Chapter XXXII: Epilogue: By MR. WELSTED

_Intended to be spoken by_ INDIANA.

Our author, whom entreaties cannot move,
Spite of the dear coquetry that you love,
Swears he'll not frustrate (so he plainly means)
By a loose Epilogue, his decent scenes.
Is it not, sirs, hard fate I meet to-day,
To keep me rigid still beyond the play?
And yet I'm saved a world of pains that way.
I now can look, I now can move at ease,
Nor need I torture these poor limbs to please;
Nor with the hand or foot attempt surprise,
Nor wrest my features, nor fatigue my eyes:
Bless me! what freakish gambols have I played!
What motions tried, and wanton looks betrayed!
Out of pure kindness all! to over-rule
The threatened hiss, and screen some scribbling fool.
With more respect I'm entertained to-night:
Our author thinks I can with ease delight.
My artless looks while modest graces arm,
He says, I need but to appear, and charm.
A wife so formed, by these examples bred,
Pours joy and gladness round the marriage bed;
Soft source of comfort, kind relief from care,
And 'tis her least perfection to be fair.
The nymph with Indiana's worth who vies,
A nation will behold with Bevil's eyes.

_THE SCHOOL OF ACTION._

(A FRAGMENT).

_The School of Action_ was the play which Steele was endeavouring to finish in 1723-5. The fragment which we have would have required a great deal of revising before it could have been put upon the stage. The MS., from which the piece was printed by Nichols, is in the British Museum (Add. MS., 5145c). It is not in Steele's writing, and the first few leaves are now wanting. I have restored the original reading in several instances in which Nichols made unnecessary alterations. There are several memoranda on the subject among the Blenheim MSS. Here is one of them:--

"Minutes for the play itself.--First Act. The beginning as I have it at Home in y^e Scheme between Brainwell and Lightfoot; after y^t y^e calling over y^e House w^{th} the actors, and y^e severall purposes y^t y^e Playhouse might be usefull for signified.--Act 2^{d.} The Country family wait as in an Inn at the playhouse; all that can be done by the playhouse to terrifie y^e Attorney and his Wife, and all that can delight y^e young Lady by Theatricall Powers is exposed and explained. A Critick upon various Actions.--Act 3^{d.} The Electra of Sophocles, where Mrs. Porter is to be the Queen, and y^e Tragedy of Sophocles to be made y^e Moddle is thoroughly set forth in a way attempted to be truly sublime.--Act 4^{th.} The Country Family, knowing of the Murder done there, resolved to bear Witness of it and prosecute it according to Law." And again, "Let Booth be Orestes, with all the prepossession and love of His Mother with the necessity upon Him of killing Her, and resolving upon it all of a sudden from passion to passion in an Hurry,--yet commanding all his Resentments to execute His design.--His regard for His sister and her urging Him." The following are other rough notes:--"Jenky to be instructed to be a ghost and torment His Brother--not to be y^t of Hamlet. Johnson to be the false Brother--Mrs. Willis, His Wife, urging to give up.--They miss the young lady for 2^{d.} Act--but don't value so y^t Her fortune is safe in His hands.... Let Pinsars ramble from place to place, and getting clear of the Play House--where he meets Evill Constable (?) and His Mirmidons.--Then Buntho's Ghost and all the other incidents possible--appears still in y^e House, and gives up to Severn, &c." And again:--"Introduce a Woman, Drunk, to be acted by Cibber, to talk at beginning Lewdly in a Mask, y^e rest in Whisper. Let Pinsars be assisted by an Army of y^e Playhouse to fight his way out; he and his man Ralph and his Wife Striking all in earnest, assisted by the Constable.... Let Him Threaten to demolish the Whore of Babylon--Speak of the Dragon and all the Cant of the Presbyterian Zeal against Plays, &c., but fight.... For the Prologue take notice of this play as a _Posthumous Work_ according to Dr. Partridge's freinds. Spider and Dotterell's Quality: Beasts made before men--Therefore the Dotterells must give way, for they were made before Spiders were in being, and not made before they were men."

The following notes evidently refer to another piece:--"To take the play y^t Lyes in loose parts in my Scrutoire and lay it together for the Stage: To ridicule y^e whole Mechanick of Dr. Faustus, &c., and all things of that kind for y^e Theatre--make persons to play tricks, break necks, and the like.... There is no true nobility but in the practise of Vertue and right reason, where there is nothing can be little.... Make him go to his certain Ruin for want of knowledge in a Circumstance he might know if he had looked into a letter w^{ch} contains a secret Contrived against him, but he cannot pry into because it comes into his Hands unwarrantably: make this y^e great Incident of his distress.... To ridicule our Slavery to Italian Musick, to have an ode of Anacreon set in Greek performed. To observe upon y^e absurdity of making distresses and mirth for y^e Vulgar out of y^e Accidents y^t befall the body, as in the play of _The Chances_: The old Woman in her Colick pains toothless and defective through age is exposed as a Jest."

_DRAMATIS PERSONÆ._

Mr. SEVERN, a barrister, lover of Miss DOLLY.

Mr. HUMBER, his friend.

Mr. PINCERS, an old wealthy country Attorney, guardian to DOLLY.

RALPH, his Man.

Mr. DOTTERELL, Mr. SPIDER, Comedians.

Mr. GWILLYN, BUSKIN, TRAGEDIAN, GENERAL, Candidates for the Stage.

Mrs. PINCERS.

Miss DOLLY, Ward to PINCERS.

Mrs. UMBRAGE, an Actress.

Mrs. FENNELL.

Her DAUGHTER, a Candidate for the Stage.

Barber, Constable, Waiter, Servants, Rabble, &c.

_THE SCHOOL OF ACTION._