Languages & literature > Beggar's opera

INTRODUCTION.
BEGGAR, PLAYER.
BEGGAR.
"T F poverty be a title to poetry, I am fure no body can
difpute mine. I own myfelf of the company of
beggars ; and I make one at their weekly feftivals at
St Giles’s. I have a fmall yearly falary for my catches,
and am welcome to a dinner there whenever I pleafe,
which is more than moft poets can fay.
BLAYER.
As we live by the mufes, it is but gratitude in us to
encourage poetical merit where-ever we find it. The
mufes, contrary to all other ladies, pay no diftinflion
to drefs, and never partially miftake the pertnefs of em*
broidery for wit, nor the modefty of want for dulnefs.
Be the author who he will, tve pulh his play as far
as it will go. So, though you are in want, I wiflt yo*
fuccefs heartily.
BEGGAR.
This piece, I own, was originally writ for the cele¬
brating the marriage of James Chanter and Molly Lay,
two moft excellent ballad fingers. I have introduced
the fimilies that are in your celebrated Operas : the
Swallow, the Bee, the Ship, thg Flower, etc. Befides,
I have a prifon-fcene, which the ladies reckon charming¬
ly pathetic. As to the parts, I have obferved fuch a
nice impartiality to our two ladies, that it is impoflible
for either of them to take offence. I hope I may be for¬
given, that I have not made my Opera throughout un¬
natural, like thofe in vogue ; for I have no recitative :
excepting this, as I have confented to have neither pro¬
logue