Poets would study the immortal line, No tongue o'ervalues Heaven, or flatters her! Yet she by fate's perverseness-she alone Would doubt our truth, nor deem such praise her own! Adorning fashion, unadorn'd by dress, Simple from taste, and not from carelessness; But who the peril of her lips shall paint? Strip them of smiles-still, still all words are faint! Curious to mark how frequent they repose, Ah! seest thou not an ambush'd Cupid there, As well as charms, rejects the vainer theme; She barbs with wit those darts too keen before: Graced by those signs which truth delights to own, Whate'er she says, though sense appear throughout, Deck'd with that charm, how lovely wit appears, Peace, idle Muse! no more thy strain prolong, But yield a theme, thy warmest praises wrong; Just to her merit, though thou canst not raise Thy feeble verse, behold th' acknowledged praise Has spread conviction through the envious train, And cast a fatal gloom o'er Scandal's reign! And lo! each pallid hag, with blister'd tongue, PROLOGUE WRITTEN BY MR. GARRICK A SCHOOL for Scandal! tell me, I beseech you, [Sips. [Sips. We hope she'll DRAW, or we'll UNDRAW the curtain. "Oh! that's me! the villain ! Thus at our friends we laugh, who feel the dart; ว has been obliged to mask his pretensions, and profit by my assistance. Snake. Yet still I am more puzzled why you should interest yourself in his success. Lady Sneer. Heavens! how dull you are! Cannot you surmise the weakness which I hitherto, through shame, have concealed even from you? Must I confess that Charles-that libertine, that extravagant, that bankrupt in fortune and reputation-that he it is for whom I am thus anxious and malicious, and to gain whom I would sacrifice everything? Snake. Now, indeed, your conduct appears consistent; but how came you and Mr. Surface so confidential? For our mutual interest. Lady Sneer. I have found him out a long time since. I know him to be artful, selfish, and malicious—in short, a sentimental knave; while with Sir Peter, and indeed with all his acquaintance, he passes for a youthful miracle of prudence, good sense, and benevolence. Snake. Yes; yet Sir Peter vows he has not his equal in England; and, above all, he praises him as a man of sentiment. mariat a Chr Lady Sneer. True; and with the assistance of his sentiment and hypocrisy he has brought Sir Peter entirely into his interest with regard to Maria; while poor Charles has no friend in the house-though, I fear, he has a powerful, one in Maria's heart, against whom we must direct our schemes. Ser. Mr. Surface. Enter SERVANT. He Lady Sneer. Show him up. [Exit SERVANT.] generally calls about this time. I don't wonder at people giving him to me for a lover. Enter JOSEPH Surface. Jos. Surface. My dear Lady Sneerwell, how do you do to-day? Mr. Snake, your most obedient. Lady Sneer. Snake has just been rallying me on our mutual attachment; but I have informed him of our real views. You know how useful he has been to us; and, believe me, the confidence is not ill-placed. Jos. Surf. Madam, it is impossible for me to suspect a man of Mr. Snake's sensibility and discernment. Lady Sneer. Well, well, no compliments now; but tell me when you saw your mistress, Maria-or, what is more material to me, your brother. Jos. Surf. I have not seen either since I left you; but I can inform you that they never meet. Some of your stories have taken a good effect on Maria. Lady Sneer. Ah, my dear Snake! the merit of this belongs to But do your brother's distresses increase? to you. Jos. Surf. Every hour. I am told he has had another execution in the house yesterday. In short, his dissipation and extravagance exceed anything I have ever heard of. Lady Sneer. Poor Charles ! Jos. Surf. True, madam; notwithstanding his vices, one can't help feeling for him. Poor Charles! I'm sure I wish it were in my power to be of any essential service to him; for the man who does not share in the distresses of a brother, even though merited by his own misconduct, deserves Lady Sneer. O Lud! you are going to be moral, and forget that you are among friends. Jos. Surf. Egad, that's true! I'll keep that sentiment till I see Sir Peter. However, it is certainly a charity to rescue Maria from such a libertine, who, if he is to be reclaimed, can be so only by a person of your ladyship's superior accomplishments and understanding. Snake. I believe, Lady Sneerwell, here's company coming: I'll go and copy the letter I mentioned to you. Mr. Surface, your most obedient. Jos. Surf. Sir, your very devoted.-[Exit SNAKE.] Lady Sneerwell, I am very sorry you have put any farther confidence in that fellow. Lady Sneer. Why so? Jos. Surf. I have lately detected him in frequent conference with old Rowley, who was formerly my father's steward, and has never, you know, been a friend of mine. Lady Sneer. And do you think he would betray us? Jos. Surf. Nothing more likely take my word for't, Lady Sneerwell, that fellow hasn't virtue enough to be faithful even to his own villany. Ah, Maria ! |