THE BUSY BODY. MRS. CENTLIVRE, after the taste of Mrs. APHRA BEHN, was a Writer of that Comedy, which may be termed the Intriguing Drama-built upon chancemedley and situation, mistakes, closets, veils, balconies, old guardians, and young profligates, with a set of ladies who seem bound by no other laws than their inclinations. I know, positively, no one of her plays which, morally speaking, may not do mischief; but they have bustle, they have business, and carrying the commercial passion with them into their amusements, the English love that their drama should be crowded with cha. racer, and that its personages should be all people in plentiful business. What may, when her outset in life is considered, be deemed surprising, is, that her Comedies all evidence very forcibly for her acquirements in learning-her assiduity must have augmented with her years, "Vires acquirit eundo." For the modern languages were obviously her own; and of Latin she seems to have had more than to fe vi males is usually given, even where the educ been regular. She was assuredly an illustrious female But the literary LADIES of our own times din ceding claims to the rank of Dramatic Wri Mrs. CowLEY, Miss LEE, and the Novel d BURNEY. PROLOGUE. THO' modern prophets were expos'd of late For modern prophets' and for modern plays: To men of sense I'll prophesy anew, And tell you wondrous things that will prove true. My lord cann't all the year live great in town; They'll sigh and stitch a gown to pass the time away: Gay city wives at Tunbridge will appear, The Fleetstreet sempstress-toast of Temple sparks, Since war and places claim the bards that write, |