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O You, great Judges in this Writing Age,
The Sons of Wit, and Patrons of the Stage,
With all thofe humble Thoughts, which ftill have fway'd
ns His Pride, much doubting, trembling, and afraid
Of what is to his want of Merit due,
And aw'd by every Excellence in you,
The Author fends to beg you will be kind,
And Spare thofe many Faults you needs must find.
You to whom Wit a common Foe is grown,
The Thing ye fcorn and publickly difown;
Though now perhaps y'are here for other Ends,
He wears to me ye ought to be his Friends :
For he ne'er call'd ye yet infipid Tools;
Nor wrote one Line to tell ye you were Fools:
But says of Wit ye have fo large a ftore,
So very much, you never will have more.
He ne'er with Libel treated yet the Town,
The Names of honeft Men bedarb'd and shown,
Nay, never once lampoon'd the harmless Life
Of Suburb Virgin, or of City Wife.
Satire's th' Effect of Poetry's Difeafe,
Which, fick of a lewd Age, fhe vents for Eafe,
But now her only Strife fhould be to please;"
Since of Ill-fate the baneful Cloud's withdrawn,
And Happiness again begins to dawn;
Since back with Joy and Triumph he is come,

That always drew Fears hence, ne'er brought 'em home,
Oft has he plow'd the boisterous Ocean o'er,
Yet ne'er more welcome to the longing Shore,
Not when he brought home Victories before.
For then fresh Lawrels flourish'd on his Brow,
And he comes crown'd with Olive Branches now:
Receive him! Ob receive him as his Friends,
Embrace the Blessings which he recommends ;
Such Quiet as your Foes fhall ne'er destroy;
Then shake off Fears, and clap your Hands for Joy.

A 5

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Dramat

Dramatis Perfonæ.

MEN.

Acafto, a Nobleman retir'd from the

Court, and living privately in the Mr. Gillow.

Country,

Caftalio,
Polydore,

His Sons,

{Mr. Williams.

Mr. Betterton.

Chamont, a young Soldier of Fortune, Mr. Smith.

Monimia, the Orphan left under the Mrs. Barry.

Guardianship of old Acafto,

THE

ORPHAN.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Enter PAULINO and ERNESTO.

PAULINO.

IS ftrange, Ernefto, this Severity

Should ftill reign pow'rful in Acafto's Mind,
To hate the Court where he was bred and

All Honours heap'd on him that Pow'r could give.

ERNEST O.

'Tis true, he thither came a private Gentleman, But young and brave, and of a Family

Ancient and Noble as the Empire holds.
The Honours he has gain'd are justly his ;
He purchas'd them in War; thrice has he led
An Army 'gainst the Rebels, and as often
Return'd with Victory; the World has not
A truer Soldier, or a better Subject.

PAU

PAULINO.

It was his Virtue at first made me ferve him;
He is the best of Masters as of Friends:
I know he has lately been invited thither;
Yet ftill he keeps his stubborn Purpose, cries,
He's old, and willingly would be at reft:
-I doubt there's deep Refentment in his Mind,
For the late Slight his Honour fuffer'd there.
ERNEST O.

Has he not Reason? When for what he had borne Long, hard, and faithful Toil, he might have claim'd Places in Honour, and Employment high;

A huffing, fhining, flatt'ring, cringing Coward,
· A Canker-worm of Peace, was rais'd above him.
PAULIN O.

Yet ftill he holds just Value for the King,
Nor ever names him but with highest Reverence.
Tis noble that-

ERNEST O.

Oh! I have heard him wanton in his Praise,
Speak things of him might charm the Ears of Envy.
PAULIN O.

Oh may he live till Nature's self grow old,
And from her Womb no more can bless the Earth!
For when he dies, farewel all Honour, Bounty,
All gene.ous Encouragement of Arts,

For Charity herself becomes a Widow.

ERNEST O.

No, he has two Sons that were ordain'd to be As well his Virtue's, as his Fortune's Heirs.

PAULIN O.

They're both of Nature mild, and full of Sweetness. They came Twins from the Womb, and still they live As if they would go Twins too to the Grave: Neither has any thing he calls his own, But of each others Joys as Griefs partaking; So very honeftly, fo well they love,

As

As they were only for each other born.

ERNEST O.

Never was Parent in an Off-fpring happier; He has a Daughter too, whose blooming Age Promises Goodness equal to her Beauty.

PAULIN O.

And as there is a Friendship 'twixt the Brethren,
So has her Infant Nature chosen too

A Faithful Partner of her Thoughts and Wishes,
And kind Companion of her harmless Pleasures.

ERNEST O.

You mean the beauteous Orphan, fair Monimia!
PAULIN O.

The fame, the Daughter of the brave Chamont. 'He was our Lord's Companion in the Wars, Where fuch a wondrous Friendship grew between 'em As only Death could end: Chamont's Estate Was ruin'd in our late and Civil Difcords; Therefore unable to advance her Fortune, He left his Daughter to our Master's Care; To fuch a Care as she scarce loft a Father.

ERNESTO.

Her Brother to the Emperor's Wars went early, To feek a Fortune, or a noble Fate ;

Whence he with Honour is expected back,

And mighty Marks of that great Prince's Favour. 1

PAULINO.

Our Mafter never would permit his Sons
To launch for Fortune in th' uncertain World,
But warns 'em to avoid both Courts, and Camps,
Where dilatory Fortune plays the Jilt

With the brave, noble, honeft, gallant Man,

To throw herself away on Fools and Knaves.

ERNEST O.

They both have forward, gen'rous, active Spirits: 'Tis daily their Petition to their Father,

To fend them forth where Glory's to be gotten;

The