ON THE SAME SUBJECT. ELEN was just slipt into bed: For this misfortune careless Jane, With her own hand the mouse-trap baited. On little things, as sages write, Depends our human joy or sorrow: 10 H PHILLIS'S AGE. OW old may Phillis be, you ask, To answer is no easy task: For she has really two ages. Stiff in brocade, and pinch'd in stays, All day let envy view her face, And Phillis is but twenty-one. Paint, patches, jewels laid aside, At night astronomers agree, 10 FORMA BONUM FRAGILE. HAT a frail thing is beauty! says Baron Perceiving his mistress had one eye of And scarcely had he spoke it, When she more confus'd as more angry she grew, By a negligent rage prov'd the maxim too true: She dropt the eye, and broke it. A CRITICAL MOMENT. OW capricious were Nature and Art to poor She was painting her cheeks at the time AN EPIGRAM. WRITTEN TO THE DUKE DE NOALLES. AIN the concern which you express, Your house and coach, both day and And that Macbeth was haunted less- By much, than you believe. Lend him but fifty louis-d'or; 10 EPILOGUE TO PHÆDRA AND HIPPOLITUS.* A TRAGEDY, BY MR. EDMUND SMITH. SPOKEN BY MRS. OLDFIELD, WHO ACTED ISMENA. ADIES, to-night your pity I implore Greek, • This excellent tragedy, although performed by Betterton, Booth, Mrs. Barry, and Mrs. Oldfield, met with but a very cold reception from the public on its first appearance. In the Spectator, No. 18, Mr. Addison says-" Would one think it was possible (at a time when an author lived that was able to write the Phædra and Hippolitus) for a people to be so stupidly fond of the Italian opera, as scarce to give a third day's hearing to that admirable tragedy." The prologue to it was written by Mr. Addison. Who from Euripides makes Phædra speak; If that be all, said I, e'en burn your play: But, as it is, six flouncing Flanders mares Now of the bustle you have seen to-day, 10 20 Well! Phædra liv'd as chastly as she could! 30 Then he had turn'd all tragedy to jest ; But if these gay reflections come too late, Yet, ye chaste matrons, and ye tender fair, Let love and innocence engage your care: My spotless flames to your protection take; And spare poor Phædra for Ismena's sake. 40 EPILOGUE TO LUCIUS.* A TRAGEDY, BY MRS. DE LA RIVIERE MANLEY. SPOKEN BY MRS. HORTON. HE female author who recites to-day, Pit, box, and gallery, 'gad! all's our own. cess. This play was acted at Drury-lane, in 1717, with sucIn the dedication to Sir Richard Steele, who wrote a prologue to it, the author apologizes for the severity of her former writings against him. |