Rance of ſome Great King or Prince, whom
every one ſhall fuppofe to fwim in the Luxu¬
ry of Wealth, and to be a Powerful Lord and
Mafter, when, alas, on the one Hand he has
Poverty of Spirit enough to make him a meer
Beggar, and on the other Side he is worfe than
a Galley-flave to his own Lufts and Paffions.
Ir I had a mind farther to expatiate I
could enlarge upon feveral Inftances of like
Nature ; but this one may at preſent ſuffice.
Wetr, but what’s the Meaning (will fome
fay) of all this?’ Why, obſerve the Applica¬
tion. If any one in a Play-houfe be fo im¬
pertinent and rude as to rifle the Actors of
their borrow’d Cloaths, make them lay down
the Chara&ter affum’d, and force them to re¬
turn to their Naked Selves, would not fuch a
one wholly difcompofe and Spoil the Enter¬
tainment ? And wou’d he not deferve to be
hifs’d and thrown’ Stones at till the Pragma¬
tical Fool could learn better Manners ? For
by fuch a Difturbance the whole Scene will
be alter’d : Such as aéted the Afen will per¬
haps appear to be Women : He that was drefs’d
up for a Young Brisk Lover, will be found a
tough Old Fellow ; and he that reprefented a
King, will remain but a mean ordinary Ser¬
veng-Man. The laying Things thus open is
Marring all the Sport, which confifts only in
Counterfeit and Diſguiſe. Now the World
is nothing elfe ‘but’ {uch another Comedy,
where every one in the Tire-room is fir Ha:
bited ſuitably ‘tó the“ Part he is to at; and
as it is fucceffively their Turn, out they come
on the Stage} where he that now Perfonates a
Es Prince,