Chapter II: Prologue

_As Country Squire, who yet had never known The long-expected Joy of being in Town; Whose careful Parents scarce permitted Heir To ride from home, unless to neighbouring Fair; At last by happy Chance is hither led, To purchase Clap with loss of Maidenhead; Turns wondrous gay, bedizen’d to Excess; Till he is all Burlesque in Mode and Dress: Learns to talk loud in Pit, grows wily too, That is to say, makes mighty Noise and Show.

So a young Poet, who had never been Dabling beyond the Height of Ballading; Who, in his brisk Essays, durst ne’er excel The lucky Flight of rhyming Doggerel, Sets up with this sufficient Stock on Stage, And has, perchance, the luck to please the Age. He draws you in, like cozening Citizen; Cares not how bad the Ware, so Shop be fine.

As tawdry Gown and Petticoat gain more (Tho on a dull diseas’d ill-favour’d Whore) Than prettier Frugal, tho on Holy-day, | When every City-Spark has leave to play_, | --Damn her, she must be sound, she is so gay; | _So let the Scenes be fine, you’ll ne’er enquire For Sense, but lofty Flights in nimble Wire. --What we present to Day is none of these, But we cou’d wish it were, for we wou’d please, And that you’ll swear we hardly meant to do: Yet here’s no Sense; Pox on’t, but here’s no Show; But a plain Story, that will give a Taste Of what your Grandsires lov’d i’th’ Age that’s past_.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

MEN.

Lord _Plotwell_. _Bellmour_, Nephew to the Lord _Plotwell_, contracted to _Celinda_. _Charles_, Brother to _Bellmour_. _Friendlove_, Brother to _Celinda_, in love with _Diana_. Sir _Timothy Tawdrey_, a Fop-Knight, design’d to marry _Celinda_. _Sham_, | Hangers on to Sir _Timothy_. _Sharp_, | _Trusty_, An old Steward to _Bellmour’s_ Family. Page to _Bellmour_. Page to Lord _Plotwell_. Sir _Timothy’s_ Page. Guests, Dancers, Fiddlers, and Servants.

WOMEN.

The Lady _Diana_, Niece to the Lord _Plotwell_. _Celinda_, Sister to _Friendlove_, contracted to _Bellmour_. _Phillis_, Sister to _Bellmour_. _Betty Flauntit_, kept by Sir _Timothy_. _Driver_, A Bawd. _Jenny_, | Two Whores _Doll_, | _Nurse_, Ladies and Guests.

SCENE, _Covent-Garden_.