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Article STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS ← Page 3 of 8 →
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Strictures On Public Amusements
Welcome 1 thrice welcome !• to our new-rear'd stage . To this new sera of our Drama ' s age ! Genius of Shakespeare , as in air you roam , Spread your broad wings exulting o ' er our dome . Shade of our Roscius , view us with delight , And hover smiling round your fav ' rite site ! But to my purpose here—for I am sent , On deeds of import , and of deep intent ;
Passion has had its scope , the burst is past j And I may sink to Character at last . When some rich noble , vain of his -virtu , Permits the curious crowd his house to view , , When ,. pictures , busts , and bronzes to display , He treats the public with a public day , That all the world may in their minds retain them , He bids his dawdling Housekeeper explain them :
Herself , when each original's inspected , The greatest that his lordship has collected . A house now opens , which we trust insures The approbation of the Amateurs . Each part , each quality .- ' tis fit you know it—And I ' m the housekeeper employ'd to shew it . Our p ile is rock ,. more durable than brass ; Our decorations , gossamer and gas . Weighty , yet airy in effect , our plan , Solid tho' light , like a thin alderman . " Blow windcome wreck , " in ages yet unborn ,
, " Our castle ' s strength shall laugh a siege to scom . " The very ravages of fire we scout , For we have wherewithal to put it out . Jn ample reservoirs our firm reliance , Whose streams set conflagration at defiance . Panic alone avoid , let none begin it ; Should the flame spread , sit still , there ' s nothing in it ; We'll undertake to drown you all in half a minute . bell
Behold , obedient to the prompter ' s , Our tide shall flow , and real waters swell . No river of meand ' ring pasteboard made , No gentle tinkling of a tin cascade ; No brook of broad-cloth shall be set in motion , No ships be wreck'd upon a wooden ocean ; . But the pure element its course shall hold , Rush the sceneand o ' er our stage be roll'd * .
on , How like you our aquatics ?—Need we fear Some critic with a hydrophobia here , Whose timid caution Caution ' s self might tire , And doubts , if water can extinguish fire ; If such there be , still let him rest secure , Fpr we have . made , ' Assurance double sure . " Consume the Scenes , your safety yet is certain ; ' Curtain
Presto ! for proof , let down the Iron f , Ah ye , who livein this our brazen age , Think on the comforts of , an iron stage ; . —• Fenc'd by that mass , no perils do environ The man who calmly sits before cold iron ; Fer those who in'the green-room sit , behind it . They e ' en must quench the danger as they find it . —
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Strictures On Public Amusements
Welcome 1 thrice welcome !• to our new-rear'd stage . To this new sera of our Drama ' s age ! Genius of Shakespeare , as in air you roam , Spread your broad wings exulting o ' er our dome . Shade of our Roscius , view us with delight , And hover smiling round your fav ' rite site ! But to my purpose here—for I am sent , On deeds of import , and of deep intent ;
Passion has had its scope , the burst is past j And I may sink to Character at last . When some rich noble , vain of his -virtu , Permits the curious crowd his house to view , , When ,. pictures , busts , and bronzes to display , He treats the public with a public day , That all the world may in their minds retain them , He bids his dawdling Housekeeper explain them :
Herself , when each original's inspected , The greatest that his lordship has collected . A house now opens , which we trust insures The approbation of the Amateurs . Each part , each quality .- ' tis fit you know it—And I ' m the housekeeper employ'd to shew it . Our p ile is rock ,. more durable than brass ; Our decorations , gossamer and gas . Weighty , yet airy in effect , our plan , Solid tho' light , like a thin alderman . " Blow windcome wreck , " in ages yet unborn ,
, " Our castle ' s strength shall laugh a siege to scom . " The very ravages of fire we scout , For we have wherewithal to put it out . Jn ample reservoirs our firm reliance , Whose streams set conflagration at defiance . Panic alone avoid , let none begin it ; Should the flame spread , sit still , there ' s nothing in it ; We'll undertake to drown you all in half a minute . bell
Behold , obedient to the prompter ' s , Our tide shall flow , and real waters swell . No river of meand ' ring pasteboard made , No gentle tinkling of a tin cascade ; No brook of broad-cloth shall be set in motion , No ships be wreck'd upon a wooden ocean ; . But the pure element its course shall hold , Rush the sceneand o ' er our stage be roll'd * .
on , How like you our aquatics ?—Need we fear Some critic with a hydrophobia here , Whose timid caution Caution ' s self might tire , And doubts , if water can extinguish fire ; If such there be , still let him rest secure , Fpr we have . made , ' Assurance double sure . " Consume the Scenes , your safety yet is certain ; ' Curtain
Presto ! for proof , let down the Iron f , Ah ye , who livein this our brazen age , Think on the comforts of , an iron stage ; . —• Fenc'd by that mass , no perils do environ The man who calmly sits before cold iron ; Fer those who in'the green-room sit , behind it . They e ' en must quench the danger as they find it . —