Bannatyne Club > Philotus

iv PREFACE.
an opportunity of observing, and he distinctly mentions a captain
of his own name.
Four capitanis followit, at tliair bak to byde,
Sempill and Hectour, Ramsay and Robesoun.
The comedy of Philotus exhibits a plot sufficiently complex.
The principal character, from which the play derives its name, is a
very rich and very old man, deeply enamoured of Emily, the young
and beautiful daughter of Alberto. As she feels little inclination
to listen to the addresses of such a lover, he employs a macrell, or
procuress, " to allure the madyn ;" though, with his honourable
intentions, it is not very obvious why he should have had recourse
to an agent of this class. In the course of a long conference, she
endeavours, but without success, to persuade Emily to marry Phi-
lotus. Some of her suggestions may be supposed to reflect consi-
derable light on the usages of that period. He afterwards addresses
himself to Alberto, who very willingly listens to his proposal, and
endeavours to obtain his daughter's consent ; but she declares her
repugnance to such a match, and thus excites the violent indigna-
tion of her father. Flavins, a youthful lover, now makes his
appearance, and finds a more favourable reception. He commen-
ces with a long and pedantic oration, interspersed with divers noti-
ces of Apollo, Daphne, Mars, Venus, Demosthenes, and other
notable personages. We may suppose the young gentleman to be