 | The English Princess, or, the death of Richard the III |  |
PROLOGUE.
You must to day your Appetite prepareFor a plain English Treat of homely Fare:
We neither Bisque, nor Olliàs shall advance
From Spanish Novel, or from French Romance;
Nor shall we charm your Ears, or feast your Eyes
With Turkey-Works, or Indian Rarityes:
But to plain Hollinshead and down-right Stow
We the coarse Web of our Contrivance owe,
Since Laces, Ribbands, and such Modish geer
Fetcht from abroad are now forbidden here,
Amongst those Forreign Toys (for ought we know)
Fine Plots for Plays may be included too.
Greece, the first Mistress of the Tragick Muse,
To grace her Stage, did her own Heroes chuse;
Their Pens adorn'd their Native Swords; and thus
What was not Grecian past for Barbarous.
On us our Country the same duty lays,
And English Wit should English Valour raise.
Why should our Land to any Land submit
In choice of Heroes, or in height of Wit?
This made him write, who never writ till now,
Only to shew what better Pens should do.
And for his Pains he hopes he shall be thought
(Though a bad Poet,) a good Patriot.
| The English Princess, or, the death of Richard the III | |