Classic Poem

True Comedy circum praecordia ludit —
It warms the heart's cockles. 'Twas thus that he viewed it,
That simple old Critic, who smote on his knee,
And named it no more than he knew it to be.

— True Comedy! — Yes! there is this thing about it,
If it makes the House merry, you never need doubt it:
It lashes the vicious; it laughs at the fool;
And it brings all the prigs and pretenders to school.

To the poor it is kind; to the plain it is gentle;
It is neither too tragic nor too sentimental;
Its thrust, like a rapier's, though cutting, is clean,
And it pricks Affectation all over the scene.

Its rules are the rules A RISTOTLE has taught us;
Its ways have not altered since T ERENCE and P LAUTUS ;
Its mission is neither to praise nor to blame;
Its weapon is Ridicule; Folly, its game.

— True Comedy! — — such as our P OQUELIN made it!
— True Comedy! — — such as our C OQUELIN played it!
It clears out the cobwebs; it freshens the air;
And it treads in the steps of its Master, M OLIÃ?RE !