PROLOGUE.

E glitt'ring Train! whom lace and velvet blefs,
Sufpend the foft folicitudes of drefs;

From grov'ling business and fuperfluous care,
Ye fons of Avarice! a moment spare:
Vot'ries of Fame and worshippers of Pow'r!
Difmifs the pleafing phantoms for an hour,
Our daring Bard, with fpirit unconfin'd,
Spreads wide the mighty moral for mankind,
Learn here how Heav'n fupports the virtuous mind,
Daring, tho' calm; and vig'rous, tho' refign'd.
Learn here what anguish racks the guilty breaft,
In pow'r dependent, in fuccefs depreft.

Learn here that Peace from Innocence muft flow;
All elfe is empty found, and idle show.

If truths like thefe with pleafing language join; Ennobled, yet unchang'd, if Nature fhine: If no wild draught depart from Reafon's rules, Nor gods his heroes, nor his lovers fools: Intriguing wits! his artlefs plot forgive; And spare him, beauties! tho' his lovers live.

Be this at least his praife; be this his pride; To force applaufe no modern arts are try'd. Shou'd partial cat-calls all his hopes confound, He bids no trumpet quell the fatal found. Shou'd welcome fleep relieve the weary wit, He rolls no thunders o'er the drowsy pit. No fnares to captivate the judgment fpreads; Nor bribes your eyes to prejudice your heads. Unmov'd tho' witlings fneer and rivals rail; Studious to pleafe, yet not afham'd to fail. He fcorns the meek addrefs, the fuppliant ftrain, With merit needlefs, and without it vain. In Reason, Nature, Truth he dares to truft: Ye Fops be filent! and ye Wits be juft!

PERSONS of the DRAMA.

MEN.

MAHOMET, ' Emperor of the Turks, Mr. BARRY.

CALI BASSA, Firft Vifier,

MUSTAPHA,

ABDALLA,

HASAN,

CARAZA,

A Turkish Aga,

An Officer,

Mr. BERRY.

Mr. SOWDEN.

}Turkish Captains, {

DEMETRIUS, Greek Noblemen,

LEONTIUS,

Mr. HAVARD. Mr. USHER. Mr. BURTON. Mr. GARRICK.

Mr. BLAKES.

Mr. KING.

MURZA,

An Eunuch,

IREN E;

A TRAGEDY.

ACTI.

SCENE I.

DEMETRIUS and LEONTIUS in Turkish Habits.

A

LEONTIUS.

ND is it thus Demetrius meets his friend,

Hid in the mean difguife of Turkish robes, With fervile fecrecy to lurk in shades,

And vent our fuff'rings in clandeftine groans?

DEMETRIUS.

Till breathlefs fury refted from deftruction
These groans were fatal, thefe difguifes vain:
But now our Turkish conquerors have quench'd
Their rage, and pall'd their appetite of murder;
No more the glutted fabre thirsts for blood,
And weary cruelty remits her tortures.

LEONTIUS.

Yet Greece enjoys no glean of tranfient hope,
No foothing interval of peaceful forrow;
The luft of gold fucceeds the rage of conqueft,
The luft of gold, unfeeling and remorfelefs!

The

The laft corruption of degenerate man!

Urg'd by th' imperious foldier's fierce command, The groaning Greeks break up their golden caverns Pregnant with ftores, that India's mines might envy Th' accumulated wealth of toiling ages.

DEMETRIUS.

That wealth, too facred for their country's ufe!
That wealth, too pleafing to be loft for freedom!
That wealth, which granted to their weeping prince,
Had rang'd embattled nations at our gates:
But thus referv'd to lure the wolves of Turkey,
Adds fhame to grief, and infamy to ruin.
Lamenting Av'rice now too late discovers
Her own neglected, in the publick fafety.

LEONTIUS.

Reproach not mifery.-The fons of Greece,
Ill-fated race! fo oft befieg'd in vain,
With falfe fecurity beheld invasion.

Why should they fear?-That power that kindly fpreads

The clouds, a fignal of impending fhow'rs,
To warn the wand'ring linnet to the fhade,
Beheld without concern expiring Greece,
And not one prodigy foretold our fate.

DEMETRIUS.

A thousand horrid prodigies foretold it.
A feeble government, eluded laws,
A factious populace, luxurious nobles,
And all the maladies of finking ftates.
When publick villany, too ftrong for justice,
Shews his bold front, the harbinger of ruin,

:

Can