The works of Henry Fielding esq Author:Henry Fielding Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LOVE SEVERAL MASQUES. COMEDY. FIRST ACTED IN 1727. Nec Veneris Pharetris macer est, nee Lampade fervet; Inde faces ardent; veniunt a dote sagittw. Ju... more »v. Sat. 6- TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGUE. MADAM, 1. OUR Ladyship's known goodness gives my presumption the hopes of a pardon, for prefixing to this slight work the name of a Lady, whose accurate judgment has long been the glory of her own sex, and the wonder of ours: especially, since it arose from a vanity, to which your indulgence, on the first perusal of it, gave birth. I Would not insinuate to the world, that this play past free from your censure ; since I know it not free from faults, not one of which escaped your immediate penetration. Immediate indeed ! for your judgment keeps pace with your eye, and you comprehend almost faster than others overlook. This is a perfection very visible to all who are admitted to the honour of your conversation : since, from those short intervals you can be supposed to have had to yourself, amid the importunities of all the polite admirers and professors of wit learning, you are capable of instructing the pedant, a.nd are at once a living confutation of those morose schoolmen, who would confine knowledge to the male part of the species ; and a shining instance of all those perfections and softer graces, which Nature has confined to the female, ' But I offend your Ladyship, whilst I please my self and the reader ; therefore I shall only beg your leave to give a sanction to this Comedy, by inform- jng the world, that its representation was twice ho" noured with your Ladyship's presence, and, am, tvith the greatest respect, Ypur Ladyship's most obedient, most humble servant, HENRY FIELDING. PREFACE. I Believe few plays have...« less