So may your midnight fcowrings happy prove, And morning batt'ries force your way to love; So may not France your warlike hands recal, But leave you by each other's fwords to fall : As you come here to ruffle vizard punk, When fober, rail, and roar when you are drunk. But to the wits we can fome merit plead, And urge what by themselves has oft been said: you way If they should fail, for laft recruits we breed of frifking Monfieurs to fucceed: A troop You know the French fure cards at time of need. 魷 PROLOGUE TO THE UNIVERSITY of OXFORD, 1674. SPOKEN by Mr. HART. OETS, your subjects, have their parts affign'd T'unbend, and to divert their fov'reign's mind: When tir'd with following nature, you think fit To feek repofe in the cool fhades of wit, And, from the sweet retreat, with joy furvey What refts, and what is conquer'd, of the way. Here, free yourselves from envy, care, and strife, You view the various turns of human life: Safe in our scene, thro dangerous courts you go, And, undebauch'd, the vice of cities know. Your theories are here to practice brought, As in mechanic operations wrought; And man, the little world, before you fet, As once the sphere of chryftal fhew'd the great. Bleft fure are you above all mortal kind, If to your fortunes you can fuit your mind: Content to fee, and thun, thofe ills we fhow, And crimes on theatres alone to know. With joy we bring what our dead authors writ, May be renew'd from those who gave them fame. For mufes fo fevere are worfhipp'd here, PROLOGUE to CIRC E. [By Dr. DAVENANT, 1675.] ERE WER To his you but half fo wife as you're fevere, Our youthful poet should not need to fear: green years your cenfures you would fuit, Not blast the bloffom, but expect the fruit, The fex, that beft does pleasure understand, Will always choose to err on t'other hand. They check not him that's aukward in delight, But clap the young rogue's cheek, and fet him right. Thus hearten'd well, and flefh'd upon his prey, A flender poet must have time to grow, Then damn not, but indulge his rude effays, Perhaps, if now your grace you will not grudge, He may grow up to write, and you to judge. Intended to have been spoken by The Lady HEN. MAR. WENTWORTH, A When CALISTO was acted at Court. S Jupiter I made my court in vain ; And would not be a God to be refus'd. |