Will gently pafs the evening of our days; [Exeunt omnes, THE HE editor of the following comedy always confidered it as one of the principal duties of a director of a theatre, to atone in fome measure, for the mummery which his fituation obliges him to exhibit, by bringing forward the productions of our most efteemed writers. The alterations he hazarded for this purpose having been generally approved, it is needless to point out or enforce their propriety; much lefs can he think it neceffary to vindicate the established reputation of the author. Writers of the most diftinguished taste and genius have honoured the SILENT WOMAN of BEN JONSON with the most lavish encomiums; but the criticks of our day, unawed by authority, and trufting to the light of their own understanding, have difcovered that there is neither ingenuity nor contrivance in the fable, nature in the characters, nor wit nor humour in the dialogue. The present editor, however, cannot pay them fo high a compliment, as to fuppofe it incumbent on him to defend the author and his admirers, or to make any apology for having, with the kind affiftance of Mr. Garrick, promoted the revival P 3 revival of Epicone; the perufal of which he recommends in the closet, to those few acute spirits who thought it unworthy of the stage. We think our fathers fools, fo wife we grow ! PROLOGUE, Spoken by Mr. PALMER. APPY the foaring bard who boldly wooes, Hand wins the favour of, the tragick mufe! He from the grave may call the mighty dead, "The |