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Ink. Why I thought-that's to say-there had past

A few green-room whispers, which hinted-you know

That the taste of the actors at best is so so.

Both. Sir, the green-room's in rapture and so's the committee.

Ink. Ay-yours are the plays for exciting our pity

And fear," as the Greek says: for "purging the mind,"

I doubt if you'll leave us an equal behind.
Both. I have written the prologue, and meant to
have pray'd

For a spice of your wit in an epilogue's aid.
Ink. Well, time enough yet, when the play's to
be play'd.
Is it cast yet?
Both. The actors are fighting for parts,
As is usual in that most litigious of arts.
Lady Blueb. We'll all make a party and go the
first night.

Tra. And you promised the epilogue, Inkel.
Ink.

Not quite.

The first time he has turn'd both his creed and his However, to save my friend Botherby trouble,

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Sir Rich. But this placeInk.

A lecturer's.

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Is perhaps like friend Scamp's, Stick to those of your play, which is quite your own

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Ink. Pray be content with your portion of praise; Scamp. It is only time past which comes under 'Twas in your defence.

Both.

If you please, with submission,

I can make out my own.

* Grauge is or was a famous pastry-cook and fruiterer in Piccadilly.

my strictures.

Lady Blueb. Come, a truce with all tartness :

the joy of my heart

Is to see Nature's triumph o'er all that is art Wild Nature!-Grand Shakspeare!

Both.

And down Aristotle ! | And making them substance:
Lady Bluem. Sir George thinks exactly with
divine: -
Lady Bluebottle;

And my Lord Seventy-four, who protects our dear
Bard,

And who gave him his place, has the greatest regard
For the poet, who, singing of pedlars and asses,
Has found out the way to dispense with Parnassus.
Tra. And you, Scamp,-

Scamp. I needs must confess I'm embarrass'd.
Ink. Don't call upon Scamp, who's already so
harrass'd

and all schools.

'tis something

Ink. Shall I help you, my friend, to a little more wine?

Both. I thank you; not any more, sir, till I dine. Ink. Apropos-do you dine with Sir Humphrey to-day?

Tra. I should think with Duke Humphrey was more in your way.

Ink. It might be of yore; but we authors now look To the knight, as a landlord, much more than the Duke.

With old schools, and new schools, and no schools, The truth is, each writer now quite at his ease is, And (except with his publisher) dines where he pleases.

Tra. Well, one thing is certain, that some must
be fools.

I should like to know who.
Ink.
And I should not be sorry
To know who are not-it would save us some
worry.

Lady Blueb. A truce with remark, and let noth

ing control

This "feast of our reason, and flow of the soul."
Oh, my dear Mr. Botherby! sympathise!—I
Now feel such a rapture, I'm ready to fly,

I feel so elastic—“ so buoyant—so buoyant !"*
Ink. Tracy! open the window.
Tra.

I wish her much joy on't.
Both. For God's sake, my Lady Bluebottle, check

not

This gentle emotion, so seldom our lot

Upon earth. Give it way; 'tis an impulse which
lifts

Our spirits from earth; the sublimest of gifts;
For which poor Prometheus was chain'd to his
mountain.

'Tis the source of all sentiment-feeling's true
fountain:

'Tis the Vision of Heaven upon Earth: 'tis the gas Of the soul: 'tis the seizing of shades as they pass,

* Fact from life, with the worda.

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from the place whence we started to our landing on the other side, including the length we were carried by the current, was computed by those on board the frigate at upwards of four English miles; though the actual breadth is barely one. The rapidity of the current is such that no boat can row directly across, and it may in some measure be estimated from the circumstance of the whole distance being accomplished by one of the parties in an hour and five, and by the other in an hour and ten, minutes. The water was extremely cold from the melting of the mountain snows. About three weeks before, in April, we had made an attempt; but having ridden all the way from the Troad the same morning, and the water being of an icy chillness, we found it necessary to postpone the completion till the frigate anchored below the castles, when we swam the straits, as just stated; entering a considerable way above the European, and landing below the Asiatic, fort. Chevalier says that a young Jew swam the same distance for his mistress, and Oliver mentions its having been done by a Neapolitan; but our consul, Tarragona, remembered neither of these circumstances, and tried to dissuade us from the attempt. A number of the Salsette's crew were known to have accomplished a greater distance; and the only thing that surprised me was, that, as doubts had been entertained of the truth of Leander's story, no traveller had ever endeavored to ascertain its practicability.

* Zoe mou, sas agapo, a Romaïc expression of tenderness: if I translate it, I shall offend the gentlemen, as it may seem that I suppose they could not; and if I do not, I may affront the ladies. For fear of any misconstruction on the part of the lazer, I shall do so, begging pardon of the learned. It means, "My life, I love you!" which sounds very prettily in all languages, and is as much in fashion in Greece at this day as, Juvenal tells us, the two first words were among the Roman ladies, whose exotic expressions were all Hellenized.

In the East, (where ladies are not taught to write, lest they should scribble assignations,) flowers, cinders, pebbles, &c., convey the sentiments of the parties by that universal deputy of Mercury—an old woman. A cinder says, "I burn for thee; "" a bunch of flowers tied with hair, "Take me and fly; but a pebble declares-what nothing else can.

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