I went to bed, after having written thus far, reflecting, that no man fhould be entitled to a fecond exiftence (I mean, in our mortal ftate) without having made a proper ufe of his firft. This reflection was fo ftrongly impreffed upon my mind, that I am able to employ the fucceeding morning in fetting down the particulars of a dream occafioned by it.

"I imagined, that every one was indulged with a "privilege after death of having his existence re

newed; but with this reftriction, that he could prove " he had not forfeited his former life by not fetting a proper value on it. I accordingly conceived myself in a fort of court of claims; where a number of us were brought by death, in order to be examined "about our pretenfions to be revivified. The fight of "the crowd ftruck me with horror, Some appeared to "be covered with blains and blotches; fome quite "emaciated; and fome with bloated carcaffes. "bore the marks of a tight knot under the left

One

ear; another had his fkull fhattered to pieces; and "another had a great gash in his fide. Milton's defcription of a lazar-houfe, falls far fhort of what I "then thought I faw.

"Truth and justice were the examinants and, the "candidates for a new life underwent a strict scrutiny. "The firft, that I cbferved was called before them, "stept up with a bold air, and claimed a new ex"iftence, on account of his having died for his country. "The plea was not approved of for a common "foldier, who had fallen in the fame battle, depofed, "that he himfelt thot him in an engagement, where "the enemy was inferior, at the inftant that this "commander had ordered a retreat. The foldier was directly reinftated into life.

'

"A jolly perfonage was next examined, and he "pretended, that he was accidentally choaked by a "turtle-fin: though the news-papers had falfely attri

"buted

"buted his death to an apoplectic fit. It being proved "upon him, that he had dined the day before, and eat

heartily, upon turbot and venifon, and that he had "drank plentifully of old hock and claret, the court "decreed, that he died of a furfeit, and refused to in"dulge him in any more good living.

"A mere fkeleton crawled up next, and declared, "that he only wifhed to be made alive again for the "fervice of the fair fex From his examination it was "manifeft, that he had spent his life in and about "Covent-Garden. He was adjudged, upon his own "plea, unfit to exift again.

"The next was an old decrepit figure, feemingly "worn down with age and cares His fuit for the "renewal of his life was, in compaffion to him, re"jected; because it plainly appeared, that he had alz

ready dragged out a moft miferable one, and had "actually died of want in the midst of abundance. "His fon put in a petition for re-existence at the fame "time; fetting forth, that he was reduced, by the "mean spirit of his father, to die an untimely death at "Tyburn. The compaffion of the court, in not fuf་ fering him to live again, was also extended to the young gentleman, on account of his tender years; "there being little doubt, but that he would come to "the fame untimely end, let his lives be renewed ever " so often.

"A blunt fellow, not lefs than fix feet high, next "infifted upon being restored to life. Another, of the "fame make, and for the fame reafon, infifted upon "the like. They had each of them, in the honourable "way, put each other to death. It was determined, 66 upon hearing both parties feperately, that neither of "them should run the risk of being put to death again, "as neither of them would allow, that the other de"ferved to live.

Aa

1

"An horid spectacle next presented itself. He most " earnestly requested to enjoy again that being, which he confeffed he had rafhly and desperately got rid of. "His request was not granted ; because it was certain, that the fame would be repeated, upon the flightest ❝ occafion.

"I obferved, in imagination, even fome ladies of "quality, who wished to have their beauty renewed "together with their lives. Moft of them had died of

public places, where they went for the recovery of their health.;

My dream was put an end to all of a sudden, by being myself summoned up, to give a reafon, why I fhould be glad to exift again. I pleaded guilty; and I awaked, upon fentence being pronounced, that I fhould tarve -again, as an author.

A

DIALOGUE

BETWEEN

An ACTOR and a CRITIC,

By way of PROLOGUE to the English Opera, call'd the

TEMPEST.

Which was Spoken, but never Printed..

Worm.

WORMWOOD and HEARTLY.

Say it is a fhame, Mr. Heartly and I am amaz'd that you let your good-nature talk thus, gainft the conviction of your understanding.

Heart. You won't let me talk, Sir-if you would but have patience, and hear reafon a little

Worm. I wish I could, Sir-but you put me out of

all

all patience, by having no reason to give me-I fay that this frittering and fol fa-ing our beft poets, is a damn'd thing I have yet heard no reafon to justify it, and I have no patience when I think of it.

Heart. I fee you have not→→→→→→

Worm. What are we to be quiver'd and quaver'd out of our senses ?-Give me Shakespear, in all his force, vigour, and spirit!-what! wou'd you make an eunuch of him? No, Shakefporelli's for my money.

Heart. Nay but, dear Sir, hear me in my turn; or the Truth, for which we are, or ought to be, fo warmly fighting, will flip thro' our fingers.

Worm. Will you hold it when you have it?-I say, Mr. Heartly, while you let your good-nature

Heart. And I fay, Mr. Wormwood, while you are to be influenc'd and blown up by paragraphs in newspapers, and infinuations in coffee-houfes, we can never come to a fajr debate-They who write upon all subjects, without understanding any, or will talk about mufic, without ears or talte for it, are but very indiffe rent judges in our dispute.

Worm. Well, come on, Mr. Sal-fa, then-Let you and I fight it out-or, to speak in the musical phrase, let us have a Duette together; I'll clear up my pipes, and have at you-Hem, hem--

Heart. With all my heart, tho' I'm afraid you'll make it a Solo, for you have not yet fuffered the second part

to come in.

Worm. Ho play away, Sir-I'll be dumb.

Heart. Let us calmly confider this complaint of your's-If it is well founded, I will fubmit with pleafure-If not you will.

Worm. Not fubmit with pleasure, I affure you-[ never do

Heart. You will at least have this fatisfaction, that the sentence which will be given, whether for or against will be as indifputable, as it will be juft.

you,

U

Warm.

1

Worm. I don't know what you mean-Nothing's indifputable, that I please to contradict, and nothing's just, that I please to call in question.

Heart. Look round upon the court, and if you can reasonably except against any one of the jury, I will give up the caufe before trial.

Worm. O, ho! what you are bribing the court before-hand, with your flattery, are you?

Heart. There you are out again-our countrymen in a body, are no more to be flatter'd, than bully'd, which I hope their enemies (who can do both) will be convinc'd of before they have done with them-But I wander from the question-To the point, fir-what are your objections to this night's entertainment?

Worm. I hate an Opera.

Heart. I diflike tye-wigs; but should I throw your's into the fire, because I chufe to wear a bag?

Worm. Woe be to your bag if you did.

Heart. You hate mufic, perhaps?

Worm. Damnably, and dancing too.

Heart. But why, pray?

Worm. They pervert nature-Legs are made for walking, tongues for fpeaking; and therefore capering and quavering are unnatural and abominable.

Heart. You like Shakespear?

Worm. Like him! adore him! worship him! There's no capering and quavering in his works

Heart. Have a care.

"The man that has not mufic in himself,

"Nor is not mov'd with concord of fweet founds,
"Is fit for treafon, ftratagems, and fpoils;
"The motions of his fpirit are dull as night,
"And his affections dark as Erebus :

"Let no fuch man be trufted.

Worm. Fit for treafon !-dull as night!--not to be trufted!-so you have proved me both a blockhead and a rebel-Don't provoke me, Mr. [Heartly, Shakespear