Jjaws of Candy ^ a tragi-comedy^
88 lines✦
AttU trench Lawyer , a comedy. The plot is borrowed from Gusmali^t>r the Spanish Rogue^ part ii. chap. 4. The story of Dinant, Clereraont,and Lamira, being borrowed from Don Lewis de Castro, and Don Rode-rigo de Montalva. The like story is in other novels; as in Scarron's No-Tel, called The Fruitless Precaution; and in The Complaisant Companion,8vo. p. 263, which is copied from the above-mentioned original. Lovers Cure, or The Martial Maid, a comedy. Love*s Pilgrimage, a comedy. This I take to be an admirable comedy.The foundation of it is built on a novel of Miguel de Cervantes, calledThe Two Damsels. The scene in the first act, between Diego the host ofOssuna, and Lazaro his ostler, is stolen from Ben Jonson's New Inn;which i may rather term borrowed, for that play miscarrying in theaction, I suppose they made use of it with Ben's consent. Lovers' Progress, a tragi-comedy. This play is built on a French ro^mance written oy Mr. Daudiguier, called Lysander and Calista. Loyal Subject, a tragi-comedy. Mad Lover, a tragi-comedy. The design of Cleanthe's suborning thePriestess to give a false oracle in favour of her brother Syphax, is bor-rowed from the story of Mundus and Paulina, described at large by Jo-^sephus, lib. xviii. chap. 4. This play Sir Aston Cokain has chiefly com-mended in his copy of verses on Mr. Fletcher's plays. See the versesbefore this edition; and Cokain's Poems, p. 101. Maid in the Mill, a comedy. This play, amongst others, has likewisebeen revived by the Duke's House. The plot of Antonio, Ismenia, andAminta, is borrowed from Gerardo, a romance translated from the Spanishof Don Gonzalo de Cespides, and Moneces ; see the story of Don Jayme,p. 3o0k As to the plot of Otrante's seizing Florimel the miller's supposeddaughter, and attempting her chastity : 'Tis borrowed from an Italian novelwrit by Bandello; a translation of which into French, the reader may findin Les Histoires Tragiques, par M. Belleforest, torn. 1. hist. 12. The samestory is related by M. Goulart; see Les Histoires admirables de nitre terns,8vo. torn, 1. p. £12. Maid's Trasedy, a play which has always been acted with great applause at the King's Iheatre; and which had still continued on the English stage, had not King Charles the Second, for some particular reasons, forbid its further appearance during his reit^n. It has since been revived by Mr. VOL. I. ^d Waller, zviti PREFACE, 1711. WalleTi the last act having been wholly altered to please the court. Thislast act is published in Mr. Waller's Poems, printeaSVo. in London, 171 !• Masque of Grays-Inn Gentlemen, and the Inner^Temple. This masquewas written by Mr. Beaumont alone, and presented before the King andQueen in the Banqueting- House of Whitehall, at the marriage of theillustrious Frederick and Elizabeth, Prince and Princess Palatine of theRhine. Monsieur Thomas, a comedy, which not long since appeared on thepresent stage under the name of Trick for Trick. Nice Valour; or The Passionate Madman, a comedy. Niffht'JValker; or The Little ThieJ] a comedy, which I have seenacted by the King's servants, with great applause, both in the city andcountry. Noble Gentleman, a comedy, which was latelv revived by Mr. Durfey,under the title of The Fool's Preferment, or The Three Dukes of Dun-stable. Philaster; or, Love Lies a-Bleeding, a tragi-comedy, which has alwaysbeen acted with success, and has been the diversion of the stage, even inthese days. This was the first play that brought these excellent authorsin esteem; and this play was one of those that were represented at theold theatre in Lincoin's-InnTFields, when the women acted alone. Theprologue and epilogue were spoken by Mrs. Marshal, and printed inCo vent-Garden Drollery, p. 18. About this time there was a prologuewritten on purpose for the women by Mr. Dryden, and is printed in nisMiscellany roems in 8vo. p. 285. Pilgrim, a comedy, which was revived some year^ since, and a pro*logue spoke, which the reader may find in Covent-Garden Drollery, p. 12* Prdphetess, a tragical history, which has lately been revived by Mr.Dryden, under the title of The rrophetess; or The History of Dioclesian,with alterations and additions, after the manner ^of an opera, representedat the Queen's Theatre, and printed 4to. London, 1690. For the plotconsult Eusebius, lib. viii. Nicephoms, lib. vi. and vii. Vopisc. Car. andCarin. Aur. Victoris Epitome. jEutropius, lib. 9* Baronius An. 204. &c.Orosius, I. vii. c. 16. Coeifeteau, 1. xx. &c. Queen of Corinth, a tragi-comedy. Rule a Wife and have a Wife, a tragi-comedy, which within these fewyears has been acted with applause, at the Queen's Theatre in Dorset-Garden. Scornful Lady, a comedy, acted with good applause, even in thesetimes, at the theatre in Dorset-Garden. Mr. Dryden has condemned theconclusion of this play, in reference to the conversion of Moorcraft theusurer; but whether this catastrophe be excusable, I must leave to thecritics. Sea-Voyage, a comedy lately revived by Mr. Durfey, under the titleof The Commonwealth of Women. This play is supposed by Mr. Dry-den,* (as I have observed) to be copied from Shakespeare's Tempest. " The storm which vanish'd on the neighbouring shore^Was taught by Shakespeare's Tempest first to roar;That innocence and beauty which did smileIn Fletcher, grew on this enchanted isle.'*
✦