Widow Bullfinch. Mr. Lyric, what do you mean by all this? Here you have lodged two years in my house, promised me eighteen-pence a week for your lodging, and I have never received eighteen farthings, not the value of that, Mr. Lyric, (snaps her fingers.) You always put me off with telling me of your play, your play! Sir, you shall play no more with me: I'm in earnest.
Lyric. There's more trouble in a play than you imagine, Madam.
Bull. There's more trouble with a lodger than you think, Mr. Lyric.
Lyric. First there's the decorum of time.
Bull. Which you never observe, for you keep the worst hours of any lodger in town.
Lyric. Then there's the exactness of characters.
Bull. And you have the most scandalous one I ever heard....
Lyric. (aside) Was ever poor rogue so ridden. If ever the Muses had a horse, I am he. (Aloud) Faith! Madam, poor Pegasus is jaded.
Bull. Come, come, Sir; he shan't slip his neck out of collar for all that. Money I will have, and money I must have.
The above is taken from Farquhar's first play, and we generally find richer humour in the first attempts of genius than in their later and more elaborate productions. Widow Bullfinch says that "Champagne is a fine liquor, which all your beaux drink to make em' witty."