citizens drank as deep as was then the fashion. The Lord Mayor in his cups waxing practically facetious, Charles dismissed his suite without ceremony, and sought to extricate himself from the wine-inspired familiarities of the civic dignitary by stealing off to his coach. He was pursued; his Lordship seized him by the hand and said, "Sir, you shall stay, and take another bottle." The merry Monarch quoted from Tate:
"He that is drunk is as great as a king."
and went back to finish the wine.
In the play, at the end of Act II., there is another song equally in praise of Bacchus, which illustrates the political influence of the theatre, and the Support that it strove to give to the throne.
"How great are the blessings of Government made,
By the excellent rule of our Prince,
Who, while trouble and cares do his pleasure invade,
To his people all joy does dispense:
And while he for us is carking and thinking,
We have nothing to mind—but our shops and our trade,
And then to divert us with drinking.
"For him we derive all our pleasure and wealth,
Then fill me a glass; nay, fill it up higher,
My soul is athirst for his Majesty's health,
And an Ocean of drink can't quench my desire;
Since all we enjoy to his bounty we owe,
'Tis fit all our bumpers like that should o'erflow."
No materials exist, or if they do the authors of this work have failed to discover them, which would enable us to give any accurate or trustworthy account of the incidents of Tate's life. As dramatist we have spoken of him. Let the reader next look at him under the aspect of Laureate and psalmodist.
Tate succeeded on the demise of Shadwell in 1692. His appointment by Lord Jersey, after the accession of Queen Anne, is recorded in the following form of words:
