To fing away the day,
For 'tis but a folly
To be melancholy,
Since that can't mend the play.

16

PROLOGUS. NAUFRAGIUM JOCULARE. Exi forasinepte; nullamne babebunt hic comediam ? Exi, inquam, inepte : aut incipiam ego cum Epilogo. Tun' jam Sophista junior, et modestus adhuc? Ego nihil possum, præter quod cætera folent, Salvete cives Attici, et corona Aorentiffima. :5 Utinam illam videretis, plus hoc spectaculo Rifuros vosmet credo, quam totâ in Comædiâ. Jam nunc per rimam aliquam ad vos omnes adfpicit. Nisi placidè intueamini, actum est de Puero. Tragedia isthæc siet, et Naufragium verum. Dicturus modo Prologum, novi,inquit; peccatummeum. Prodire, nisi personatus, in hanc frequentiam Non audet, et plus fuâ rubescit purpurâ. Illius ergò caufâ, finite exorator fsem Ut nequis Poëta vitio vortat novitio, Quodque non folet fieri, insolentiam putet. Nisi fari inceptaverit, Nemo eft futurus eloquens. Qui modò pulpitum fortius, aut Scenam concutit, Aliquandò balbutivit ac tinuit loqui.

19 Hieque annos novem pofcite; non eft, Spectatores opAdulta res, fed Puerilis, Ludere.

[timi,

10

Vetus Poëta Comico cessit in convitium.
Quis fuum dieculæ invidet crepusculum?
Quis violæ, quod primo oritur, extinguit purpuram?
Favete et huic Flori, pe tanquam Solstitialis Herbula
Repentè exortus, repentinò occidat.

26
EPILOGUS. NAUFRAGIUM JOCULARE.
Habet; peracta est Fabula; nil restat denique :
Nisi ut vos valere jubeam; quod ut fiat mutuò,
Valere et nos etiam jubeatis precor.
Naufragium fic non erit; nam vobis, fi placuimus,
Ut acutissime observat Gnomicus, Vir admirabilis,
Jam nunc in vado sumus cum Proverbios

ABE

PROLOGUE TO THB GUARDIAN.

BEFORE THE PRINCE.

Wuo says the times do learning disallow?
'Tis falfe; 'twas never honour'd so as now.
When you appear, great Prince !' our night is done;
You are our morning ftar, and shall be our sun.
But our scene's London now, and by the rout 3
We perish, if the Roundheads be about.
For now no ornament the head must wear,
No bays, no mitre, not so much as hair.
How can a play pass safely, when, ye know,
Cheapside Cross falls for making but a fhow?

may be

Our only hope is this, that it
A play may pass, too, made extempore.
Tho'other arts poor and neglected grow,
They'll admit poefy, which was always fo.
But we contemn the fury of these days,

15
And scorn no less their censure than their praise.
Our Muse! bless’d Prince!: does only' on you rely,
Would gladly live, but not refuse to die.
Accept our balty zcal; a thing that's play'd
Ere 'tis a play, and acted ere 'tis made.
Our ign'rance, but our duty, too, we show.:
I would all ign'rant people would do so!
A other times expect our wit or art;
This comedy is acted by the heart.

24

20

EPILOGUE TO THE GUARDIAN. The play, Great Sir! is done ; yet needs myft fear, Tho' you brought all your father's mercies here, It may offend your Highness, and we ’ave now Three hours done treason here, for ought we know. But pow'r your Grace can above Nature give, 5 It can give pow'r to make abortives live: In which, if our bold wishes should be crofs'd, "Tis but the life of one poor week 't has lost: Tho' it should fall beneath your mortal fcorn, Scarce could it die more quickly than 'twas born. 10 ? Volume I.

X

IO

PROLOGUE, TO THE CUTTER OF COLEMAN-STREET, As when the midland fea is no where clear From dreadful fleets of Tunis and Argier, Which coast abont, to all they meet with foes, And opon which nought can be got but blows, The merchant ships fo much their paffage doubt, 5 That, tho' full-freighted, none dares venture out, And trade decays, and scarcity ensues : Just fo the tim'rous wits of late refuse, Tho'laded, to put forth upon the stage, Affrighted by the critics of this age. It is a party num'rous, watchful, bold; They can from nought, which fails in sight, with-hold. Nor do their cheap, tho' mortal, thunder spare; They shoot, alas! with wind-guns charg'd with air, But yet, Gentlemen Critics of Argier,

15 For your own intrest I'd advise ye here To let this little forlorn hope go by, Safe and untouch’d. That must not be, you'll cry. If ye be wise it must; I'll tell ye why.

19 There are fev'n, eight, nine, stay there are beTen plays at least, which wait but for a wind, [hind And the glad news that we the en’my miss, And those are all your own if you spare this. Some are but new trimm'd up, others quite new, Some by known shipwrights built, and others too 23

By that great Author made, whoe'er he be,
That styles himself Person of Quality,
All these, if we miscarry here to-day,
Will rather till they rot in th' harbour stay;
Nay, they will back again, tho' they were come 30
Ev'n to their last safe road, the Tiring-room.
Therefore again I say, if you be wise;
Let this for once pass free, let it suffice
That we; your sov'reign pow'r here to avow,
Thus humbly, ere we pass, strike fail to you. 33

ADDED ÅT COURT.

Stay, Gentlemen; what I have said, was all
Bat forc'd submission, which I now recall.
Ye're all but pirates now again; for here
Does the true Sov'reign of the seas appear;
The fou'reign of these narrow seas of wit;
'Tis his own Thames;, he knows and governs it.
?Tis his dominion and domain; as he
Pleases 'tis either shụt to us or free.
Not only if his passport we obtain,
We fear no little rovers of the main;
But if our Neptune his calm visage how,
No waye Mall dare to rise, or wind ta blow.