The Works of John Dryden Author:John Dryden Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MARRIAGE A-LA-MODE A COMEDY. Qmcquid sum ego, quamvis Infra Lucili censum ingeniumyue, tamen me Cum magnis vixisse, invita fatebitur unque Invidia, etfr... more »agili qucerens illidere dentem, Offendet salido. Horat. Serh. MARRIAGE A-LA-MODE. Marriage A-la-mode was one of Dryden's most successful comedies. A venerable praiser of the past time, in a curious letter printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for 175, gives us this account of its first representation. " This comedy, acted by his Majesty's servants at the Theatre-Royal, made its h'rst appearance with extraordinary lustre. Divesting myself of the old man, I solemnly declare, that you have seen no such acting, no, not in any degree since. The players were then, l673, on a court establishment, seventeen men, and eight women." Gent. Mag. Vol. xv. p. 99- From a copy of verses, to which this letter is annexed, we learn the excellence of the various performers by whom the piece was first presented. They are addressed to a young actress. Henceforth, in livelier characters excel, Though 'tis great merit to act folly well; Take, take from Dryden's hand Melantha's part, The gaudy effort of luxuriant art. In all imagination's glitter drest j What from her lips fantastic Montfort caught, And almost moved the thing the poet thought. These scenes, the glory of a comic age, (If decency could blanch each sullied page) Peruse, admire, and give unto the stage ; Or thou, or beauteous Woffington, display What Dryden's self, with pleasure, might survey. Even he, before whose visionary eyes, Melantha, robed in ever-varying dies, Gay fancy's work, appears, actor renowned, Like Koscius, with theatric laurels crowned, Gibber will smile applause, and think again Of Marie, and Mohun, and all the female train. Core, Marshal...« less