The Plays of Colley Cibber

Volume II

Rodney Hayley, Rodney L. Hayley

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9780429620447
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Originally collated and published in 1980, this volume contains the plays of Colley Cibber, edited and with an introduction by Rodney L. Hayley. The book contains The Lady's Last Stake, The Rival Fools, Ximena, The Non-Juror and The Refusal.

THE
REFUSAL;
OR
The Ladies Philosophy:
A
COMEDY
Acted at the
Theatre-Royal,
by
His MAJESTY’s SERVANTS.

---

Amor omnibus idem. VIRG.

---

PROLOGUE.

GALLANTS! behold before your Eyes the Wight,

Whose Actions stand accountable To-night,

For all your Dividends of Profit or Delight.

New Plays resemble Bubbles, we must own;

But their intrinsick Value soon is known:

There’s no imposing Pleasure on a Town.

And when they fail, count o’er his Pains and Trouble,

His Doubts, his Fears, the Poet is the Bubble.

As Heroes by the Tragick Muse are sung;

So to the Comick, Knaves and Fools belong:

Follies, To-night, of various kinds we paint,

One, in a Female Philosophick Saint,

That wou’d by Learning Nature’s Laws repeal,

Warm all her Sex’s Bosoms to rebel,

And only, with Platonick Raptures, swell.

Long she resists the proper Use of Beauty,

But Flesh and Blood reduce the Dame to Duty.

A Coxcomb too of modern Stamp we show,

A Wit—but impudent—a South-Sea Beau.

Nay more—our Muse’s Fire (but pray protect her)

Roasts, to your Taste, a whole South-Sea Director.

But let none think we bring him here in spite,

For all their Actions, sure, will bear the Light;

Besides, he’s painted here in Height of Power

Long e’er we laid such Ruin at his Door;

When he zvas Levee’d, like a Statesman, by the Town,

And thought his heap’d up Millions all his own.

No, no; Stock’s always at a Thousand here,

He’ll almost honest on the Stage appear.

Such is our Fare, to feed the Mind our Aim,

But Poets stand, like Warriors, in their Fame;

One ill Day’s Work brings all their past to Shame.

Thus having tasted of your former Favour,

The Chance seems now for deeper Stakes than ever.

As, after Runs of Luck, we’re more accurst,

To lose our Winnings, than have lost at first;

A first Stake lost has often sav’d from Ruin,

But on one Cast to lose the Tout—is hard Undoing.

But be it as it may—the Dye is thrown,

Fear now were Folly—Passthe Rubccon.

EPILOGUE.

The Time is come the Roman Bard foretold,

A brazen Year succeeds an Age of Gold;

An Age—

When specious Books were open’d for undoing,

And English Hands, in Crouds, subscrib’d their Ruin.

Some Months ago, who ever could suppose,

A Goosequill Race of Rulers should have rose,

Thave made the Warlike Britons groan beneath their Blows.

Evils, that never yet beheld the Sun,

To foreign Arms, or Civil Jars, unknown,

These trembling Miscreants, by their Wiles, have done.

Thus the fierce Lion, whom no Force could foil,

By Village-Curs is baited in the Toil.

Forgive the Muse then, if her Scenes were laid

Before your fair Possessions were betray’d;

She took the flitting Form, as Fame then ran,

While a Director seem’d an honest Man:

But were she from his present Form to take him,

What a huge Gorging Monster must she make him?

How would his Paunch with Golden Ruin swell?

Whole Families devouring at a Meal?

What motley Humour in a Scene might flow,

Were we these Upstarts in their Airs to show?

When their high Betters, at their Gates have waited,

And all to beg the Favour, to be Cheated;

Even that Favour (or they’re by Fame bely’d)

To raise the Value o f the Cheat, deny’d.

And while Sir John was airing on his Prancers,

He’as left his Cookmaid, to give Peers their Answers.

Then Clerks in Berlins, purchas’d by their Cheats,

That splash their walking Betters in the Streets;

And while, by Fraud, their native Country’s sold,

Cry, Drive you Dog, and give your Horses Gold:

Even Jews no Bounds of Luxury refrain,

But boil their Christian Hams in pure Champaign.

Till then the Guilty, that have caus’d these Times,

Feel a superior Censure fo r their Crimes;

Let all, whose Wrongs the Face of Mirth can bear,

Enjoy the Muses Vengeance on them here.

Dramatis Personœ.

MEN.

Sir Gilbert Wrangle.	Mr. Penkethman.
Granger.	Mr. Both.
Frankley.	Mr. Wilks.
Witling.	Mr. Cibber.

WOMEN.

Lady Wrangle.	Mrs. Bicknell.
Sophronia.	Mrs. Oldfield.
Charlotte.	Mrs. Booth.

Servants, &c.

THE
REFUSAL;
OR,
The Ladies Philosophy.

ACT. I.
The SCENE, Westminster-Hall

Frankley and Granger meeting.

Fran.

IS it possible!

Gran. Frankly!

Fran. Dear Granger! I did not expect you these ten days: how came you to be so much better than your Word?

Gran. Why, to tell you the Truth, because I began to think London better than Paris.

Fran. That’s strange: But you never think like other People.

Gran. I am more apt to speak what I think, other People Though, I confess, Paris has its Charms; but to me they are like those of a Coquette, gay and gawdy; they serve to amuse with, but a Man would not chuse to be marry’d to them. In short, I am to pass my Days in Old England, and am therefore resolv’d not to have an ill Opinon of it.

Fran. These settled Thoughts, Ned, make me hope, that if ever you should marry, you will be as partial to the Woman you intend to pass your Days with.

Gran. Faith! I think every Man’s a Fool that is not: But it’s very odd; you see, the grossest Fools have generally Sense enough CO be fond of a fine House, or a good Horse, when they have bought them_ They can see the Value of them, at least; and why a poor Wife should not have as fair play for one’s Inclination, I can see no Reason, but downright Ill-nature or Stupidity.

Fran. What do you think of Avarice? when People purchase Wives, as they do other Goods, only because they are a Pennyworth Then too a Woman has a fine time on’t!

Gran. Ay, but that will never be the Case of my Wife: When I marry, I’ll do it with the fame convenient Views as a Man would set up his Coach, because his Estate will bear it, it’s easy, and keeps him out of dirty Company.

Fran. But what! would you have a Wife have no more Charms than a Chariot?

Gran. Ah! Friend, if I can but pass as many easy Hours at home with one, as abroad in t’other, I will take my chance, for her Works of Supererogation; and I believe at worst, should be upon a Par with the Happiness of molt Husbands about Town.

Fran. But, at this rate, you would marry before you are in love.

Gran. Why not? Do you think Happiness is entail’d upon marrying the Woman you love? No more than Reward is upon publick Merit: it may give you a Title to it indeed; but you must depend upon other People’s Virtue to find your Account in either. For my part, I am not for building Castles in the Air; when I marry, I expect no great matters; none of your Angels, a mortal Woman will do my Business, as you’ll find, when I tell you my Choice. All I desire of a Wife, is, that she will do as she is bid, and keep herself clean.

Fran. Would you not have her a ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• The Lady’s Last Stake
• The Rival Fools
• Ximena
• The Non-Juror
• The Refusal
• The List of Titles