And forced in country mansion-house to fix.

That miss may rattle here in coach-and-six.

The stage for introducing "Limberham" was therefore judiciously chosen, although the piece was ill received, and withdrawn after being only thrice represented. It was printed in 1678.

Footnotes:

  1. Reasons for Mr Bayes changing his Religion, p. 24.
  2. See State Trials, vol. viii. pp. 17, 18.

006

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN, LORD VAUGHAN, &c[1].

My Lord,

I cannot easily excuse the printing of a play at so unseasonable a time[2], when the great plot of the nation, like one of Pharaoh's lean kine, has devoured 007 its younger brethren of the stage. But however weak my defence might be for this, I am sure I should not need any to the world for my dedication to your lordship; and if you can pardon my presumption in it, that a bad poet should address himself to so great a judge of wit, I may hope at least to escape with the excuse of Catullus, when he writ to Cicero:

Gratias tibi maximas Catullus