If my Wife had been e’er in the Devil’s Hands, } You know it would loose all other Bands, } And I should been pleased with House and Lands. } F. R. 1718. PREFACE. _From a Paper found in the Street at Twelve at Night, 1708. near Covent-Garden. Argument concerning a Greek Opera that was to have been set on Foot, when People liked to see and hear Operas first in Italian._ As Languages are introduced among us Christian People daily that we do not understand, by Way of _Italian_ Opera, _&c._ why may we not entertain the Publick with a little _Greek_, as natural as Pigs squeak.-- _And for _Latin_, ’tis no more dificile, Than for a Blackbird ’tis to whistle._ Hud. I love dearly to quote my Authors. I have been with both the Play-Houses, and one says d----n it, it won’t do; and t’other says, Z----ds it will not take; then says I to myself, I’ll have a _Greek_ Opera, by G - - d; and with this Resolution I set about it, and made a Specimen, and so went with it in a Chair to the Opera-House, to give it the better Grace. But that would not do neither; for one did not understand _Greek_; nor t’other did not understand _Greek_; and _Italian_ was all in Vogue: And I did not understand that; and so we could make no Bargain, and I returned Home. Z----ds, thinks I, if I don’t understand their barbarous Language, must I let them have any Thing of my ancient Language? No, Messieurs! I’ll let my Opera remain in its Infancy, and you shall curse yourselves before you have it compleat; but that you shall know what Fools you have been, I’ll stick a Needle through my Nose, that you may look sharp; and then you will say, why did not US take it, for in the first Scene I saw all the Audience laugh. But to the Point, _i.e._ the second Preamble or Argument, OPERA. Scene is the City of _Athens_, and an old Woman lives in a hollow Tree, where she sells Gin and Gingerbread to the Grenadiers; her Name is Gammer _Hocus_. Then there comes a Goddess, who sells Butter and Eggs at _Athens_ Market, upon her Uncle’s bald Mare; and as the Mare is a stumbling Jade, so she falls down before _Hocus_’s Tree, and hurts her Rump, and then we begin. _N. B._ When the Goddess _Cinderaxan_ falls down before Gammer _Hocus_’s Door, or Tree, she begins in _Ricitativo_----_Greek_ Fashion. _O! mega mar, hocus the baldmare has cantedme ontoss; * Phillàdram sukami, some Spirit offerme to suckon. Dear _Hokey_ behasty, forbum sufferssore by a Thumpon’t; No baldmare my Gammon shall contuseagain by one moretoss._ * Fill. _English’d_ thus for the Benefit of the Ladies, though ’tis much the same in the _Greek_. _O my Gammer _Hocus_, the bald Mare has canted me one Toss; Fill a Dram, sick am I, some Spirit offer me to suck on. Dear _Hokey_ be hasty, for Bum suffers sore by a Thump on’t. No bald Mare my Gammon shall contuse again by one more Toss._