How often have I blessed the parting day,
When, tea removed, I hurried to the play;
And both the galleries, from labour free,
Wept at the actor’s woe, or shar’d his glee;
While many a first appearance has been made,
The young contending as the old survey’d,
And many a gentleman walk’d o’er the ground,
While hisses, cat-calls, off! and groans, went round;
And still as each repeated effort tir’d,
The stage-struck wight became still more inspir’d.