This was the state of the controversy when Marvell entered upon it with his _Rehearsal Transprosed_, a fantastic title he borrowed for no very good reasons from the farce of the hour, and a very good farce too, the Duke of Buckingham's _Rehearsal_, which was performed for the first time at the Theatre Royal on the 7th of November 1671, and printed early in 1672. Most of us have read Sheridan's _Critic_ before we read Buckingham's _Rehearsal_, which is not the way to do justice to the earlier piece. It is a matter of literary tradition that the duke had much help in the composition of a farce it took ten years to make. Butler, Sprat, and Clifford, the Master of Charterhouse, are said to be co-authors. However this may be, the piece was a great success, and both Marvell and Parker, I have no doubt, greatly enjoyed it, but I cannot think the former was wise to stuff his plea for Liberty of Conscience so full as he did with the details of a farce. His doing so should, at all events, acquit him of the charge of being a sour Puritan. In the _Rehearsal_ Bayes (Dryden), who is turned by Sheridan in his adaptation of the piece into Mr. Puff, is made to produce out of his pocket his book of _Drama Commonplaces_, and the play proceeds (_Johnson_ and _Smith_ being _Sheridan's_ Dangle and Sneer): "_Johnson._ _Drama Commonplaces_! pray what's that? _Bayes._ Why, Sir, some certain helps, that we men of Art have found it convenient to make use of. _Johnson._ How, Sir, help for Wit? _Bayes._ I, Sir, that's my position. And I do here averr, that no man yet the Sun e'er shone upon, has parts sufficient to furnish out a Stage, except it be with the help of these my rules. _Johnson._ What are those Rules, I pray? _Bayes._ Why, Sir, my first Rule is the Rule of Transversion, or _Regula Duplex_, changing Verse into Prose, or Prose into Verse, _alternative_ as you please. _Smith._ How's that, Sir, by a Rule, I pray? _Bayes._ Why, thus, Sir; nothing more easy when understood: I take a Book in my hand, either at home, or elsewhere, for that's all one, if there be any Wit in 't, as there is no Book but has some, I Transverse it; that is, if it be Prose, put it into Verse (but that takes up some time), if it be Verse, put it into Prose. _Johnson._ Methinks, Mr. _Bayes_, that putting Verse into Prose should be called Transprosing. _Bayes_. By my troth, a very good Notion, and hereafter it shall be so." Marvell must be taken to have meant by his title that he saw some resemblance between Parker and Bayes, and, indeed, he says he does, and gives that as one of his excuses for calling Parker Bayes all through:--