SMILES ATO TSARS mtto anti Ceara; OR THE WIDOWS STRATAGEMS A COMEDY, IN FIVE ACTS; AS. PERFORMED AT THE C&eatre-iRogal, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1815. BY MRS. C. KEMBLE* LONDON: PRINTED TOR JOHN MILLER, 25, BOW-STREET, COV ENT-G ARDEN. 1815. [Price Two Shillings and Sixpence.] London: Printed by B. M'Milian, 3 Bcw-Slmt, PROLOGUE. BY JOHN TAYLOR, ESQ. SPOKEN BY MR. ABBOTT. IF, as our Drama's Sov'reign Lord proclaims, The Scenic Art to copy Nature aims, To shew the times their manners as they pass, And characters reflect, as in a glass, To paint the world in all its motley strife, The gay and dread vicissitudes of life; Here Vice in splendour, Virtue bent to earth, Here pining Want, and here luxurious Mirth; Here airy Fashion and her gaudy shows, Here Maniacs sportive 'mid the worst of woes; - Then must the Comic Muse from Nature stray, When Laughter holds an undivided sway ; For such, alas ! are all the scenes around, And where can pleasure unalloy'd be found ? Still man must struggle with a chequer'd fate, Whate'er his climate, and whate'er his state. .. Hence, if to-night our Author should appear To deviate rashly from his proper sphere, Jf he suspend the ludicrous and gay, And at the shrine of Pity homage pay, Yet Truth and Reason with his cause defend, And, spite of formal Custom, heed his end- Not from the Drama seek for barren joy, Which, to the mind well -balanc'd, soon will cloj, But, in the words of an Illustrious Sage, Whose works shall moralize each future age, All lighter feelings of the heart forego, /' For useful mirth and salutary woe/' PERSONS REPRESENTED. Mr. Fitzharding, Mr. Young. Sir Henry Chomley, Mr. C. Kerable. Col. O'Donolan, Mr. Jones. Mr. Stanly, Mr. Fawcett. Mr. Delaval, Mr. Abbott. Roberts, , , Mr. Jefferies. Jefferies, Mr. Treby. Keeper, Mr. Atkins. Lady Emily Gerald, Mrs. C. Kemble. Mrs. Belmore, Mrs. Faucit. Cecil Fitzharding, Miss Foote. Mrs. Jefferiesy Mrs. Gibbs. Fanny ) Miss Seymour. SCENE, London and Richmond, TIME, One Day, ADVERTISEMENT. I AM too proud of public approbation, not to put my name to a production so highly ho- noured by the applause which it has received ; but I should be wanting in candour as well as gratitude, were I not fairly to acknowledge the sources from which that applause has chiefly been derived. To Mrs. Opie's beautiful Tale of Father and Daughter , I am indebted for the serious inte- rest of the Play'; upon a French Piece in one Act, .enitled La Suite d'un Bal Masque, some of the lighter scenes were founded to the exertions of the Manager, and the talents of the Perfor- mers also, I unquestionably owe much ; and it is no small addition to the pleasure which I feel in the success of the Piece, that I have an oppor- tunity of subscribing myself, their much obliged, And truly humble Servant, MARIE THERESE KEMBLE. Craven-Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 1815. N. B. In the hurry of publishing, the preced- ing Advertisement was omitted by the Publisher, in some of the early Copies. Bow-Street, Covent-Garden, ^ December 22, 1815. - SMILES AND TEARS. ACT I. SCENE I. Delaval's Apartments. DEL AVAL and JEFFERIBS, discovered. Jef. (Shutting a Secretary.) I DON'T see the letter any where, Sir. Del, Have you look'd over all the papers ? Jef. I have, Sir ; and there is certainly no let- ter with your father's seal upon it : I think, Sir, you must have dropp'd it out of doors, for I have searched every place within, in vain, Del. Heaven forbid ! there are some secrets contained in that letter, which, published, would prove neither creditable to my fame or beneficial to my interests (Aside) Let a more diligent search be made after it, d'ye hear ? I would not have it lost for the world. [Exit JEFFERIES. **- 'Tis very odd that I have not he^ird from old Stanly yet ! without encouragement from that quarter, I know not what will become of me ! Lord Glen thorn, like a kind father, obstinately refuses to advance me one shilling- my creditors are already informed that I have lost my election, and they grow clamorous upon it : when I could 6 SMILES AND TEARS. not be compelled to pay, they were glad enough to be civil. Re-enter JEFFERIES, with Letters. Jef. The post is just come in, Sir, and has brought half a dozen letters from the old bo- rough (Significantly). Del. The privilege of escaping the persecution of duns, makes a seat in Parliament a desideratum of no mean value ; but to lose the election, and yet be obliged* to disburse, neither suits my hu- mour or my finances 'tis cursedly provoking, to be sure. (Opening one of the Letters.) What have we here ? " SIR, " As a free and independent burgess, I in- " sist upon my agreement : I am an Englishman, " Sir, and always act according to my conscience ; " and if I had thought you would have quitted Sir Henry Chomley's carnage stops the way ! that would ruin me with Lady Emily I must continue the name of Grenville, 'till I have my charmer's leave to throw it off (Aside.) I am compelled to return to the hotel, O'Dono- lan, for ten minutes, and* all I require at your hands, is, not to betray that I have let you into my confidence. O'Ztow. And did I ask for it Sir Henry ? No, indeed ; you foisted it upon me. Sir Hen. That's very true ; but since chance, or I will rather say, a reliance on your friendship, has helped you to my secret, I trust to your honor , not to obtain any unfair advantage, by represent- ing what I have said, under false colours to Lady Emily ; but wait my return, before you enter irfto an explanation with her. O'Don. Upon this subject, you have no right to prescribe any conditions, Sir Henry ; but for old friendship's sake, I do agree to postpone this explanation till your return ; and then, I shall have the double satisfaction of telling her, all I think of you, all I think of her, and all I think of myself, for being such a damn'd ass, as still to waste one thought upon her ! Sir Hen. Ha ! ha ! ha ! an revoir ! I rely upon your honor, O'Donolan, and hope, upon my re- turn, to find you as entertaining as I now leave you. [Exit Sir HENRY. O'Don. How shall I contain myself ? The jilt! I'll not speak to her before he comes back- I'll have the gratification of confounding her, in the presence of her new lover f will expose her per- fidy, lay bare her arts, tell her how I love her, SMILES AND TEARS. 63 how I hate her, and put an end to my torments, by blowing out my brains. Enter Mrs. BELMORE. Mrs. Eel. Colonel O'Donolan ! now this is kind of you ; and I am sure Lady Emily will O'Dott. Don't name her, Madam ; a perfi- dious - O ! Mrs. Belmore, Mrs. Belmore ! a'n't I the most miserable of human creatures ? Mrs. Bel. What do you mean P-^-nothing new, I hope, has happened ! O'Don. Yes, Ma'am ; an unequivocal confir- mation of all my suspicions no longer, treache- rous as she is, can she deny the justice of my ac- cusation my doubts have been cleared, all clear- ed, and by Sir H. Chomley himself. Mrs. Bel. Whom as performed at the Theatre- Royal, Haymarket. Price 2s, (yd. ZEMBUCA, a Melo-Dramaiic Romance, in Two Acts, by 1. POCOCK, Esq. j as performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. Price 2s. JOHN OF PARIS, a Comic Opera, in Two Acts, by I. POCOCK, Esq. ; a* performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covem-Garden. Price 2s. TAMERLANE, a Tragedy, in Five Acts, by ROWE - r now first published as it is performed at the Theatres Royal, Price Is. THE ORPHAN, a Tragedy, in Five Acts, by OTWAY* as revived at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Gardtn. Price Jj. KING RICHARD THE SECOND; altered and adapted to the Stage by RICHARD WRGUGHTON, Esq. j as per- formed at the Theatre- Royal, Drury-Lane. Price 2s. tid. RICHES ; or, The Wife and Brother : a Play, in Five founded on Mnssinger's City Madam, by Sir JAMES BLAND BURGES, Bart. Price 2s. Od. INTRIGUE, a Comic Interlude, in One Act, by JOHN POOLE, Esq. Author of Hamlet Travestie 5 as performed at the Theatre- Royal, Drury-Lane. Price is. 6d. THE WOODMAN'S HUT, a Melo-Dramatic Ro- mance, in Three Acts j as performed at the '1 he- Drury-Lane. Price 2s. .-ion: Printed by rv. Strict, Covnt Garden. 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