Poems With the Muses Looking-Glasse. Amyntas. Jealous Lovers. Arystippus. By Tho: Randolph ... The fourth Edition enlarged [by Thomas Randolph] |
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The Præludium
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1
The Præludium
Shewes having beene long intermitted, and forbidden by authority for their abuses, could not be raised but by conjuring.
Be not deceiv'd, I have no bended knees
No supple tongue nor speeches steep'd in Oyle,
No candied flattery, nor honied words,
I come an armed Prologue: arm'd with arts,
Who by my sacred charms and mystick skill,
By vertue of this all commanding VVand
Stolne from the sleepy Mercury, will raise
From black Abisse and sooty hell, that mirth
Which fits this long dead round. Thou long-dead Show,
Breake from thy Marble prison, sleep no more
In myrie darkenesse, henceforth I forbid thee
To bathe in Lethe's muddy waves, ascend
As bright as morning from her Tithons bed,
And red with kisses that have stain'd thy cheeke,
Grow fresh again: what? is my power contemned?
Dost thou not heare my call, whose power extends
To blast the bosome of our mother Earth?
To remove heavens whole frame from of her hinges,
As to reverse all Natures lawes? Ascend,
Or I will call a band of Furies foorth.
And all the torments wit of hell can frame
Shall force thee up.
2
Show.
O spare your two officious whips a while,
Give some small respit to my panting limbs.
Let me have leave to speak, and truce to parlie,
Whose powerfull voyce hath forc't me to salute
This hated ayre! are not my paines sufficient,
But you must torture me with the sad remembrance
Of my deserts, the Causes of my exile?
Prolog.
This thy release I seeke, I come to file
Those heavy shackles from thy wearied limbs,
And give the leave to walke the Stage again,
As free as vertue: Burne thy withered Bayes,
And with fresh Laurell crowne thy sacred Temples,
Cast off thy maske of darkenesse; and appeare
As glorious as thy sister Comedy.
But first with teares wash off that guilty sinne,
Purge out those ill digested dregges of wit,
That use their inke to blot a spotlesse fame,
Let's have no one particular man traduc'd,
But like a noble Eagle seaze on vice,
As she flyes bold and open, spare the persons,
Let us have simple mirth, and innocent laughter;
Sweet smiling lips and such as hide no fangs,
No venemous biting teeth, or forked tongues.
Then shall thy freedome be restor'd again,
And full applause be wages of thy paine.
Show.
Then from the depth of truth I here protest,
I doe disclaime all petulant hate and malice,
I will not touch such men as I know vicious,
Much lesse the good: I will not dare to say,
That such a one pay'd for his fellowship,
And had no learning but in's purse; no Officer
Need feare the sting of my detraction,
I'le give all leave to fill their guts in quiet:
I make no dangerous Almanacks, no gulls,
3
You need not feare this Show, you that are bad,
It is no Parliament: you that nothing have
Like Schollars, but a Beard and Gowne, for me
May passe for good grand Sophies: all my skill
Shall beg but honest laughter and such smiles
As might become a Cato: I shall give
No cause to grieve that once more yet I live.
Prolog.
Goe then and you Beagles of hell avant,
Returne to your eternall plagues.
Exeunt Furies.
Prolog.
Here take these purer robes, and clad in these,
Be thou all glorious and instruct thy mirth
With thy sweet temper, whilst my selfe intreate
Thy friends that long lamented thy sad fates,
To sit and taste, and to accept thy Cates.
Exit Show.
Prolog.
Sir, see, and heare, and censure he that will,
I come to have my mirth approv'd, not Skill:
Your laughter all I begge, and where you see
No jest worth laughing at, faith laugh at me.
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