VOL PO NE;

OR, THE

FOX.

A COMEDY,

As altered from BEN JONSON,

AND PERFORMED AT THE

Theatre Royal in Covent-Garden.

Regulated from the Prompt-Book,

By PERMISSION of the MANAGERS,
By Mr. WILD, Prompter.

Simul & jucunda, idonea dicere vitæ.

B

HORAT.

LONDON:

Printed for JouN BELL, near Exeter-Exchange, in the Strand.

MDCCLXXVIII,

THE

ARGUM EN T.

Volpone, childless, rich, feigns fick, defpairs,
Offers bis fate to hopes of feveral beirs;
Lies languishing; his parafite receives
P refents of all, affures, deludes, then weaves
Other cross plots, which op' themfelves, are told.
New tricks for fafety are fought; they thrive: when bold
E ach tempts the other again, and all are fold.

= Bold}

PROLOGUE.

NOW luck yet fend us, and a little wit
Will ferve to make our play bit ;
4 According to the palates of the feafon)
Here is rhyme, not empty of reafon.
This ave avere bid to credit, from our poet,
Whefe true fcoe, if you would know it,
Un all his poems ftill hath been this measure,
To mix profit with your pleasure;

And not as fome (whofe throats their envy failing)
Cry boarfy, All he writes is railing :

And when his plays come forth; think they can flout them
With faying, He was a year about them.

To these there needs no lie, but this his creature,
Which was two months fince no feature ;
And though he dares give them five lives to mend it,
'Tis known, five weeks fully penn'd it;
From his own hand, without a coadjutor,

Novice, journeymen, or tutor.
Yet thus much I can give you, as a token
Of his play's worth, no eggs are broken,
Nor quaking cuftards with fierce teeth affrighted,
Wherewith your rout are fo delighted;
Nor hauls be in a gull, old ends reciting,
To ftop gaps in his loose writing;

With fach a deal of monftrous and forc'd action,
As might make Bethlem a faction;

Nor made be his play for jefts ftol'n from each table,
But makes jefis to fit his fable;

A 2

And

And fo prefents quick comedy refined,
As beft critics have defigned.

The laws of time, place, perfons, he obferveth,

From no needful rule he fwerveth:

All gall and copp'ras from his ink he draineth,
Only a little falt remaineth,

Wherewith he'll rub your cheeks, till (red with laughter)
They hall look fresh a week after.

DRAMATIS PERSON Æ.

MEN.

Volpone, a magnifico,
Mofca, his parafite,
Voltore, an advocate,
Corbaccio, an old gentleman,
Corvino, a merchant,

Avocatori, magiftrates,

Notario, the regiffer,
Nano, a dwarf,
Caftrone, an eunuch,
Politick Would-be, a knight,
Peregrine, a gentleman traveller,
Bonario, a young gentleman,
Commandadori, officers.
Mercatori, three merchants,
Androgyno, an hermaphrodite,
Servitore, a fervant,

WOMEN.

Lady Would-be, the knight's wife,
Celia, the merchant's wife,

SCENE,

Covent-Garden.
Mr. Smith.
Mr. Benfley.
Mr. Hull.

Mr. Shuter.

Mr. Clarke.

Mr. Morris.

Mr. Cufhing.
Mr. Thompion.
Mr. Bates.

Mr. Jones.

Mr. Blurton.

Mr. Kniveton.

Mr. Owenfon. Mr. Wroughton.'

Mrs. Gardner,
Mifs Miller.

VENICE.

VOLPO N E.

"

The lines marked with inverted commas, thus,' are omitted in the
representation.

ACT 1.

Enter Volpone and Mofca.

VOLPONE.

G

OOD morning to the day; and next my gold; Open the fhrine, that I may fee my faint.' Hail the world's foul and mine!

More glad than is

The teeming earth to fee the long'd-for fun Peep through the herns of the coeleftial Ram, Am I, to view thy fplendor, dark'ning his,' That lying here, amongst my other hoards, Shew't like a flame by night, or like the day Struck out of chaos, when all darkness fled Unto the centre. Oh, thou fon of Sol,

(But brighter than thy father) let me kifs,
> With adoration, thee, and every relick
'Of facred treasure in this blessed room.'
Well did wife poets by thy glorious name,
Title that age which they would have the best ;

Thou being the best of things; and far tranfcending
All ftyle of joy, in children, parents, friends,
Or any other waking dream on earth.'
Thy looks, when they to Venus did afcribe,
They should have given her twenty thoufand Cupids;
Such are thy beauties and our loves! Dear faint,

Riches the dumb god, that giv't all men tongues,
That canft do naught, and yet mak'ft men do all things
The price of fouls; even hell, with thee to boot,

• Is