The nation then too late will find,
  Computing all their cost and trouble,
Directors’ promises but wind,
  South Sea, at best, a mighty bubble.

[Footnote 1:  Phaethon.  Ovid, “Metam.,” lib. ii.—­W.  E. B.]

[Footnote 2:  See the fable of Midas.  Ovid, “Metam.,” lib. xi.—­W.  E. B.]

[Footnote 3:  Ecclesiastes, xi, I.]

[Footnote 4:  Psalm cvii, 26, 27.]

[Footnote 5:  Garraway’s auction room and coffee-house, closed in 1866.—­W.  E. B.]

FABULA CANIS ET UMBRAE

ORE cibum portans catulus dum spectat in undis,
Apparet liquido praedae melioris imago: 
Dum speciosa diu damna admiratur, et alte
Ad latices inhiat, cadit imo vortice praeceps
Ore cibus, nee non simulacrum corripit una. 
Occupat ille avidus deceptis faucibus umbram;
Illudit species, ac dentibus aera mordet.

A PROLOGUE

BILLET TO A COMPANY OF PLAYERS SENT WITH THE PROLOGUE

The enclosed prologue is formed upon the story of the secretary’s not allowing you to act, unless you would pay him L300 per annum; upon which you got a license from the Lord Mayor to act as strollers. 
  The prologue supposes, that upon your being forbidden to act, a company
of country strollers came and hired the playhouse, and your clothes, etc. to act in.

Our set of strollers, wandering up and down,
Hearing the house was empty, came to town;
And, with a license from our good lord mayor,
Went to one Griffith, formerly a player: 
Him we persuaded, with a moderate bribe,
To speak to Elrington[1] and all the tribe,
To let our company supply their places,
And hire us out their scenes, and clothes, and faces. 
Is not the truth the truth?  Look full on me;
I am not Elrington, nor Griffith he. 
When we perform, look sharp among our crew,
There’s not a creature here you ever knew. 
The former folks were servants to the king;
We, humble strollers, always on the wing. 
Now, for my part, I think, upon the whole,
Rather than starve, a better man would stroll. 
  Stay! let me see—­Three hundred pounds a-year,
For leave to act in town!—­’Tis plaguy dear. 
Now, here’s a warrant; gallants, please to mark,
For three thirteens, and sixpence to the clerk. 
Three hundred pounds!  Were I the price to fix,
The public should bestow the actors six;
A score of guineas given underhand,
For a good word or so, we understand. 
To help an honest lad that’s out of place,
May cost a crown or so; a common case: 
And, in a crew, ’tis no injustice thought
To ship a rogue, and pay him not a groat. 
But, in the chronicles of former ages,
Who ever heard of servants paying wages? 
  I pity Elrington with all my heart;
Would he were here this night to act my part!