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Article WISDOM AND FOLLY: A VISION. ← Page 7 of 7
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Wisdom And Folly: A Vision.
done me much mischief , and will do me more , unless I can get him diverted to dissipation . I have heard it said that he supports a maxim totally incompatible with my authority—That shew and splendourare extremely absurd when nations are deeply in debt ; and that talents and conduct ought to govern men , instead of court pageantry ; and that kings are great in proportion to the happiness which they cause to their subjects : Avhereas my maxim isthat greatness
con-, sists in dress , equipage , and retinue . Sherry says , greatness arises from mind : 1 say it arises from milliners , jewellers , taylors , and coach-makers ; and when I cease to say so , I shall cease to be called Queen Folly . You ought not to have encouraged my enemy . ' ' I humbly intreat , ' said the Minister of Folly ( and oh that all Ministers were equallzealous for their Sovereign !) ' Your Majesty
y would vouchsafe to hear me . That Duenna made her appearance in . a town of Avhich , the principal inhabitants , the frequent visitors at your Majesty ' s Court , are yet much more attached to Wisdom . — Pure nonsense , the real essence , as your Majesty knows , of Opera , I found means to make pass current in the House devoted to myself : but Avishingfor afooting in the mansion of Mrs . Corned }' I allowed a
, piece dictated by her to take my name ; and she , in return , alloivs her ' s to my pieces , containing as much as any of your Majesty ' s favourite operas ; and also admits real opera , that is , sheer nonsense , to her own House . Witness , my liege , Arta . rer . ves—Avitness Cceur de Leon , in .
which an English army passes through Germany in disguise . I have , besides , often prevailed on Mrs . Comedy to lend her . name to the works of my much respected friend Miss Farce : works which contain as much nonsense as any of my best operas . Your Majesty ' s candour will admit , that if we weig h the nonsense of modern comedies against the sense that has crept , once or twice , into operas , the balance is greatly in favour of Nonsense . '
' I admit your apolog }' , ' said Queen Folly ; ' but abstain as much as possible from lending your name to such persons as Sherry . ' 'Please your Majesty , nobody like him has lately asked for it . None at present are engaged in operas , but our otvn Fools . ' ' Since the Old Beggar , ' said the Queen , 'I Avas never so angry with any of your operas as Avith that Duenna . '
'I shall in my best obey your Majesty , ' said Opera , ' and if I cannot altogether confine my name to our own productions in otherplaces , your Majesty may be assured , that nothing that has a single grain of sense shall ever defile the virgin purity of my own House . ' One circumstance lease Majest often obstructs our
, p your y , cperas : certain ladies talk so loud thatthere is no hearing us . ' ' Do these ladies , ' said Queen Folly , ' acknowledge my authority ?* ' They promote it strenuously , ' answered Opera . ' Then we must indulge them . If they interrupt your nonsense , I suppose they bring as good of their own in its place . '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Wisdom And Folly: A Vision.
done me much mischief , and will do me more , unless I can get him diverted to dissipation . I have heard it said that he supports a maxim totally incompatible with my authority—That shew and splendourare extremely absurd when nations are deeply in debt ; and that talents and conduct ought to govern men , instead of court pageantry ; and that kings are great in proportion to the happiness which they cause to their subjects : Avhereas my maxim isthat greatness
con-, sists in dress , equipage , and retinue . Sherry says , greatness arises from mind : 1 say it arises from milliners , jewellers , taylors , and coach-makers ; and when I cease to say so , I shall cease to be called Queen Folly . You ought not to have encouraged my enemy . ' ' I humbly intreat , ' said the Minister of Folly ( and oh that all Ministers were equallzealous for their Sovereign !) ' Your Majesty
y would vouchsafe to hear me . That Duenna made her appearance in . a town of Avhich , the principal inhabitants , the frequent visitors at your Majesty ' s Court , are yet much more attached to Wisdom . — Pure nonsense , the real essence , as your Majesty knows , of Opera , I found means to make pass current in the House devoted to myself : but Avishingfor afooting in the mansion of Mrs . Corned }' I allowed a
, piece dictated by her to take my name ; and she , in return , alloivs her ' s to my pieces , containing as much as any of your Majesty ' s favourite operas ; and also admits real opera , that is , sheer nonsense , to her own House . Witness , my liege , Arta . rer . ves—Avitness Cceur de Leon , in .
which an English army passes through Germany in disguise . I have , besides , often prevailed on Mrs . Comedy to lend her . name to the works of my much respected friend Miss Farce : works which contain as much nonsense as any of my best operas . Your Majesty ' s candour will admit , that if we weig h the nonsense of modern comedies against the sense that has crept , once or twice , into operas , the balance is greatly in favour of Nonsense . '
' I admit your apolog }' , ' said Queen Folly ; ' but abstain as much as possible from lending your name to such persons as Sherry . ' 'Please your Majesty , nobody like him has lately asked for it . None at present are engaged in operas , but our otvn Fools . ' ' Since the Old Beggar , ' said the Queen , 'I Avas never so angry with any of your operas as Avith that Duenna . '
'I shall in my best obey your Majesty , ' said Opera , ' and if I cannot altogether confine my name to our own productions in otherplaces , your Majesty may be assured , that nothing that has a single grain of sense shall ever defile the virgin purity of my own House . ' One circumstance lease Majest often obstructs our
, p your y , cperas : certain ladies talk so loud thatthere is no hearing us . ' ' Do these ladies , ' said Queen Folly , ' acknowledge my authority ?* ' They promote it strenuously , ' answered Opera . ' Then we must indulge them . If they interrupt your nonsense , I suppose they bring as good of their own in its place . '