Prince_ is in its purport most
palpably akin to the Elizabethans.

THEATRICAL HISTORY.

_The Amorous Prince_ was produced by the Duke's Company in the spring of
1671 at their Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre, whence they migrated in
November of the same year to the magnificent new house in Dorset Garden.
No performers' names are given to the comedy, which met with a very good
reception. It seems to have kept the boards awhile, but there is no
record of any particular revival.

THE AMOROUS PRINCE.

PROLOGUE.

Well! you expect a _Prologue_ to the Play,
And you expect it too Petition-way;
With _Chapeau bas_ beseeching you t' excuse
A damn'd Intrigue of an unpractis'd Muse;
Tell you it's Fortune waits upon your Smiles,
And when you frown, Lord, how you kill the whiles!
Or else to rally up the Sins of th' Age,
And bring each Fop in Town upon the Stage;
And in one Prologue run more Vices o'er,
Than either Court or City knew before:
Ah! that's a Wonder which will please you too,
But my Commission's not to please you now.
First then for you grave _Dons_, who love no Play
But what is regular, Great _Johnson's_ way;
Who hate the _Monsieur_ with the Farce and Droll,
But are for things well said with Spirit and Soul;
'Tis you I mean, whose Judgments will admit
No Interludes of fooling with your Wit;
You're here defeated, and anon will cry,
'Sdeath! wou'd 'twere Treason to write Comedy.
So! there's a Party lost; now for the rest,
Who swear they'd rather hear a smutty Jest
Spoken by _Nokes_ or _Angel_, than a Scene
Of the admir'd and well penn'd _Cataline_;
Who love the comick Hat, the Jig and Dance,
Things that are fitted to their Ignorance:
You too are quite undone, for here's no Farce
Damn me! you'll cry, this Play will be mine A----
Not serious, nor yet comick, what is't then?
Th' imperfect issue of a lukewarm Brain:
'Twas born before its time, and such a Whelp;
As all the after-lickings could not help.
Bait it then as ye please, we'll not defend it,
But he that dis-approves it, let him mend it._

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MEN.

_Frederick_, Son to the Duke.
_Curtius_, his Friend.
_Lorenzo_, a rich extravagant Lord,
a kind of Favourite to _Frederick_.
_Salvator_, Father to _Lorenzo_ and _Laura_.
_Antonio_, a Nobleman of _Florence_.
_Alberto_, his dear Friend, a Nobleman also.
_Pietro_, Man to _Curtius_