WERTER; A TRAGEDY, IN THREE ACTS: AS PERFORMED AT THE THEATRES-ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN, BATH, BRISTOL, and DUBLIN. By F. REYNOLDS, Efq. AUTHOR OF THE DRAMATIST-NOTORIETY-HOW TO GROW RICH-THE RAGE-SPECULATION-&C, &c. Improbe amor! quid non mortalia pectora cogis? A NEW EDITION. VIROIL. LONDON: PRINTED BY A. STRAHAN, PRINTERS-STREET; FOR T. N, LONGMAN AND O. REES, PATERNOSTER-ROW. (Written by MR. MEYLER, of Bath,) Spoken by MR. HOLMAN. THE tragic mufe, attach'd to regal show, Not fo our mufe-who, with a partial care, Our bard-a youth just loosen'd from the schools, From grave preceptors, and from pedant rulesWith dread anxiety and terror fues Your beft indulgence to his infant mufe. Conscious how many obftacles were near, To fhew pale Suicide in horror bleed, And warn impiety to shun the deed. Doubtful to venture on this ocean vaft, And brave the fury of a critic blast, He taught his little bark at firft to glide. Down the smooth furface of Avonia's 'tide; There, by repeated, kindlieft fignals given, She found at Bath-an hofpitable haven. Her pilots there-implore that, for their fake, To this dread port a voyage fhe may make And they, who oft have stampt the player's worth, May bring, perhaps, fome fterling author forth. They gave the bright theatric ftar a name, And led a Siddons to the road of fame. To-night's fair heroine, in her earlier age, There-fhone the rifing wonder of the stage. There Henderfon!-but memory heaves a figh, And points to where, fcarce cold, his relics lieOh!-may the favour that adorn'd his name, With all the laurels of theatric fame, Extend its influence to our youthful bard, And spare his errors-by a kind award! |