The Sun.
London, England, 1806-07-10 00:00:00

PROLOGUE

TO TILE NEW COMEDY OF FrVY MLLES OFF ;,OED THE

FI N GEIZ-170 ST.

WRITTEN BY GEORGE COLMAN, ESQ. •

SIOICEN BY MR'. FAXJCLT r.

Some Hypercritic cries; in tv'ry age,
" How rich the past, how poor the present Stage !"
SW-Undertakers say, on Corpses fed,
•' there's no man of value till he's dead !"

Smite sclf-macie :*.RISTARCHUS mt. sits,
Like a judge FER (ES, over modern Wits ;
Bullies upon the Bench—his upright plan--
First to abase, then-motile the man.

SIN tb,ives our Stage—still seems there vigour in't ;
For ycu smile here, While Cynics scowl in print.
Plain proof you think, whare'cr our Sta,g e be,
Such Critics inliilireiy worse than we !
Yet far froth us one murmur to repeat,
Wiien Liberal Censure tills the judgment seat.
We thank the habd that points, with gentle art, .
The wholesoMe lancet to some morbi.a part; ,
.The 4tcher wish his hatchet 'tis we hate,
Who kills,, where able Surgeons amputate.
II we give trash, as i'omefew Pertlings say,
'flocks an audience, nightly, to the Play
It' we be Iqund immoral in our scene,
What does the Law's restraint on Dramas mean ?
To state the first; they laugh atyou alone ;
To state the last, is libellipg the 7:bione *.
Truth is, when impulse can be fairly.roused,
Smile, tear, grin--by.y6u our art's espoused:
However pedants preach, you'll think those fools
-Who laugh, or cry, by Aristotle's rules. .
And while a laugh, or ery, is to be lied,
Authors and Atiors can't be very bad.

"Oh ! may this doctrine:be allow'd to.night ;
And be a laugh —broad laugh—your chief delight
Lotik not with eyes of critical disdain`;
But favour one who strives to entertain!

• An Aa of Parliament has vested the power of licensing
and suppressing the representationol DralliaS itlklis Majesty's
Lord Chamberlain.

EPILOGUE.

WZ/TTZN GEORCZ coLmitn, ZSQ.

CHARACTZRS,

Kalendar, Mr. FAWCETT. Spriggins, Mr. MATHEW 3.
Flourish, Alr. LzSTrJN. I Jenny, Mrs. G.rzss.

(Ewer ralendar—reading Almanack.)'
Kat. —Alinanack says; this day,—aye, thus it goes;

" Nintk of July,—Thomas Becket,—toes."

" The weather overcast." That sounds but queer—
! hope to find no cloudy faces here!
What next ? Oh I—to this IlLeket, no dis May
" Fine weather, now, !**l- getting up the hay I"
Box-keeper, here, makes hay, when in he crams
Arms, shoulders, alleles, hips, knees, le gs, and ham s
But when he stuffs you in, all snug and warm,
0 vox.stelltsrum! who can, then, inform
Wlwther 'twill turn to suitzshixt, or a storm?
Of this night's cause who shall be Undertaker ?
Our Poet tmtstoiki. • _

(Enter Flourish.)
Pot —fie•hath sent a Quaker.
Kul.—W hat is it you predit about ydur Play ?
Think you 'twill prosper ?
Fku.

Peradventure.. Yea. -
Kal.—Sotne.times they clap ; and that betokens bliss.
llodi.--ometimes the :pith moveth,- and they hiss.
Kal. —Have you no Friend, above, there ? (pointing to Gaiety).
"You. Thou dost scoff.

Kal.—Why so. •
Rou.—Thou know'st they call out, there, " Hats of!"
(Enter Sprigging and Jenny.)
.:al.—Spriggins my man! you're here, I'll hold a guinea,
To ,serve the Play.

Sprig. lse been and married jenny.
jenv.-:-Beneath which sign, 'Sir, is my husband born ?
Kal.H Like many husbands—nnder Capricorir.
gprig.—Under what sign, then, do the Sky Make het go ?
Kal. Cr a b

There, lane ; I know'd it w-'sn't

I said so.--

yenv.--Hold your prate, then, foolish—do ; '
Your :Master's wise and know'd It afore you.
:,71.—Now for the Bard :—Athwart his Telescope
May no malignant Planet damp his hope !
May no Eclipses make his prospe& black
Sprig.= Nor no bad sign in all his 24-whack.
kat.—Wit4 mirth may eyes, like Stars, he twinkling merrily !
Friend'f lowish, don't you join in this ?
Flom.

Yea, verily.
Spr;s.-1 wish him right,good luck now, by my figgins !
:yeni!y. —And happy.as a bride, like jenny Spriggins.
Kai.—Come then (to tr'.c Audience) you Libra, or the Balance,
hold—

Applaud him, and he'll fe.il like Lea bold ;
If ybu.cond:;tnn, for fortune is precarious,
His eyes must, then, be govern'd ifyuartirs.

MARLBOROUGH7STRET.--_,Ywerday Rebecca Pile,
the Prophetess, underwent a final examination on a
charge of obtaining 51. 17s, and a quantity of ap-
parel; by false pretences,• from Ann Wakelin. We
have already stated in what manner the prisoner' ob-
tained the property. An additional piece of witch-
craft was related tea the Magistrates at this examina
tion. The witness gave the credulous girl a bottle
of liquid, wllich she valued at one guinea,, and
was to consider as a charm. She was to
take; a certain portion of this charming liquid- at
s,,Ated tinies but it would bewilder for a time her
imaginati'on,lafter which she would becOme a per-
feEt angel, and not rerriain many days without her
independent husband. This liquid, on being taken
to a chemist, proved to be a mixture of syrup of
saffron, opium, •sce. a teaspoonful' of which would
stupify a person for twenty-four hours. The. girl
had taken a part of it, agreeable to4the Sybil's direc-
tion'. The Whole of the girl's apparel was traced to
different pawnbrokers, where the prisoner had
pledged it, and was restored to her, with a. suitable
admonition. from the Magistrates. Iu her defence the
prisoner said, that the girl had first made appliCation
.to her, and continued to teize her. until she was
obliged to gratify her. The prisoner was fully cone-
' alitted for trial. .

FUREIGN tE I LIGEI%.*C

ITALY,- JUNE 13.,---111 various FrOViliCeS of. the
Kingdoin of Naples. there- area number of people
who distutb—the public tianquillity.- The roads are
uirsafe,
,and'inurders are frequent.
The_ health of the PONTIrF has been manifeStly
declining' ever since the first instant. - A .Corps Of
French Troops entered Rome on that day; and, ac-
cording to "SOME accounts, they are likely -to remain
'there, as some change ih the State is b•xpeeted.
If public rumour may be credited, hi-s Majesty
King JoggPu of Naples will be crowned in. the
Church of St. Peter, at Rome. _ _

A few days ago, the Flotilla which had been fitted
up at Venice sailed for Chrozza,- a fortified Island,
one mile south of that Port, in order to take in their
guns and ammunition : they are afterwards to pro-
ceed against the. Russian -and 'En fish Ships in the
Adriatic Sea, which remain a dreadful scourge to
the: trade of. Venice.. .

DELFT, JULY s.—The ,departure of the French
Army froM Germany seems nbw to be undertaken
in earnest. 'Within the last three weeks great pre-
parations have been making on all sides for this
event, and every circumstance seems to indicate
their retreat. The detachments of French Can-
noniers Gens-d'armes ..that-Ixere at Ulm have
already left that city,. and the great Park of Artillery
will soon follow. the French Conscripts that were,
on their march to Germany haVe received orders to
halt upon the Bank of the Rhine. On the other
hand, the Austrians'_ Prisoners who have been de-
tained at Ulm have obtained leave to continue their
march homewards". AS soon- as Germany shall be
completely evacuated. by the French . Troops, the
King of Bavaria will set out upon his intended
journey to Italy.
Some of the German Papers mention as a rumour,
that 'Bavaria, Wurtemburgh,.Hesse Darmstadt, Nas-
sau., and Cleves, are about to form a kind of alliance
under the guarantee of France.

We learn, from Amsterdam, that a report, is cur-
rent there, that all the Transports in the Texel have
been discharged, under certain conditions. • '

,
HAGUE, JULY 4.—The workrrien, Scc. are ex,.
tremely busy in fitting up the Rotterdam Lodge at
this place, which seems intended for the residence
.of
his Majesty's Minister of Marine. Admiral VER.
;xEu!L intends to give a splendid ball next Monday
evening, when theirMajestieS the King and Queen
mean to honour him with their presence.

THE ANSWER OF THEIR HIGH-MIGHTINESSES TO THE
SPEECH MADE BY KING LOUIS TO THAT ASSEMBLY
ON.THE 23D ULT.
" SIRE,

" The Assenitity -of their High Mightinesses
hasten to testify their sincere thanks; in consequence
of seeing your Majesty in the midst of- them,- with
the view of acknowledging
,how much
,they are
penetrated by your Majesty s generoUs mode of
thinking, in the presence of the Deputies from all
the -Departments, and the principal places in
.the
-Kingdom.
" The Assembly will never-forget the judicious
and patriotic Address With which your Majesty cow.
cluded the Public Sitting of the 23d of June. • •
" May it please you, Sire, to deign faVourably to
accept those sentiments of respe&, confidence, and
perfe& devotion; with which we have been pene-
trated on this happy occasion.' The-full. persuasion
of - the extent of those pro Mises which we have
solemnly pledged ourselves, shall live in our minds
in the course of futurity ; and we shall deem every
opportunity that offers for their fulfilment as one
of the most sacred of those duties which your Ma-
jesty has entrusted to our zeal, ow patriotism, and
our fidelity.
The natural disposition of a nation's() circum-
spe6t in their affairs, and 'so firm in their friendship ; •
of a .people famous in every age for their fidelity and
their attachment to the laws : these, Sire; 'are our
assurances, that the fate of this State t,hall, at all
times, be secure under the aegis of a prote&ing
Throne.

Yes, Sire, honour and virtue; the genuine sup-
porters of a Throne, among our countrymen, have
survived every revolution and every sacrifice. The
inhabitants Of this country have- not degenerated
from their ancestors; and an appeal from yodr Ma-,
jesty to all good and true Hollanders shall not be
fruitless.

"-The period'of State revolutions, doubtless, has.
passed by; it would be indeed indiscreet-not to ,pro
fit by those lessons which :history and experience
have supplied relative to the nature of that form of
Government which is best adapted to our present
situation and the extent of our territory.'
" This form your Majesty has delineated, and ex-
plained the motives for its adoption in, the most con-
vincing manner ; motives which, notwithstanding,
are founded upon actual fads.
" A firm, just, and paternal Government, similar
to that which we .in full confidence expea• of your
Majesty, will he the most powerfUl means of re-
animating the national spirit, which had been almost,
extinguished by t.he many shocks and vicissitudes it
has sustained.

Among the numerous advantages that will
arise from the inseparaLle connexions by which we
are united to that Monarch who preSidei over the
fate of Europe, it is with pride that we reckon our na-
tional independence; for the establishment of which,
the Hollanders have been at all times •so anxious.
We sympathise in the regret Which your Majesty
feels in your separation from him who is admired as
a protecting angel all 3oVer the world, and honoured
as such by all Vrance.

Sire; in, future, esteem yourself 'in 'all respe&s
as one of us, and reckon.upon every thing that we
can possibly contribute towards the alleviation of
those bOnourable, but painful duties, which' you took
upon yourself wheit you ascended the Throne of
Holland.

• " When the period arrives in which all Europe
shall be revived by the consequences of a general
and lastifig Peace,' then 'Will the unanimous voice of
all nations bless the betiefieent)3eina through whose,
means the faniom of the seas shall be re-established,
commerce:restored: to its ancient ,prosperity, agricul-
ture proteeted, the industry of the Country regene-
rated, and joy and.abundance every where diffused.
Our contemporaries and our posterity, the present
andfuture races, shallthus enjoy the happities which
the benefits conferred by your Majesty prepares for

them. 'Mott• fame will be immortal; and irrevocably
united to. the nation, which will henceforth har.e no
other yoke but that of gratitude.

VIENNA,'
_TUNE al.—Exclusive of the process
against.theylarquis DE Gillsmaili, another is now
carrying un against Field-Marshal BarcinDy, not
relative to the surrender. of the Mouths of the Ca-
taro, from whence he was some hundred miles
. distant at the time, but in consequence of several
other complaints against him from French Officers;
and as our Court ha,s taken up- 1-his•enquiry ih a-se.-
riwas light, it is looked upon as a manifest proof bf,
the regard in which they hold the 'esteem and friend-.
ship of the French.
VIENNA,. JUNE 18.--People continue ,to persuade
themselves that they perCeive new symptoms of an
approximation between France and Russia. For some
time past Count RAZUNIOWSKI; the Minister of the
latter, has had repeated conferences with M. LA
ROCHEVOUCAULT, the French Envoy.
A French Courier, who arrived here by way or
Munich, has brought the necessary passports for the
Russian State Messenger, M. D'OUBRIL and that
Gentleman, whom the.Nesxipapers had prematurely
sent to Paris, is pow adu.ally upon the point of setting
out for that City.
Since, in the course of the late rupture, there has
been repeated occasions for remarking how. far the
French Troops excelled purs,in the aft of war, and
in manceuvres, we are DOW engaged in instru&ing
the garrisons in soMe of the principal evolutions,'&c. ;
an eXample Which we suppose will be followed by
the rest of the army. Count KEVENHULLEII, our
Envoy at Rothe., is recalled. It is thought that in'
future a Charge; Atfiti res only will be • employed
there.

DOADRE6HT,JuLY 2.--From Rotterdam .weleatm,
that yesterday-afternoon the Ship of -War the
_Piet
Klein was launched in the presence of His Majesty,
much to his satisfadion, and that of the wholte
Court.- •

INTAi.LgS,. JUNE 14..,-According: to the last- ac-
counts from Gaeta, the place is more and-more in--
,closed,by the French.-. The third parallel is formed,
and It is
_hoped that the -place will surrender, and
not risk the consequences of a storm. It is added,
that the-entrance into the harbout is much incom-
moded by a battery Of mortars, ',lately
,opened ; and
that several- vessels have been struck with bombs
.while at their moorings, and supposed to be in per-
fe& safety.
CONSTAI•FTINOPLE, MAT 28.—We have-again re-
ceived intelligence-of the-assemblage of a freSh di-
visio,n of the Ottoman Troops. This -new fendcz-
vons is'at Salonica, in Greece.
HAMBURGH, JUNE 25.--on'the 21st the Prussian
Troops evacuated the pity of Bremen-; only a very
small detachment remain at present upon thee
terri-
tory belonging to this City. -
' ROME, JUNE 9,.--7Fifteen:thousand French Troops
at present occupy, it is said provisionally, the Eccle-
siastical States. Last week the Kink of N4les de-
clared, in the theatre of St. Carlo, that he had rea-
son to expeEt the speedy restoration:of a good under
standitig between France and Russia. Forty men
have lately received sentence at Naples, viz. twenty"
to labour upon the fortifications, and twenty to suf,
fer death. The former are to be Sept to the fortres's
of Fenestrelles, in Piedmont. Among the lattet is
a Notary of Rome, one FrenChman, three Sardinian
Officers, and some Monks.