TH

HERE is no authoritative explanation of the allusions and parodies in the present play. All that can be done is to summarize the successive attempts at its exposition.

1. Twenty years after its appearance, but in Dryden's life-time; GERARD LANGBAINE gives this account of it, in his Eng. Dram. Poets. Oxenford. p. 546. Ed. 1691.

Rehearsal, a Comedy acted at the Theatre-Royal; printed [4th Edit.] quarto Lond. 1683. This Play is ascribed to the Late Duke of Buckingham, and will ever be valued by Ingenious Men. There are some who pretend to furnish a Clavis to it; my Talent not lying to Politicks, I know no more of it, than that the Author lashes several Plays of Mr. Dryden; As Conquest of Granada, Tyrannick Love, Love in a Nunnery, and some passages of other Plays; as The Siege of Rhodes, Virgin Widow, Slighted Maid, Villain, English Monsieur, &c.

2. Dean LOCKIER in Spence's ANECDOTES, p. 63. Ed. 1820, remarks, The Rehearsal (one of the best pieces of criticism that ever was) and Butler's inimitable poem of Hudibras, must be quite lost to the readers in a century more, if not soon well commended. Tonson has a good Key to the former, but refuses to print it, because he had been so much obliged to Dryden.

3. Only two Keys have ever been printed: it may be well to consider their respective histories, before we take them in connection with the text.

(a) In 1704, in the first edition of Villiers' works in 8vo, of which I cannot learn of any copy anywhere, appeared-S. BRISCOE's Key, which has been very often reprinted; at first separate from the text in 1710, next with it as footnotes: see opposite page.

(b) June 12, 1761. Bp. T. PERCY entered into an agreement with Mess. Tonson, to publish an edition of the Works of George Villiers, the 2d Duke of Buckingham, for which he received 52 guineas. J. Nichols Lit. Anec. 18th Cent. iii. 758. Ed. 1812.

On 15 Jan. 1764, Bp. Percy thus writes to Dr. Birch.

I ought to blush for having detained your books so long; but one work has been delayed through the expectation of enlarging the stock of materials. The Key to the Rehearsal' has long been printed off, all but the last sheet, which we still keep open to receive some additions that we take for granted will be picked up from a play of Edward Howard's, entitled 'Six Days Adventure, or the New Utopia, 4to 1671,' if we can once be so lucky as to light upon it. This is the only play of that age which I have not seen. Mr. Garrick unluckily has not got it in his collection, and Mr. Tonson has advertised a small premium for it, hitherto without success. It is only scarce because it is worthless; and therefore, if chance should throw it in your way, may I intreat the favour of you to procure me a sight of it?-J. B. Nichols. Ill. of Lit. Hist. vii. 572. Ed. 1848.

Twenty-eight years later; Bp. Percy, thus writes to Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, under date 11 Aug. 1792.

I have at length been able to collect for your Lordship the sheets of Lord Surrey and the Duke of Buckingham. They have been printed off about 25 years. Since the death of Jacob Tonson, at whose instance they were undertaken, and who ought to have assigned them to other persons, they have been wholly discontinued. My fondness for these pursuits declining, I laid both those works aside, till I could offer them to some younger editor than myself, who could with more propriety resume them. I have now an ingenious nephew, of both my names, who is a fellow of St. John's College, in Oxford, and both able and desirous to complete them. To him I have given all the sheets so long since printed off, and whatever papers I had upon the subject.

Of the Duke of Buckingham' Tonson wished to have every thing collected which had ever been ascribed to him: but I believe I shall only recommend to my nephew to publish what is numbered vol. 1. in the sheets now offered to your Lordship. Between the 'Rehearsal' and the 'Key' were once printed the 'Chances' and the 'Restoration': but the intermediate sheets have been cancelled and consigned to the trunk-makers. And the same fate

awaits the smaller pieces, collected into what is herewith numbered vol. 11. They are only submitted to your Lordship in confidence, and I believe you will think them scarcely deserving republication.-J. B. Nichols, Idem, viii. p. 289. Mr. Nichols thus narrates the fate of this edition.

Dr. Percy had, soon after the year 1760, proceeded very far at the press with an admirable edition of 'Surrey's Poems,' and also with a good edition of the Works of Villiers Duke of Buckingham; both which, from a variety of causes, remained many years unfinished in the warehouse of Mr. Tonson in the Savoy, but were resumed in 1795, and nearly brought to a conclusion; when the whole impression of both works was unfortunately consumed by the fire in Red Lion Passage in 1808. Lit. Anec. 18th Cent. iii. 161. Ed. 1812.

Of this edition there is a copy in 2 Vols, complete so far as prepared but without a printed title page, in the British Musueum. [Press Mark, C 39. g.] The MS. title-page thus runs, An edition prepared by Bp. Percy. But never published. Nearly unique.' There is however under Press Mark, 643. e 10. a fragment of the first Volume containing the Rehearsal and its Key.

4. Prefaced to both these 'Keys' is an introduction. I give first Bp. PERCY'S, because though a century later in date, it describes that of 1704.

b.

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE former KEY hath long been complained of as inaccurate and
defective and yet has commonly past for the work of the Duke of
Buckingham. That it is the former, and cannot be the latter, a slight perusal
must convince every Reader. The Duke could not be ignorant of his own
meaning, nor doubtful about the aim of his own satire; yet many passages
in that work display both ignorance and doubt. That the Preface prefixed
to it was written long after the death of our noble author, evidently appears
from several passages: Thus the author quotes Collier's view of the stage,
which was first published in 1698, whereas the Duke died in 1687. He also
speaks of the Rehearsal as having flourished in print two and thirty years, which
brings it down to the year 1704, when the first edition of the KEY was printed.
We are not to wonder that an explanation of so popular a satire should be
wanted at that time by the public, or that the booksellers should be desirous
of profiting by its impatience. Accordingly in the 7th Edition of the Rehearsal
printed in 1701 4to, the title-page promises "Some explanatory notes;
" but
these upon examination appear to be only four slight marginal references, two
of which are false, and a third superfluous. At length in the second volume
of the Duke's works 8vo, the larger attempt appeared under the following title
A KEY TO THE REHEARSAL OR A CRITICAL VIEW OF THE AUTHORS
AND Their Writings, that are exposed in that celebrated Play:

Written by his Grace GEORGE late Duke of Buckingham
LONDON: Printed for S. Briscoe, 1704.

Here by a little bookseller's craft in making a break after the word PLAY, the KEY is represented as written by the Duke; when probably at first no more was meant than that the play was written by him." After all 'tis possible, that the key may have been supplied in part from some of the Duke's papers, and then the errors and defects are to be charged on those who put them together and made additions to them.

Erroneous and defective, as that attempt was, the public had little room to expect a better. It is near a century since the Rehearsal was first printed; and who at this distance of time could hope to recover any considerable matters of explanation, that had escaped former inquirers ?. No such sanguine expectations had the present compiler. The deficiences of the former key led him sometimes to look into the plays referred to, but without any intention of attempting a new one. He soon found however that some obvious improvements might still be made; and the success of his researches encouraged him to extend them; 'tiil at length he resolved by a professed pursuit, to compleat what he had begun by accidental snatches. To this he was encouraged by the free access, which Mr. Garrick in the politest manner gave him to his large collection of old plays; by far the compleatest ever made in these kingdoms. Here the editor found almost every dramatic piece in our

Continued at pages 26, 32, 36, 46, 45.

THE

REHEARSAL

As it was Acted at the

Theatre-Royal.

Printed for Thomas Dring, at the White-Lyon, next Chancery-lane end in Fleet

street. 1672.

1

Dryden, in his pre ́atory Effay Of Heroique Playes to The Con queft of Granada, Ed. 1672, thus gives the origin of the new way of writing plays.

"For Heroick Plays, (in which onely I have us'd it [i. e., Rhyme] without the mixture of Profe) the firft light we had of them on the English Theatre was from the late Sir William D'Avenant: It being forbidden him in the Rebellious times to act Tragedies and Comedies, because they contain'd some matter of Scandal to thofe good people, who could more eafily difpoffefs their lawful Sovereign then endure a wanton jeaft; he was forc'd to turn his thoughts another way; and to introduce the examples of moral vertue, writ in verfe, and perform'd in Recitative Mufique. The Original of this musick and of the Scenes which adorn'd his work, he had from the Italian Operas: but he heightn'd his Characters (as I may probably imagine) from the example of Corneille and fome French Poets. In this Condition did this

part of Poetry remain at his Majesties return. When growing bolder, as being now own'd by a publick Authority, he review'd his Siege of Rh dis, and caus'd it to be acted as a just Drama; but as few men have the happiness to begin and finish any new project, fo neither did he live to make his defign perfect.

2

(a) GERARD LANGBAINE gives this account of Lacy :

A Comedian whofe Abilities in Action were fufficiently known to all that frequented the King's Theatre, where he was for many years an Actor, and perform'd all Parts that he undertook to a miracle; infomuch that I am apt to believe, that as this Age never had, so the next never will have his Equal, at least not his Superiour. He was fo well approv'd of by King Charles the Second, an undeniable Judge in Dramatick Arts, that he caus'd his Picture to be drawn, in three several Figures in the fame Table, viz. That of Teague in the Committee, Mr. Scruple in The Cheats, and M. Galliard, in The Variety: which piece is ftill in being in Windfor Cafle. Nor did his Talent wholly lye in Acting, he knew both how to judge and write Plays: and if his Comedies are somewhat allied to French Farce, 'tis out of choice, rather than want of Ability to write true Comedy.

Account of Eng. Dram. Poets, p. 317. Oxenford, 1691.
Lacy wrote four Comedies, printed in the following years :-
Dumb Lady, or The Farriar made Phyfitian, 1672, 4to.
Old Troop, or Monfieur Ragou, 1672, 4to.

Sawny the Scot, or The Taming of a Shrew, 1677, 4to.
Sir Hercules Buffoon, or The Poetical Squire, 1684, 4tu.

(b) Dean LOCKIER, in Spence's ANECDOTES, p. 63, Ed. 1820, fays:

It is incredible what pains Buckingham took with one of the actors, to teach him to speak fome paffages in Bayes' part, in The Rehearsal right.

This actor was Lacy, fee p. 16.

PROLOGUE.

E might well call this fhort Mock-play of

'Ours

A Pofie made of Weeds inftead of Flowers;

Yet fuch have been prefented to your noses, And there are fuch, I fear, who thought 'em Roses. Would fome of 'em were here, to fee, this night, What stuff it is in which they took delight. Here, brisk, infipid Blades, for wit, let fall Sometimes dull fence; but oft'ner, none at all: There, ftrutting Heroes, with a grim-fac'd train Shall brave the Gods, in King Cambyfes vain. For (changing Rules, of late, as if men writ In spite of Reason, Nature, Art, and Wit) Our Poets make us laugh at Tragoedy, And with their Comedies they make us cry. Now, Critiques, do your worst, that here are met; For, like a Rook, I have hedg'd in my Bet.

If

you approve; I fhall affume the state

Of those high-flyers whom I imitate :
And justly too; for I will fhew you more
Than ever they vouchsaf'd to shew before:
I will both reprefent the feats they do,
And give you all their reasons for 'em too.
Some honour to me will from this arife.
But if, by my endeavours, you grow wise,
And what was once fo prais'd you now despise;
Then I'l cry out, fwell'd with Poetique rage,
'Tis I, John Lacy," have reform'd your Stage.