Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes

• Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. • Typographical errors were silently corrected. • Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book. • Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). • Superscripts are written using a caret (^) followed by the text enclosed in braces (^{superscript}).

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_HURLOTHRUMBO_:

OR: THE

SUPER-NATURAL

As it is Acted at the

NEW-THEATRE,

IN THE

HAY-MARKET.

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Written by Mr. SAMUEL JOHNSON, of _Cheshire_.

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_Ye Sons of Fire, read my_ HURLOTHRUMBO,
_Turn it betwixt your Finger and your Thumbo,
And being quite outdone, be quite struck dumbo._

--------------------------------------------------

_LONDON_:

Printed for the AUTHOR And,

_Dublin_: Re-Printed by JAMES HOEY, and GEORGE
FAULKNER, at the _Pamphlet-Shop_ in _Skinner-Row_
opposite to the _Tholsel_, MDCCXXIX.

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TO

The Honourable the

Lady _DELVES_.

MADAM,

When I think of your Goodness, it gives me Encouragement to put my Play under your grand Protection; and if you can find any thing in it worthy of your Praise, I am sure the _Super-Naturals_ will like it. I do not flatter when I say, your Taste is universal, Great as an Empress, Sweet and Refin’d as Lady _Malpas_, Sublime as Lady _Sarah Cowper_, Learned and Compleat as Lady _Conway_, Distinguishing and Clear as Mrs. _Madin_, Gay, Good and Innocent as Lady _Bland_. I have often thought that you are a Compound of the World’s Favourites, that all meet and rejoice together in one; the Taste of _Montagu_, _Wharton_, or _Meredith_, _Stanhope_, _Sneid_, or _Byrom_; the Integrity and Hospitality of _Legh_ of _Lime_, the Wit and Fire of _Bunbury_, the Sense of an _Egerton_, fervent to serve as _Beresford_ or _Mildmay_, belov’d like _Gower_. If you was his Rival, you’d weaken the Strength of that most powerful Subject. I hope your eternal Unisons in Heaven will always sing to keep up the Harmony in your Soul, that is Musical as Mrs. _Leigh_, and never ceases to delight; raises us in Raptures like _Amante Sposa_, Lord _Essex_, or the Sun. If every Pore in every Body in _Cheshire_ was a Mouth they would all cry out aloud, _God save the Lady_ DELVES! that illuminates the Minds, of Mortals, inspires with Musick and Poetry especially,

_Your most Humble Servant_,

Lord _FLAME_.

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TO

The Right Hon^{ble} the

Lord _WALPOLE_.

_My Good Lord_,

I Return Thanks to Heaven, which is in you, I mean your Taste, that would not continue, except it was cherish’d with Vertue, that Parent of Eternal Love; ’tis all Palate hungers after, intellectual Food, Generosity, Harmony; the lofty Lines of a sublime Pen: and these beautiful Perfections in you, have been the Chief Support of my Play. At this Time there are as many fine Poets in _England_ as ever there were; but they will not write, because they say there is nothing encourag’d but Noise and Nonsense. But I believe those Bards are mistaken; for so long as the Lord Duke of _Montagu_, Yourself, and Mr. _Charles Stanhope_ live, fine Poetry will not want Encouragement: tho’ I have nothing to boast of in my Play, but the Character of _Soarethereal_, yet you great Men, that shine among the Angels, did condescend to support me; and no one is more thankful than

_Your_ LORDSHIP’S

_very humble Servant_,

SAM. JOHNSON.

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