The Poetical Works of the Late Thomas Warton ... Fifth Edition, Corrected and Enlarged. To which are now added Inscriptionum Romanarum Delectus, and An Inaugural Speech As Camden Professor of History, never before published. Together with Memoirs of his Life and Writings; and Notes, Critical and Explanatory. By Richard Mant |
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PROLOGUE ON THE OLD WINCHESTER PLAYHOUSE,
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 | The Poetical Works of the Late Thomas Warton |  |
179
PROLOGUE ON THE OLD WINCHESTER PLAYHOUSE,
OVER THE BUTCHER'S SHAMBLES.
Whoe'er our stage examines, must excuseThe wondrous shifts of the dramatic Muse;
Then kindly listen, while the Prologue rambles
From wit to beef, from Shakespeare to the shambles!
Divided only by one flight of stairs,
The Monarch swaggers, and the Butcher swears!
Quick the transition when the curtain drops,
From meek Monimia's moans to mutton-chops!
While for Lothario's loss Lavinia cries,
Old Women scold, and Dealers d---n your eyes!
Here Juliet listens to the gentle lark,
There in harsh chorus hungry bull-dogs bark.
Cleavers and scymitars give blow for blow,
And Heroes bleed above, and Sheep below!
While tragic thunders shake the pit and box,
Rebellows to the roar the staggering ox.
Cow-horns and trumpets mix their martial tones,
Kidneys and Kings, mouthing and marrow-bones.
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And form a tragi-comedy around.
With weeping lovers, dying calves complain,
Confusion reigns—chaos is come again!
Hither your steelyards, Butchers, bring, to weigh
The pound of flesh, Anthonio's bond must pay!
Hither your knives, ye Christians, clad in blue,
Bring to be whetted by the ruthless Jew!
Hard is our lot, who, seldom doom'd to eat,
Cast a sheep's-eye on this forbidden meat—
Gaze on sirloins, which, ah! we cannot carve,
And in the midst of legs of mutton—starve!
But would you to our house in crouds repair,
Ye gen'rous Captains, and ye blooming Fair,
The fate of Tantalus we should not fear,
Nor pine for a repast that is so near.
Monarchs no more would supperless remain,
Nor pregnant Queens for cutlets long in vain.
| The Poetical Works of the Late Thomas Warton | |