Before your conscience can be laid at rest;
There smiles your bride, there sprawls your new-born son,
A ring, a licence, and the thing is done.” —
   “My loving James,”—­the Lass began her plea,
I’ll make thy reason take a part with me;
Had I been froward, skittish, or unkind,
Or to thy person or thy passion blind;
Had I refused, when ’twas thy part to pray,
Or put thee off with promise and delay;
Thou might’st in justice and in conscience fly,
Denying her who taught thee to deny: 
But, James, with me thou hadst an easier task,
Bonds and conditions I forbore to ask;
I laid no traps for thee, no plots or plans,
Nor marriage named by licence or by banns;
Nor would I now the parson’s aid employ,
But for this cause,”—­and up she held her boy. 
   Motives like these could heart of flesh resist? 
James took the infant and in triumph kiss’d;
Then to his mother’s arms the child restored,
Made his proud speech and pledged his worthy word. 
   “Three times at church our banns shall publish’d be,
Thy health be drunk in bumpers three times three;
And thou shalt grace (bedeck’d in garments gay)
The christening-dinner on the wedding-day.” 
   James at my door then made his parting bow,
Took the Green-Man, and is a master now.

LETTER XII.

These are monarchs none respect,
Heroes, yet an humbled crew,
Nobles, whom the crowd correct,
Wealthy men, whom duns pursue;
Beauties shrinking from the view
Of the day’s detecting eye;
Lovers, who with much ado
Long-forsaken damsels woo,
And heave the ill-feign’d sigh.

These are misers, craving means
Of existence through the day,
Famous scholars, conning scenes
Of a dull bewildering play;
Ragged beaux and misses gray,
Whom the rabble praise and blame,
Proud and mean, and sad and gay,
Toiling after ease, are they,
Infamous, and boasting fame.

----------------

Players.

They arrive in the Borough—­Welcomed by their former Friends—­Are better fitted for Comic than Tragic Scenes:  yet better approved in the latter by one Part of their Audience—­Their general Character and Pleasantry—­Particular Distresses and Labours—­Their Fortitude and Patience—­A private rehearsal—­The Vanity of the aged Actress—­A Heroine from the Milliner’s Shop—­A deluded Tradesman—­Of what Persons the Company is composed—­Character and Adventures of Frederick Thompson.

Drawn by the annual call, we now behold
Our Troop Dramatic, heroes known of old,
And those, since last they march’d, enlisted and enrolled: 
Mounted on hacks or borne in waggons some,
The rest on foot (the humbler brethren) come. 
Three favour’d places, an unequal time,
Join to support this company sublime: 
Ours for the longer period—­see how light
Yon parties move, their former friends in sight,