To Mr. THOMAS SOUTHERN, On his Birth-day, 1742. R ESIGN'D to live, prepar❜d to die, NOTES. 10 VER. 6. Atable] He was invited to dine on his birthday with this Nobleman, who had prepared for him the entertainment of which the bill of fare is here fet down. VER. 8. Presents her barp] The Harp is generally wove on the Irish Linen; fuch as Table-cloths, etc. I May I I May Toм, whom heav'n sent down to raise 15 NOTES. 20. VER. 16. The price of prologues and of plays,] This alludes to a story Mr. Southern told about the fame time, to Mr. P. and Mr. W. of Dryden; who, when Southern first wrote for the ftage, was fo famous for his Prologues, that the players would act nothing without that decoration. His ufual price till then had been four guineas: But when Southern came to him for the Prologue he had bespoke, Dryden told him he must have fix guineas for "which (faid he) young man, is out of no difrefpect to you, but the Players have had my goods too cheap."We now look upon thefe Prologues with the lame admiration that the Virtuofi do on the Apothecaries' pots painted by Raphael. it ; |