PROLOGUE.

WE might well call this short mock-play of ours

A poefy made of weeds, instead of flowers;
Yet fuch have been presented 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 rogues, for wit, let fall
Sometimes dull fenfe; but oftener none at all:
There, ftrutting heroes, with a grim,fac'd train,
Shall brave the gods, in king Cambyfes vein:
For (changeing rules, of late, as if men writ
In fpite of reafon, nature, art and wit)
Our poets make us laugh at tragedy,

And with their comedies they make us cry.
Now, criticks, do your worst, that here are met;
For, like a rock, I have hedg'd in my bet.

If

you approve ; I shall affume the state

Of thofe high-flyers whom I imitate:

And justly too, for I will teach you more
Than ever they would let you know before:
I will not only fhew the feats they do,
But give you all their reasons for 'em too.
Some honour may to me from hence arise:
But if, by my endeavours, you grow wife,
And what you once fo prais'd, fhall now despise;
Then I'll cry out, fwell'd with poetic rage,
'Tis I, John Lacy, have reform'd your stage.
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The

REHEARS A L.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Johnfon and Smith.

Johns HONEST Frank! I am glad to see thee

with all my heart. How long hast thou been in town?

Smi. Faith not above an hour: and, if I had not met you here, I had gone to look you out; for I long to talk with you freely, of all the ftrange new things we have heard in the country.

Johnf. And by my troth, I have long'd as much to laugh with you, at all the impertinent, dull, fantastical things, we are tir'd out with here.

Smi. Dull and fantastick! that's an excellent compofition. Pray what are our men of bufinefs doing?

Johnf. I ne'er enquire after 'em. Thou knowest my humour lies another way. I love to please myself as much, and to trouble others as little as I can and therefore do naturally avoid the company of those folemn fops; who, being incapable of reason, and infenfible of wit and pleasure, are always

B 4

always looking grave, and troubling one another, in hopes to be thought men of business.

Smi. Indeed, I have ever obferv'd, that your grave, lookers are the dulleit of men.

Johnf. Ay, and of birds, and beafts too: your graveft bird is an owl, and your graveft beaft is an afs.

Smi. Well, but how doft thou pass thy time?

John. Why, as I ufe to do; eat, and drink as well as I can, have a fhe-friend to be private with in the afternoon, and sometimes fee a play: Where are fuch things (Frank) fuch hideous, monftrous things, that it has almost made me forfwear the stage, and refolve to apply myself to the folid nonsense of your men of business, as the more ingenious paftime.

Smi. I have heard indeed, you have had lately many new plays; and our country wits commend 'em.

Johnf. Ay, fo do fome of our city wits too; but they are of the new kind of wits.

Smi. New kind! what kind is that?

Johnf. Why, your virtuofi, your civil perfons, your drolls: fellows that fcorn to imitate nature; but are given altogether to elevate and furprize.

Smi. Elevate and furprise! pr'ythee make me understand the meaning of that.

Johnf. Nay, by my troth; that's a hard matter: I don't understand that myself. "Tis a phrafe they have got among them, to exprefs their nomeaning by. I'll tell you, as near as I can, what it is. Let me fee: 'tis fighting, loving, fleeping, rhiming, dying, dancing, finging, crying: and every thing, but thinking and sense.

Mr. Bayes paffes over the stage.

Bayes. Your moft obfequious, and moft obfer. vant, very fervant, Sir.

Johnf. So, this is an author! I'll go fetch him

to you.

Smi. No pr'ythee let him alone.

Johnf. Nay, by the lord I'll have him.

[Goes after him. Here he is, I have caught him. Pray Sir, now for my, fake, will you do a favour to this friend of

mine ?

Bayes. Sir, it is not within my small capacity to do favours, but receive 'em; efpecially from a perfon that does wear the honourable title you are a pleas'd