I come, kind gentlemen, strange news to tell ye; I am the ghost of poor departed Nelly. Sweet ladies, be not frighted; I'll be civil, I'm what I was, a little harmless devil. For, after death, we spirits have just such natures, We had, for all the world, when human creatures; And, therefore, I, that was an actress here, Play all my tricks in hell, a goblin there. Gallants, look to't, you say there are no sprites; But I'll come dance about your beds at nights. And faith you'll be in a sweet kind of taking, When I surprise you between sleep and waking. To tell you true, I walk, because I die Out of my calling, in a tragedy. O poet, damn'd dull poet, who could prove So senseless, to make Nelly die for love! Nay, what's yet worse, to kill me in the prime Of Easter-term, in tart and cheese-cake time! I'll fit the fop; for I'll not one word say, To excuse his godly out-of-fashion play; A play, which, if you dare but twice sit out, You'll all be slandered, and be thought devout. But, farewell, gentlemen, make haste to me, I'm sure e'er long to have your company. As for my epitaph when I am gone, I'll trust no poet, but will write my own:-- Here Nelly lies, who, though she lived a slattern, Yet died a princess, acting in St Catharine. [Footnote O: The celebrated Mrs Nell Gwyn.] _END OF THE THIRD VOLUME._ Edinburgh, Printed by James Ballantyne & Co. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Tags that surround the word =G. P.= indicate bold. Tags that surround the word _Hartford Courant._ indicate italics. Transcribers notes: P. 163 Original reads 'brigh'" changed to bright. P. 214 Original reads 'manes'" changed to names. P. 237 Original reads 'he'" changed to be. P. 267 Original reads 'guittars'" changed to guitars. p. 432. Original reads 'wishout'" changed to without. Also actioned: word 'scander-bag' taken out hyphen. word 'sun-shine', taken out hyphen. word 'sweet-heart', taken out hyphen. word 'rain-bow', taken out hyphen. Added hyphen to 'to-night'. Taken out hyphen for 'woman-kind', majority are 'womankind'. Taken out hyphen for 'moon-light', 'moonlight' present. Taken out hyphen for 'moon-shine', 'moonshine' present. Taken out hyphen for 'cap-storm', majority are 'capstorm'. Taken out hyphen for .before-hand', majority are 'beforehand'. ------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Project Gutenberg's Dryden's Works Vol. 3 (of 18), by John Dryden