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In Ages past, (when will those Times renew?)
When Empires flourisht, so did Poets too.
When Great Augustus the World's Empire held,
Horace and Ovid's happy Verse excell'd.
Ovid's soft Genius and his tender Arts
Of moving Nature melted hardest Hearts.
It did th' Imperial Beauty Julia move
To listen to the Language of his Love.
Her Father honour'd him: and on her Breast,
With ravish'd sense in her Embraces prest,
He lay transported, fancy-full and blest.
Horace's lofty Genius boldlier rear'd
His manly head, and through all Nature steer'd;
Her richest Pleasures in his Verse refin'd,
And wrought 'em to the relish of the Mind.
He lasht with a true Poet's fearless Rage
The Villanies and Follies of the Age.
Therefore Mœcenas that great Fav'rite rais'd
Him high, and by him was he highly prais'd.
Our Shakespear wrote too in an Age as blest,
The happiest Poet of his time and best.
A gracious Prince's Favour chear'd his Muse,
A constant Favour he ne'r fear'd to lose.
Therefore he wrote with Fancy unconfin'd,
And Thoughts that were Immortal as his Mind.
And from the Crop of his luxuriant Pen
E're since succeeding Poets humbly glean.
Though much the most unworthy of the Throng,
Our this-day's Poet fears h' has done him wrong.
Like greedy Beggars that steal Sheaves away,
You'll find h' has rifled him of half a Play.

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Amidst this baser Dross you'll see it shine
Most beautifull, amazing, and Divine.
To such low Shifts of late are Poets worn,
Whilst we both Wit's and Cæsar's Absence mourn.
Oh! when will He and Poetry return?
When shall we there again behold him sit
'Midst shining Boxes and a Courtly Pit,
The Lord of Hearts, and President of Wit?
When that blest Day (quick may it come) appears,
His Cares once banisht, and his Nation's Fears,
The joyfull Muses on their Hills shall sing
Triumphant Songs of Britain's happy King.
Plenty and Peace shall flourish in our Isle,
And all things like the English Beauty smile.
You Criticks shall forget your nat'ral Spite,
And Poets with unbounded Fancy write.
Ev'n This-day's Poet shall be alter'd quite:
His Thoughts more loftily and freely flow;
And he himself, whilst you his Verse allow,
As much transported as he's humble now.

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Persons represented.

Thomas Otway [1680], The history and fall of Caius Marius. A tragedy. As it is Acted at the Duke's Theatre. By Thomas Otway (Printed for Tho. Flesher [etc.], London) [word count] [S33600].

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Introductory matter

TO THE LORD VISCOUNT FALKLAND.

My LORD,

When first it entered into my thoughts to make this Present to Your Lordship, I received not onely Encouragement, but Pleasure, since upon due examination of my self, I found it was not a bare Presumption, but my Duty to the remembrance of many extraordinary Favours which I have received at Your hands.

For heretofore having had the honour to be near You, and bred under the same Discipline with You, I cannot but own, that in a great measure I owe the small share of Letters I have to Your Lordship. For Your Lordship's Example taught me to be asham'd of Idleness; and I first grew in love with Books, and learnt to value them, by the wonderfull Progress which even in Your tender years You made in them; so that Learning and Improvement

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grew daily more and more lovely in my Eyes, as they shone in You.

Your Lordship has an extraordinary Reason to be a Patron of Poetry, for Your great Father loved it. May Your Lordship's Fame and Employments grow as great, or greater then His were; and may Your Vertues find a Poet to record them, equall (if possible) to that great* ^note Genius which sung of him.

My slender humble Talent must not hope for it; for You have a Judgment which I must always submit to, a general Goodness which I never (to its worth) can value: and who can praise that well which he knows not how to comprehend?

Already the Eyes and Expectations of men of the best Judgement are fixt upon You: for wheresoever You come, You have their Attention when present, and their Praise when You are gone: and I am sure (if I obtain but Your Lordship's Pardon) I shall have the Congratulation of all my friends, for having taken this opportunity to express my self

Your Lordship's most humble Servant,
Thomas Otway.

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PROLOGUE

Spoke by Mr. Betterton.

[Antonius], [Citizen 1], [Citizen 2], [Citizen 3], [Oldman 1], [Messenger], [Citizen 4], [Clodius], [Officer], [Servant], [Catulus], [Herdsman 1], [Herdsman 2], [Herdsman 3], [Soldier 1], [Soldier 2], [Soldier 3], [Servant 2], [Martha], [Ruffian], [Ambassador 1], [Ambassador 2], [Child]

Men	By
Caius Marius.	Mr. Betterton.
Sylla.	Mr. Williams.
Marius junior	Mr. Smith.
Granius.	Mr. Percivale.
Metellus.	Mr. Gillow.
Quintus Pompeius.	Mr. Williams.
Cinna.	Mr. Jevon.
Sulpitius.	Mr. Underhill.
Ancharius a Senatour.
Priest.
Apothecary.
Q. Pompeius's Son [Young Pompeius].
Guards, Lictors,
Ruffians, &c.
Women	By
Lavinia.	Mrs. Barry.
Nurse.	Mr. Noakes.

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THE HISTORY and FALL OF Caius Marius. A TRAGEDY.
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Thomas Otway [1680], The history and fall of Caius Marius. A tragedy. As it is Acted at the Duke's Theatre. By Thomas Otway (Printed for Tho. Flesher [etc.], London) [word count] [S33600].