[Looking behind the scenes.

A busy man amongst us here to-night:
Your fire has made him play a thousand pranks,
For which, no doubt you've had his daily thanks:
He's thank'd you, fi fi, for all his decent plays,
Where he so nick'd it, when he writ for praise.
Next for his meddling with some folks in black,
And bringing——Souse——a priest upon his back;
For building houses here t'oblige the peers,
And fetching all their house about his ears;
For a new play, he'as now thought fit to write,
To sooth the town——which they——will damn to-night.
These benefits are such, no man can doubt
But he'll go on, and set your fancy out,
Till for reward of all his noble deeds,
At last, like other sprightly folks, he speeds:
Has this great recompence fix'd on his brow }
As fam'd Parnassus; has your leave to bow }
And walk about the streets—equip'd——as I am now. }

[Dramatis Personæ.]

MEN.
Gripe,Two rich money-scriveners.Mr. Leigh.
Money-trap,Mr. Dogget.
Dick, a gamester, son to Mrs. Amlet.Mr. Booth.
Brass, his companion, passes for his Valet de Chambre.Mr. Pack.
Clip, a Goldsmith.Mr. Mimes.
Jessamin, foot boy to Clarissa.
WOMEN.
Clarissa, wife to Gripe, an expensive luxurious woman, a great admirer of quality.Mrs. Barry.
Araminta, wife to Money-trap, very intimate with Clarissa, of the same humour.Mrs. Porter.
Corinna, daughter to Gripe by a former wife, a good fortune, young, and kept very close by her father.Mrs. Bradshaw.
Flippanta, Clarissa's maid.Mrs. Bracegirdle.
Mrs. Amlet, a seller of all sorts of private affairs to the ladies.Mrs. Willis.
Mrs. Cloggit her neighbour.Mrs. Baker.

THE
CONFEDERACY.

[ACT I. SCENE I.]

SCENE Covent-garden.

Enter Mrs. Amlet and Mrs. Cloggit, meeting.