PROLOGUE To the COMEDY of TIT for TAT, Acted at the THEATRE ROYAL, HAY-MARKET, Spoken by Mr. PALMER. August…

Long hath Old England given, as from the helm, Dramatick Law to every Sister realm. Scotland her Theatres delights to rear, But for Supplies, for Ways and Means, looks here: Hibernia too improves the friendly hint: " A new Play Honey! sait, there's nothing in't, " For we have all their manuscripts in print." Teague speaks but truth. Across St. George's Channel John Bull in vain his juries would impannel; In vain expects grave Chancellors to sit, And guard by Equity the Rights of Wit, While distant Managers feel no compunctions, And laugh alike at Actions or Injunctions. Yet to be just ourselves, we own To-day, That from Hibernia comes our printed Play; A Play first flowing from a Frenchman's pen, Cork'd, bottled there; decanted here again. Three Acts in Paris kept the Scenes alive, And those three Acts in Dublin swell'd to five; But Dwarfs ne'er treading Giants' Causeways, We Lop off two legs, and rest again on three. Oh on our Tripod may we firmly stand, And hail, like them, our cargo safe on land! French, Irish, English, whatso'er the freight, Your sentence stamps its merit, seals its fate.