I was, I confess, through indignation, forced to
limb my own child, which time, the true cure for all maladies and
injustice, has set together again. The play cost me much pains, the
story is true, and, I hope, the object will display treachery in
its own colours. But this farce, comedy, tragedy, or mere play, was
a revenge for the refusal of the other." This last sentence alludes
to the suppression of the "Massacre of Paris," which, according to
the author's promise, appeared with all its appurtenances restored
in 1690, the year following.]
37. When the days of Whiggish prosperity shone forth, Shadwell did his
best to retort upon our poet. In the prologue to "Bury Fair," we
find the following lines of exultation, on his having regained
possession of the stage:
Those wretched poetitos, who got praise,
By writing most _confounded loyal plays_,
With viler coarser jests, than at Bear-garden,
And silly Grub-street songs, worse than Tom Farthing;
If any noble patriot did excel,
His own and country's rights defending well,
These yelping curs were straight 'looed on to bark,
On the deserving man to set a mark;
Those abject fawning parasites and knaves.
Since they were such, would have all others slaves.
'Twas precious _loyalty_, that was thought fit
To atone for want of honesty and wit;
No wonder common sense was all cried down,
And noise and nonsense swaggered through the town;
Our author then opprest would have you know it.
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