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EPILOGUE

Written and spoken by Mr. Langrishe,

At the close of the Theatre, the 22d of October, 1802.

Grave Prologue having made his formal bow,
More Playful Epilogue salutes you now.

Sententious Prologues dictate Rules for sense,
But Lighter Epilogues with Rules dispense,
And, free from dull restraint and critic laws,
Aim but at Cheerfulness-and your Applause;
Let Gravity put on what masque it will,
The taste of mankind's, to be merry still;
A serious air is like a full dress coat,
We wear it, our importance to denote,
And pass upon the world, for what we're not;
But, when we pomp and ceremony weather,
Put our blue frock on, and our mirth together.
Fashions still change-and different now the rage,
Since Classic Congreve penn'd his easy page ;-
Now Rural Economics are the Ton,
Taste, wit and genius to the Soil belong;
Critics now write on Farming and Manure,
Farming exhausts all modern literature;
This Rural rage e'en female bosoms fires,
Pan, not Apollo now, their souls inspires,—
A Smithfield Grazier's jargon they affect,
And the soft accents of their sex neglect;
This fair one boasts, how well she works her fallow,
How her hogs handle, and her oxen tallow;
While this one thinks long horns become the head,
T'other, by crossing, hopes to mend the breed;
The lovely Lady Tuppit proud with reason,
Lets out her rams at sixty pounds a season;-
"The bull your La'ship sent-'twas wond'rous kind,
"But the red heifer is too thin behind;
"To breed from such, I own I should be slow,
"Besides his tail's set on a foot too low,-
"Pardon my freedom, but my zeal will speak,—
"The Beast has too much leather on her neck."

Such modern taste must think our pastime mean, Where neither oxen, sheep or swine are seen, But we will still our classic course pursue, And scorn their censures, while approv'd by you; By you, whose judgment's true, whose feeling's kind, Whose taste is elegant-and wit refin'd.

But could you think it possible that we, Honest confederates in Charity,

Should wake the vigilance of † pious spleen, To spoil these sports, and mar the good we mean? Yet Doctor Cantwell lifts his eyes to Heaven, And hopes such crimes may be at last forgiven. "Such impious means to give the poor relief, "Is adding want to want, and grief to grief, "Better all starve, than crimes like these commit; "Audience, and Actors, all shall smart for it.

1802.

About this time the New Lights in Farming appeared, and engrossed, for a while, all conversation even amongst the fair Sex.

Not New Lights in Farming alone, but New Lights in Religion also appeared about this time, the followers of which preached and para. graph'd against the Kilkenny Theatre; but they were unable to interrupt the continuance of its innocent amusements, or to suppress the Benevolence of the Charitable.

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"When Alms are given, let me dispense the boon; "Heaven smiles upon my works, and mine alone." As if the canting Hypocrite would say, "There's but one gate to Heaven-and I've the key." But we with mirth put by the weak attack, Retort in rhyme, and laugh their follies back : Then spare, ye rigid righteous, spare our Plays,Let each their best perform, their several ways; 'Tis yours, grave Sirs, to preach-'tis ours to play, 'Tis yours to succour wretchedness-and pay, And, heedless what a meddling Priest may say, Make Charity the Order of the Day.

To the Audience.

The Ladies and Gentlemen, who applied too late for places to witness the approaching Performances at our Theatre, are hereby informed, that the three front seats of the Gallery are thrown into the Lettices for their accommodation.-[Kilkenny Paper, Saturday, October 9th, 1802.]

The City of KILKENNY has never witnessed such an assemblage of fashionable Society as it does at this moment. The Lodging-houses are all nearly full; and the Carnival, to which expectation has been anxiously looking for the last two months, at length has opened with the greatest spirit. The principal Actors of our Theatre are Members of some of the most distinguished Families of our County, and their Audience is not unworthy of the Rank and the Talents that appear before them. The Performances commenced on Monday night. Last Night the Assemblies opened at the Tholsel. The second of our Theatrical Performances takes place to night. To-morrow morning the followers of the Chase will take the field, and tomorrow night there will be a Concert at the Theatre, to be succeeded by a Ball-thus pass in merry round the varied pleasures of our happy time.-Kilkenny Paper, Wednesday, October 13th, 1802.]

Our City continues to be the centre of attraction among the gay and the fashionable, for the Fame of our Plays has gone forth, and the number of Strangers to be discovered among our Visitors is daily increasing-Thanks to the benevolent hearts of those who have abandoned the comforts of their Country Seats to live in inconvenient Lodgings, and undergo the nightly fatigues of Theatrical Representations, in order to create the means of bestowing, at a great expense to themselves, a benefit upon others. Their object, however, is accomplished---the Funds of our Charitable Institutions have got an abundant supply from their labors, and harmony and happiness prevail among us.-[Kilkenny Paper, Saturday, October 16th, 1802.]

The Performances of this Season are now over, and never did the most brilliant Audience that ever graced a Theatre behold a more extraordinary assemblage of varied talents than has been exhibited on our little Stage, in almost every department of the Drama-talents happily

1803.

united, judiciously disposed, and benevolently exerted. Criticism is as unnecesary as it would be unbecoming. An appropriate Prologue and Epilogue, composed, we believe, by the Gentlemen of the Theatrical Association, preceded and concluded the Performances. The Scenic decorations were in the highest degree beautiful; many of the Dresses were superb, and all of them appropriate. The Theatre could with difficulty contain the numbers that thronged to it every Night; and yet such was the attention paid to the Stage, that even in those crowded Houses not a whisper was heard to interrupt the Performance, except when the general silence was broken by a burst of applause. HER EXCELLENCY LADY HARDWICKE and her Suite honored with their presence one of the Stage Boxes. The COUNTESS OF ORMONDE, LADY ELIZABETH KAVANAGH, LADY ELEANOR BUTLER, with a large party of Nobility belonging to the ancient house of ORMONDE, Occupied the other. The COUNTESS OF CARRICK, Lady Ann Maxwell, and the Members of their distinguished Family, filled a third; but in almost every row of the Box Circle, appeared lovely Women of the first Rank and Family, among us, in all the brilliancy of full dress, the pride and ornament of our Theatre, our County, and of our Country at large.— [Kilkenny Paper, October 27th, 1802.]

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PROLOGUE

Written and spoken by Mr. Tighe,

At the opening of the Theatre, the 17th of October, 1803.
Again we venture, on those boards, to try
The kind indulgence of your friendly eye;
Nor think our time, or yours, is spent in vain,
While British sentiments your praise obtain---
Aye, purely British, for our tastes refuse
All doubtful lessons from the German Muse;
Resolved to combat, in our Patriot course,
'Gainst Foreign Morals, or a † Foreign Force.
If War shall call us to the Battle-plain,
Othello's occupation's found again---
And Denmark's Prince will wait no Spectre's word,
To point aright his vengeance and his sword.
Equal in arms, and arts, we can rehearse,
At morn, a Skirmish, and at eve, a Farce.
So gallant Frederic built, amid his wars,
One altar to the Muses, one to Mars.
Where'er he went, Thalia sat en croupe
To lead the Comic, with the Warrior troop;
Those, whom his Arms had conquer'd in the day,,
He entertain'd at evening with a Play.

Tempering, like him, our Wars with Classic sport,
At once Bellona, and the Muse, we court;

Like him, by enemies surrounded, rise,

And Gallic arms, and German taste despise,

With Swords, and Pens combin'd, the war we'll wage,
Till both are beaten from the field, and stage.---
Let German dramatists for France enlist,
Rebels, with leaden head, and iron fist;
Nature laughs with us, when such idiot schools
Stamp Horace, or the Stagyrite, for Fools:
Here the flat Pathos without cause appears,
To drown bombastic Comedy in tears;
Unseemly vices plunging thro' the mud,
There, wrapt in mist, pursue the scent of blood;
One lover here, to harmonize the lives

Of two kind damsels, makes two loving wives.
Incredulous we hate the crude attempt,
From all but dulness and from vice exempt;
For when insidious Vice apes Sentiment,
Let Nature mourn, and British hearts lament.---
The Stage, and Country, share an equal fate :
Corrupt the Taste, and you subvert the State.
To say that kings, and ministers, are fools,
All senates, hirelings, and all soldiers, tools,
Is but to vandalise the human race,

And raise up Anarchy in Wisdom's place.

To us, by Heav'n, are better prospects shown;
Virtue, we know, can live upon a Throne:
And here, we know--but not to praise our friends,
With this short Prayer, at once our Sermon ends;
"Ne'er may the Land feel Bigotry or Fetters,
That to a SWIFT, and CONGREVE, first gave Letters!
And, where a BERKELEY first began to reason,
May Wit, or Taste, be never out of season!"

* Some German Plays that were thought to be of questionable morality, were now but too popular on the Stage.

+ France had renewed her hostilities against these Countries, and was threatening them with Invasion.

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PUFF-coming forward.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

*On the Twelfth of December, I'm order'd to say,
('Tis now in Rehearsal,) will be acted a Play;
An Historical Drama, reviv'd, and new nam'd,
Call'd the Vanquish'd Invaders, or Frenchmen Asham'd:
Three times acted before, (as state chronicles shew,)
+Under Managers-Humbert-and Hoche-and Thuro.
With a Farce after that, neatly written by me-
Full of sentiments pure---and from ribaldry free;
Undefil'd by smart sallies of humour or wit,

Or impertinent jests, that may hurt, where they hit:
The whole, with an Epilogue apt to conclude,
In metre that's tuneful--with moral that's good,
By me---and not what you're accustom❜d to hear,
But innocent, decent, and void of all sneer.

Mr. Langrishe.

So far says Puff---and well, in way of trade: But yet, by me some Comment must be made; His Play, th' Invaders Vanquish'd, I admire, Each hand shall aid it, and each Muse inspire: But-Sentimental Farces please this town--Innocent Epilogues---they'll ne'er go down.--

Farces should hold up foibles to the view,
For wit, by laughter follow'd, to pursue;
Should touch, with ridicule, each frail beginner,
That shame may strike the fool---or save the sinner:
Thus shall prim preachers, tho' they cant and croak,
Reluctant, learn a moral in a joke.

The lighter flights and follies of the hour
Must give to Epilogue his playful pow'r.
Then, how can Comic Muse find matter here,
Where not a fault, or folly, will appear!
No female grazier ‡ now, no mincing prude,
Nor sinning Psalm-singer § dare here intrude.

I own,---that to our moral lectures past,

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Some pregnant follies, to produce some wit,

And give the Comic Muse some little food;

For you will starve her, if you grow so good;
If you remain decorous and demure,
Poor Epilogue becomes a sinecure;
But, if you wish for playful jest again,
Fresh Frailties must inspire your poet's strain.

Yet we will laugh---tho' you refuse a cause;
Laugh--at all efforts to subvert our laws---
Laugh--at the menace of vain-glorious France---
Laugh--at defeated Treason's pointless lance---
Laugh--at those friends, whom terror keeps away
From the safe pleasures of our liberal Play---

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1803.

At this time there was a general expectation that the French would invade Ireland.

+ The Leaders of the three last attempts to invade Ireland by the French. ↑ Vide page 9.-Notes to Epilogue.

Ibid.

Alluding to the failure of the desperate effort made by some disaffected individuals in the year 1803, to disturb the tranquillity of the Metropolis, and shake the loyalty of the Country.

Laugh--at those prurient teachers, that abuse These well-meant projects of the playful Muse, And, (for some selfish purpose,) would decry This bounteous impulse of your Charity.

Thus, tho' convulsions rend the world around, No hostile breath shall blast this favor'd ground. Your presence dissipates each gathering fear, And wipes from terror the foreboding tear: Your eyes, like Phoebus, chase all mists away, Nor let to-morrow's danger cloud to-day. When charms, like these, a nation's fires excite, Cowards shall combat, every dunce shall write, Nor cares nor perils shall our zeal abate,--Plaudits on our efforts wait.

Let but

your

Our Theatre opened on Monday Night last. The Audience, though not so numerous as upon former occasions, was very select. As most of the Lodgings in the Town, and all the Boxes, are taken, there is reason to expect, that the remaining Entertainments of this week, and the whole of the next, will bring crowded houses.[Kilkenny Paper, Wednesday, October 19th, 1803.]

Last Monday Night, the 31st ulto. ended our annual Theatrical amusements, in aid of the Charitable Institutions of Kilkenny; and we are happy to announce to the Public, that no less a sum than SIX HUNDRED POUNDS was collected, which, after the necessary deductions, will leave a considerable proportion to be applied to those best of Charities. When we connect with the excellence of the Entertainments we have witnessed, the laudable purposes that gave them birth, and behold the Gentlemen of our County, those true Friends of the Poor, abandoning all their own domestic comforts, incurring considerable expense, and imposing on themselves no small portion of labor, in order to accomplish their objects, we own, that we can hardly repress our indignation at those enthusiastic Devotees, who, warm in the professions of their faith, but cold in the practices of Charity, have ventured to condemn our innocent and useful Recreations. To such persons we will simply say this, if you have been prevented by any scruples of Religion from visiting our Theatre, and thus adding to the resources of Charity, while you were enjoying an elegant and classical amusement, we hope, now that those pleasures are at an end, you will have no scruples of that, or any other kind, to prevent you from sending your Contributions to the General Fund. But we will pursue the theme no further. Our Theatre, we venture to assert, has exhibited, for this last week, a greater assemblage of rank, beauty and accomplishment, than that of the Capital often contains at the same time; and surely it is not to be wondered at, that the recitation of some of the sublimest productions of our best dramatic writers, by men of talent, taste and education, should bring together Crowds of those who regard the excellencies of Dramatic Literature and Dramatic Representation, with feelings of a kindred nature. To heighten the amusements of this Meeting, two superb Balls were given by the Gentlemen of the KILKENNY CLUB. [Kilkenny Paper, Saturday, November 5th, 1803.]

* See page 14.

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