one should have a Vanity in ruining another's Reputation yet the other may only have an Ambition to advance his own And I beg leave my Lord that I may plead the latter both as the Cause and Excuse of this Dedication Whoever is King is also the Father of his Country and as no body can dispute Your Lordship's Monarchy in Poetry so all that are concern'd ought to acknowledge Your Universal Patronage And it is only presuming on the Priviledge of a Loyal Subject that I have ventur'd to make this my Address of Thanks to Your Lordship which at the same time includes a Prayer for Your Protection I am not Ignorant of the Common Form of Poetical Dedications which are generally made up of Panegyricks where the Authors endeavour to distinguish their Patrons by the shining Characters they give them above other Men. But that my Lord is not my business at this time nor is Your Lordship now to be distinguish'd I am contented with the Honour I do my self in this Epistle without the Vanity of attempting to add to or explain Your Lordship's Character I confess it is not without some strugling that I behave my self in this Case as I ought For it is very hard to be pleased with a Subject and yet forbear it But I chuse rather to follow Pliny's Precept than his Example when in his Panegyrick to the Emperour Trajan he says Nec minus considerabo quid aures ejus pati possint Quam quid virtutibus debeatur I hope I may be excus'd the Pedantry of a Quotation when it is so justly apply'd Here are some Lines in the Print and which your Lordship read before this Play was Acted that were omitted on the Stage and particularly one whole Scene in the Third Act which not only helps the Design forward with less Precipitation but also heightens the ridiculous Character of Foresight which indeed seems to be maim'd without it But I found my self in great danger of a long Play and was glad to help it where I could Tho' notwithstanding my Care and the kind Reception it had from the Town I could heartily wish it yet shorter But the Number of Different Characters represented in it would have been too much crowded in less room This Reflection on Prolixity a Fault for which scarce any one Beauty will attone warns me not to be tedious now and detain Your Lordship any longer with the Trifles of MY LORD Your Lordship 's Most Obedient and Most Humble Servant WILL. CONGREVE A PROLOGUE FOR The opening of the new Play-House propos'd to be spoken by Mrs. Bracegirdle in Man's Cloaths Sent from an unknown Hand CUSTOM which every where bears mighty Sway Brings me to act the Orator to Day But Women you will say are ill at Speeches 'T is true and therefore I appear in Breeches Not for Example to you City-Wives That by Prescription's setled for your Lives Was it for gain the Husband first consented O yes their Gains are mightily augmented Making Horns wiâ—h her Hands over her Head And yet methinks it must havecost some Strife A Passive Husband and an Active Wife 'T is awkward very awkward by my Life But to my Speech Assemblies of all Nations Still are suppos'd to open with Orations Mine shall begin to shew our Obligations To you our Benefactors lowly Bowing Whose Favours have prevented our undoing A long Egyptian Bondage we endur'd Till Freedom by your Iustice we procur'd Our Taskmasters were grown such very Jews We must at length have Play'd in Wooden Shooes Had not your Bounty taught us to refuse Freedom's of English growth I think alone What for lost English Freedom can attone A Free-born Player loaths to be compell'd Our Rulers Tyraniz'd and We Rebell'd Freedom the Wise Man's Wish the Poor Man's Wealth Which you and I and most of us enjoy by Stealth The Soul of Pleasure and the Sweet of Life The Woman's Charter Widdow Maid or Wife This they 'd have cancell'd and thence grew the Strife But you perhaps wou'd have me here confess How we obtain'd the Favour Can 't you guess Why then I 'll tell you for I hate a Lye By Brib'ry errant Brib'ry let me dye I was their Agent but by Iove I swear No honourable Member had a share Tho' young and able Members bid me Fair I chose a wiser way to make you willing Which has not cost the House a single Shilling Now you suspect at least I â—ent a Billing You see I 'm Young and to that Air of Youth Some will add Beauty and a little Truth These Pow'rful Charms improv'd by Pow'rful Arts Prevail'd to captivate your op'ning Hearts Thus furnish'd I prefer'd my poor Petition And brib'd ye to commiserate our Condition I Laugh'd and Sigh'd and Sung and Leer'd upon ye With Roguish Loving Looks and that way won ye The Young Men kiss'd me and the Old I kiss'd And luringly I led them as I list The Ladies in meer Pity took our Parts Pity 's the darling Passion of their Hearts Thus Bribing or thus Brib'd fear no Disgraces For thus you may take Bribes and keep your Places PROLOGUE Spoken at the opening of the New House By Mr. Betterton THE Husbandman in vain renews his Toil To cultivate each Year a hungry Soil And fondly hopes for rich and generous Fruit When what should feed the Tree devours the Root Th unladen Boughs he sees bode certain Dearth Unless transplanted to more kindly Earth So the poor Husbands of the Stage who found Their Labours lost upon the ungrateful Ground This last and only Remedy have prov'd And hope new Fruit from ancient Stocks remov'd Well may they hope when you so kindly aid And plant a Soil which you so rich have made As Nature gave the World to Man's first Age So from your Bounty we receive this Stage The Freedom Man was born to you 've restor'd And to our World such Plenty you afford It seems like Eden fruitful of its own accord But since in Paradise frail Flesh gave way And when but two were made both went astray Forbear your Wonder and the Fault forgive If