PROLOGUE, Spoken by Mr. SHUTER, at the Opening of the Old Theatre, at Richmond, on Saturday, June 6, 1767

Welcome, ye Generous, Polite, and Fair, Who to our lowly Roof this Night repair! Who come, invited by our humble Bill, To the Old Theatre on Richmond Hill; Where to those guests, whose raste not over-nice is, We serve up common fare—at common prices.

No Cornice here, no Frieze to feast your eyes, No Galleries on Dorick Pillars rise; No gaudy Paintings on the Roof we deal in, To break your Necks with looking tow'rds the Cieling; No Theatre we boast superbly built, A Gingerbread Round O, a Cock-pit gilt; But a plain Booth, of Boards ill put together, To raise a Stage, and keep out Wind and Weather.

Yet here shall Heroes in their Buskins stalk, And Shakespeare's Ghosts in this small Circle walk; Here Tragedy shall take three narrow Strides; And laughing Comedy hold both her Sides: Here shall the Moor say—"Haply for I am black!" And here plump Falstaff—"Give me a Cup of Sack," Here Bobadill shall don his dirty Buff, And cry—"the Cabin is convenient enough."

Ovid (by those who read him I am told) Says, one Philemon feasted Jove of old: With Flitch of Bacon did the God regale, While Goody Baucis fill'd the Jug of Ale! —For Baucis and Philemon, 'tis well Known, Were of those days the Darby and Old Joan.— In Wicker-Chair well-pleas'd the Thunderer sat, Laugh'd, sung, drank, smok'd, and join'd their rustick chat: The naked rafters view'd not with disdain, Nor sat beneath the humble Thatch in pain.

Thus, while you deign to visit our poor Cottage, And kindly taste of our Dramatick Pottage, We, all intent to shew our Zeal and Love, Shall each a Baucis or Philemon prove, And every guest shall seem to us—a Jove!