Poems, chiefly pastoral By John Cunningham. The second edition. With the Addition of several pastorals and other pieces |
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 | Poems, chiefly pastoral |  |
203
A PROLOGUE, To LOVE and FAME.
Spoke at Scarborough.
Entering.
Where is this author?—Bid the wretch appear,
Let him come in, and wait for judgement—Here.
This awful jury, all impatient, wait;
Let him come in, I say, and meet his fate!
Strange, very strange, if such a piece succeeds!
(Punish the culprit for his vile misdeeds)
Know ye to-night, that his presumptuous works,
Have turn'd good Christians into—Heathen Turks?
And if the genius an't corrected soon,
In his next Trip, he'll mount us to the Moon.
Let him come in, and wait for judgement—Here.
This awful jury, all impatient, wait;
Let him come in, I say, and meet his fate!
Strange, very strange, if such a piece succeeds!
(Punish the culprit for his vile misdeeds)
Know ye to-night, that his presumptuous works,
Have turn'd good Christians into—Heathen Turks?
And if the genius an't corrected soon,
In his next Trip, he'll mount us to the Moon.
Methinks I hear him say—“For mercy's sake
Hold your rash tongue—my Love and Fame's at stake;
When you behold me—diffident—distrest!
'Tis cruelty to make my woes a jest:
Well—if you will—but why should I distrust?
My judges are as merciful as just;
I know them well, have oft their friendship try'd,
And their protection is my boast—my pride.”
Hold your rash tongue—my Love and Fame's at stake;
204
'Tis cruelty to make my woes a jest:
Well—if you will—but why should I distrust?
My judges are as merciful as just;
I know them well, have oft their friendship try'd,
And their protection is my boast—my pride.”
Hoping to please, he form'd this bustling plan;
Hoping to please! 'tis all the moderns can:
Faith! let him 'scape, let Love and Fame survive,
With your kind sanction keep his scenes alive;
Try to approve (applaud we will exempt)
Nor crush the bardling in this hard attempt.
Could he write up to an illustrious theme,
There's mark'd upon the register of Fame
A subject—but beyond the warmest lays!
Wonder must paint, when 'tis a G**nby's praise.
Hoping to please! 'tis all the moderns can:
Faith! let him 'scape, let Love and Fame survive,
With your kind sanction keep his scenes alive;
Try to approve (applaud we will exempt)
Nor crush the bardling in this hard attempt.
Could he write up to an illustrious theme,
There's mark'd upon the register of Fame
A subject—but beyond the warmest lays!
Wonder must paint, when 'tis a G**nby's praise.
| Poems, chiefly pastoral | |