Chapter XXXI: Prologue: ,

Spoken by Mr. _Jevern_.

_Long, and at vast Expence, th’industrious Stage Has strove to please a dull ungrateful Age: With Heroes and with Gods we first began, And thunder’d to you in heroick Strain: Some dying Love-sick Queen each Night you injoy’d, And with Magnificence at last were cloy’d: Our Drums and Trumpets frighted all the Women; Our Fighting scar’d the Beaux and Billet-Doux Men. So Spark in an Intrigue of Quality, Grows weary of his splendid Drudgery; Hates the Fatigue, and cries a Pox upon her, What a damn’d Bustle’s here with Love and Honour?

In humbler Comedy we next appear, No Fop or Cuckold, but slap-dash we had him here; We showed you all, but you malicious grown, | Friends Vices to expose, and hide your own; | Cry, damn it--This is such, or such a one. | Yet nettled, Plague, what does the Scribler mean? With his damn’d Characters, and Plot obscene. No Woman without Vizard in the Nation Can see it twice, and keep her reputation-- That’s certain, Forgetting-- That he himself, in every gross Lampoon, Her leuder Secrets spread about the Town; Whilst their feign’d Niceness is but cautious Fear, Their own Intrigues should be unravel’d here.

Our next Recourse was dwindling down to Farce, Then--Zounds, what Stuff’s here? ‘tis all o’er my-- Well, Gentlemen, since none of these has sped, Gad, we have bought a Share i’th’ speaking Head. So there you’ll save a Sice, | You love good Husbandry in all but Vice; | Whoring and drinking only bears a Price. |_

[The Head rises upon a twisted Post, on a Bench from
under the Stage. After _Jevern_ speaks to its Mouth.

_Oh!--Oh!--Oh_!

Stentor. _Oh!--Oh!--Oh_!

[After this it sings _Sawny_, laughs, crys God bless
the King in order.

Stentor answers.

_Speak louder_, Jevern, _if you’d have me repeat; Plague of this Rogue, he will betray the Cheat_. [He speaks louder, it answers indirectly. _--Hum--There ‘tis again, Pox of your Eccho with a Northern Strain. Well--This will be but a nine days Wonder too; There’s nothing lasting but the Puppets Show. What Ladies Heart’s so hard, but it would move, To hear_ Philander _and_ Irene’s _Love? Those Sisters too the scandalous Wits do say, Two nameless keeping Beaux have made so gay; But those Amours are perfect Sympathy, Their Gallants being as mere Machines as they. Oh! how the City Wife, with her nown Ninny, Is charm’d with, Come into my Coach,--Miss_ Jenny, _Miss_ Jenny. _But overturning_--Frible _crys--Adznigs, The jogling Rogue has murder’d all his Kids. The Men of War cry, Pox on’t, this is dull, We are for rough Sports,--Dog Hector, and the Bull. Thus each in his degree, Diversion finds, Your Sports are suited to your mighty Minds; Whilst so much Judgment in your Choice you show, The Puppets have more Sense than some of you_.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

MEN.

_Doctor_ Baliardo, Mr. _Underhill_. Scaramouch, _his Man_, Mr. _Lee_. Pedro, _his Boy_. Don Cinthio, Don Charmante, _both Nephews_ Young Mr. _Powel_. _to the Vice-Roy, and Lovers of_ Elaria _and_ Mr. _Mumford_. Bellemante, Harlequin, Cinthio’s _Man_, Mr. _Jevern_. _Officer and Clerk_. _Page_.

WOMEN.

Elaria, _Daughter to the Doctor_, Mrs. _Cooke_. Bellemante, _Niece to the Doctor_, Mrs. _Mumford_. Florinda, _Cousin to_ Elaria _and_ Bellemante. Mopsophil, _Governante to the young Ladies_, Mrs. _Cory_. _The Persons in the Moon, are_ Don Cinthio, _Emperor_; Don Charmante, _Prince of_ Thunderland. _Their Attendants, Persons that represent the Court Cards_. Keplair _and_ Galileus, _two Philosophers_. _Twelve Persons, representing the Figures of the twelve Signs of the Zodiack_. _Negroes, and Persons that dance_. _Musick, Kettle-Drums, and Trumpets_.

The SCENE, _NAPLES_.