Sir Mac. What a set of people am I with! what a place I am in, and what an entertainment am I to go through! But I can't go through it so I'll e'en get into my chair again, and escape from these Hottentots. I wish with all my soul that Sir Toby, my Lady, and Miss, the Author and his piece, the managers, their play-house and their performers, were all at the bottom of the Thames, and that I were fast asleep in my bed again. ces daß (Exit. Enter Willon (peeping.)

Wil. I durst not discover myself, though I saw her dear eyes looking about for me. If I could see her for a moment now, as the stage is clear, and nobody to over-look us, who knows but I may kindle up her spirit this moment to run away with me Hah! what noise is that? There she is Miss Fanny Mss Fanny here I am-By bea

Miss Fuz! Qc dear, how I flutter! I can't stay long

to rehearse Romeo and Ju

my par a and mama are going out now.

liet, or I could not have

Wil. Let
Lawrence,

and I act those parts in earnest, miss, and

fly to Cell-Love has given us the opportunity,

and we shall forfeit his protection if we don't make the best use of it. ni pe

Miss Fuz Indeed I can't go away with you now; ch will find a better opportunity soon; perhaps to-morrow. Let me return to the Green Room; if we are seen together, we shall be separated for ever.

Wil. To prevent that, let me lead you a private way through the house to a post chaise: we shall be out of reach before Sir Toby and my Lady have gone half through Ro~" meo and Juliet.

Miss Fuz. Don't insist upon it now-I could not for the world-my fear has taken away all my inclinations. Wil. I must run away with you now, Miss Fuz-indeed I must.

Miss Fux. Have you really a post-chaise ready?
Wil. I have indeed!-A, post-chaise and four.
Miss Fuz. A post-chaise and four!-bless me !
Wil. Four of the best bays in London, and my postillions

are

are in blue jackets, with silver shoulder-knots.

Miss Fuz. With silver shoulder-knots !-nay, then there is no resisting-and yet

Wil. Nay quickly, quickly determine, my dear Miss Fuz.

Miss Fuz. I will determine then-I will sit by my papa at the rehearsal, and when he is asleep, which he will be in ten minutes, and my mama will be deaf, dumb and blind to every thing, but Mr Glib's wit, I'll steal out of the box from them, and you shall run away with me as fast as you can wherever your four bays and silver shoulder-knots please to take me.

Wil. Upon my knees I thank you, and thus I take an earnest of my happiness. (Kisses ber band.) Zounds! here's your mama, miss-don't be alarm'd-Lady! by yonder blessed moon I vow !—

Miss Fuz. Ob! swear not by the moon, th' inconstant moon!

Lady Fuz. (approaching.) Let us have no sun and moon and stars now- -What are you about, my dear? Who is this young gentleman you are so free with?

Miss Fuz. This is the young gentleman actor, maina whose benefit we were at last summer, and while you were, busy acting in the Green Room, I stole out to try how my voice would sound upon the stage, and finding him here, 1 bgg'd him to teach me a little how to play Juliet.

Lady Fuz. O, very well, my dear-we are oblig'd to the young gentleman, to be sure; your papa will teach you, child, and play Romeo with you: you should not be too free with these actors. (Aside.) I am much oblig'd to you sir, for the pains you have taken with my daughter--we are very sensible of your politeness, and you may bring us some tickets when your benefit time comes.

Wil. I am greatly honour'd by your ladyship, and will go through all the scenes of Romeo and Juliet with miss whenever she pleases.

Lady Fuz. O no, young man-her papa is a very fine actor and a very great critic, and he will have nobody teach her these things but himself-thank the gentleman, child; (she curtsies.)-Why did you not stay to hear your papa and me? Go, go, my dear, and I'll follow you. (Exit Miss.) Upon my word a likely young man—your

servant.

servant, sir and very likely to turn a young woman's head; were it not for setting my daughter a bad example I should like to go over some scenes of Juliet with him myself. [Exit looking at him.

ACT II.

SCENE, The Stage,

Enter AUTHOR, Sir TOBY, Lady and Mifs Fuz,

Auth.

W

PATENT, Sc.

HAT, we have lost Sir Macaroni ! no matter, for he was half asleep all the time he was here: very little better than caput mortuum. Now ladies, and gentlemen of the jury, take your places: hiss and clap, condemn or applaud me, as your taste directs you, and Apollo and the Nine send me a good deliverance,

Lady Fuz. We'll go into the front boxes: what is the matter with you, Fanny? You had rather be at your inconstant moon than hear Mr Glib's wit.

Miss Fanny. I never was happier in all my life mama. [Sighs.]. What will become of me? [Aside.

Sir Toby. I shall be very critical, Mr Author.

Lady Fuz. Pray are we to have a prologue, Mr Glib? We positively must have a prologue.

Auth. Most certainly; entre nous-I have desired the manager to write me one, which has so flatter'd him, that I shall be able to do any thing with him. [Aside to Lady Fuz.] I know 'em all, from the patentees down to the waiting fellows in green coats.

sir.

Sir Toby. You are very happy in your acquaintance

Lady Fux. I wish some of the stage folks would shew me round to the boxes. Who's there?

Enter JOHNSTON.

my

John. I'll conduct your ladyship round, if you please. Lady Fuz. Thank you, Mr Johnston; remember › box the first night, and don't forget Clive's benefit. John. I won't, my lady. VOL. III.

E

Lady

Lady Fuz. Come, now for it, Glib; I shall have both my ears open, and I hope Sir Toby will do as much by his eyes. Come, Fanny my dear, this way.

[Exit Lady Fuz, &c. Miss Fanny. I'll go my own way for the first time; now my spirits are up again; I have slipt my leading-strings, and if dear Mr Wilson's bays and postillions keep pace with my fancy, my pa ɔa and mama must run a little faster than they do to overtake me. [Exit Miss Fuz.

Enter PROMPTER.

Auth. I hope, Mr Hopkins, that no body has got secretly into the house; I would have none but friends at the first rehearsal. [Looking round the house. Promp. You see the house is quite clear, sir.

Auth. I wou'd not have the town have the least idea of my performance before-hand; I wou'd open a mask battery of entertainment upon the public.

Promp. You'll surprise 'em, I believe, sir.

Auth. Pray be so good as to ring down the curtain, that we may rehearse in form. So, so, so very well; and now I'll say a word or two to the [curtain drops] gentlemen in the orchestra Gentlemen, [to the orchestra] I shall take it as a particular favour, if you wou'd be careful of your pianos and fortes; they are the light and shade, and without 'em music is all noise, and singing nothing but bawling.

Musician, (from the orchestra.) I don't quite understand this movement; is it allegro, sir?

Auth. Allegro, spiritoso! Flash, flash, fire! my friends. You gentlemen baut-boys, take particular care of your little solos: you bassoons, support 'em, con gusto, not too powerfully, mind a delicacy of feeling in your second movement; make yourselves ready, gentlemen; shoulder your fiddles: cock your bows; and the moment I vanish, fire away, crash-I leave my fame in your hands: My Lady, Sir Toby, are you got round? O very well; see you-don't forget a cordial now and then for the poor authur.

[Speaking to the audience, and making a sign of clapping.

[During

[During the burletta, Glib, the Author, goes out and comes in several times, upon the stage, and speaks occasioniy to the performers, as his fancy prompts bim, in order to enliven the action, and give a proper comic spirit to the performance.

OVERTURE to the BURLETTA of ORPHEUS.

The curtain rifes to foft music after the Overture, and difcovers Orpheus afleep upon a couch, with his lyre near him.

[Half awake.

Bless me! where am I? here I'm still.

[Quite awake.
Tho' dead, she haunts me still, my wife!
In death my torment, as in life:
B day, by might, whene'er she catches
Pour me asleep, she thumps and scratches:
No more she cries with harlots revel,
But fetch me, Orpheus from the devil.

Air. Tho' she scolded all day, and all night did the same,
Tho' she was too rampant, and I was too tame;
Tho' shriller her notes then the ear-piercing fife,

I must and I will go to hell for my wife.

As the sailor can't rest, if the winds are too still,
As the miller sleeps best by the clack of his mill,
So I was most happy in tumult and strife;

I must and I will go to hell for my wife. [Going out.

Enter RHODOPE.

Recit. Your wife, you driv'ler !—is it so?,

Then I'll play hell before you go.

Ortb. Rec. With fear and shame my cheeks are scarlet;
I've prais'd my wife, before my hailot. [Aside.

Rbod. Rec. Go, fetch your wife, you simple man;
What keeps us both! is that your plan?

E 2

And