Achilles

by John Gay

AN ——deceperat omnes (In quibus Ajacem) sumptæ fallacia vestis. Ovid. Metam. Lib. 13. Naturam expellas furcâ licet, usque recurret. Hor. PROLOGUE. Written by Mr. GAY. Spoken by Mr. QUIN. I wonder not our Author doubts Success, One in his Circumstance can do no less. The Dancer on the Rope that tries at all, In each unpractis'd Caper risques a I own I dread his ticklish Situation, Critics detest Poetic Innovation. Had Ic'rus been content with solid Ground, The giddy vent'rous Youth had ne'er been drown'd. The Pegasus of old had Fire and Force, But your true Modern is a Carrier's Horse, Drawn by the foremost Bell, afraid to stray, Bard following Bard jogs on the beaten Way. Why is this Man so obstinate an Elf? Will he, alone not imitate himself? His Scene now shews the Heroes of old Greece; But how? 'tis monstrous! In a Comic Piece. To Buskins, Plumes and Helmets what Pretence, If mighty Chiefs must speak but common Sense? Shall no bold Diction, no Poetic Rage, Fome at our Mouths and thunder on the Stage? No—'tis Achilles, as he came from Chiron, Just taught to sing as well as wield cold Iron; And whatsoever Criticks may suppose, Our Author holds, that what He spoke was Prose. Dramatis Personæ. MEN. Lycomedes,Mr. Quin. Diphilus,Mr. Aston. Achilles, Mr. Salway. Ulysses,Mr. Chapman . Diomedes,Mr. Laguerre. Ajax,Mr. Hall. Periphas, Mr. Walker. Agyrtes,Mr. Leveridge. WOMEN. Thetis,Mrs. Buchanan. Theaspe,Mrs. Cantrel. Deidamia, Miss Norsa. Lesbia,Miss Binks . Philoe,Miss Oates. Artemona,Mrs. Egleton. Courtiers, Guards, &c. SCENE, SCYROS. ACT I. SCENE I. SCENE, The Palace. THETIS, ACHILLES. Thetis. Before I leave you, Child, I must insist upon your Promise, that you will never discover yourself without my Leave. Don't look upon it as capricious Fondness, nor think (because 'tis a Mother's Advice) that in Duty to yourself you are oblig'd not to follow it. Ach. But my Character! my Honour!— Wou'd you have your Son live with Infamy?—On the first Step of a young Fellow depends his Character for Life.—I beg you, Goddess, to dispense with your Commands. Thet. Have you then no Regard to my Presentiment? I can't bear the Thoughts of your going, for I know that odious Siege of Troy wou'd be the Death of thee. Ach. Because you have the natural Fears of a Mother, wou'd you have me insensible that I have the Heart of a Man? The World, Madam, must look upon my absconding in this Manner, and at this particular Juncture, as infamous Cowardise. AIR I. A Clown in Flanders once there was. What's Life? No Curse is more severe, Than bearing Life with Shame. Is this your Fondness? this your Care? O give me Death with Fame.

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

John Gay was an English poet and dramatist. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera (1728), set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peachum, became household names.