A collection of poems on various subjects including the theatre, a didactic essay; in the course of which are pointed out, the rocks and shoals to which deluded adventurers are inevitably exposed. Ornamented with cuts and illustrated with notes, original letters and curious incidental anecdotes [by Samuel Whyte] |
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EPILOGUE TO HENRY THE FOURTH.
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 | A collection of poems on various subjects |  |
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EPILOGUE TO HENRY THE FOURTH.
PERFORMED AT CASTLETOWN. SPOKEN BY THE LATE LORD CHIEF BARON HUSSEY BURGH, WHO PLAYED HOTSPUR.
A plodding lawyer from an hero bold,
Well may you say poor Percy's spur is cold.
Our Players scarce saw me in my blacks array'd,
But straight they'd have a sample of my trade,
And send me forth in their behalf to plead;
I argued, lawyer-like, I was not fee'd;
But, 'stead of guineas, Percy's noble dame
Pronounc'd three golden words, and forth I came.
Well may you say poor Percy's spur is cold.
Our Players scarce saw me in my blacks array'd,
But straight they'd have a sample of my trade,
And send me forth in their behalf to plead;
I argued, lawyer-like, I was not fee'd;
But, 'stead of guineas, Percy's noble dame
Pronounc'd three golden words, and forth I came.
Think not our frolick shall go free from blame,
Envy no doubt will carp at every name;
But chief Louisa's—that new joys will yield;
How sweet to slander that untasted field!
Ten thousand Prudes, with lifted hands and eyes,
Shall strain a blush, and meditate surprize;
Fair, virtuous, modest!—Madam, so they say.
Fine modesty indeed!—to act a play!
Dear prudent creatures! they can ne'er be wrong
Who only act a part—their whole life long.
Ten thousand Dames, who with maternal care,
Hourly thank Heaven their daughters are not fair,
Shall rail at noble softness, modest taste,
With all e'er virtue lov'd or beauty grac'd;
For what, alas! my daughter, what are they,
When she who had them all could act a play?
Yet 'tis not spite, good souls! they're not so wicked,
They want not worth, they only want—a ticket.
Envy no doubt will carp at every name;
But chief Louisa's—that new joys will yield;
How sweet to slander that untasted field!
Ten thousand Prudes, with lifted hands and eyes,
Shall strain a blush, and meditate surprize;
Fair, virtuous, modest!—Madam, so they say.
Fine modesty indeed!—to act a play!
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Who only act a part—their whole life long.
Ten thousand Dames, who with maternal care,
Hourly thank Heaven their daughters are not fair,
Shall rail at noble softness, modest taste,
With all e'er virtue lov'd or beauty grac'd;
For what, alas! my daughter, what are they,
When she who had them all could act a play?
Yet 'tis not spite, good souls! they're not so wicked,
They want not worth, they only want—a ticket.
Nor shall our male performers 'scape detractors,
Senators, Nobles, Privy Counsel,—Actors!
Say, will not Hoey, tho' with a trembling sting,
Assail the sacred person of our King?
With zeal full fiery while the Freeman glows,
Say will he light no brand at Bardolph's nose?
Then for the youths who play—their education,
O! what an ample field for declamation!
'Twould almost tempt a grave good man to scandal,
'Tis such a theme for sober folks to handle—
Fire, fancy, sentiment, wit, judgment, sound,
A man might say in Shakspeare may be found:
But arguments like these will have no force;
Lord, sir, it is not in the College course.
Our plump Sir John his character to fit,
Witty himself, will still give cause for wit;
The Smarts will sneer, and all the gibing train
Rail at that wit they imitate in vain.
Senators, Nobles, Privy Counsel,—Actors!
Say, will not Hoey, tho' with a trembling sting,
Assail the sacred person of our King?
With zeal full fiery while the Freeman glows,
Say will he light no brand at Bardolph's nose?
Then for the youths who play—their education,
O! what an ample field for declamation!
'Twould almost tempt a grave good man to scandal,
'Tis such a theme for sober folks to handle—
Fire, fancy, sentiment, wit, judgment, sound,
A man might say in Shakspeare may be found:
But arguments like these will have no force;
Lord, sir, it is not in the College course.
Our plump Sir John his character to fit,
Witty himself, will still give cause for wit;
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Rail at that wit they imitate in vain.
For me, what lawyer ever did as I did,
Against the statute in that case provided;
Here to appear in tinsel and in stuff,
Instead of sober black enriched with snuff,
To practice fluent speech and speak in rhyme,
Against the use of immemorial time;
This will I fear be thought a huge transgression
'Gainst the decorum of our grave profession;
A high contempt of all our ancient law;
Treason, flat treason against hum and haw—
Against the statute in that case provided;
Here to appear in tinsel and in stuff,
Instead of sober black enriched with snuff,
To practice fluent speech and speak in rhyme,
Against the use of immemorial time;
This will I fear be thought a huge transgression
'Gainst the decorum of our grave profession;
A high contempt of all our ancient law;
Treason, flat treason against hum and haw—
We strove to please you, in return befriend us,
And from the tongue of malice thus defend us.
Say, that we deem'd it no inglorious part
To raise the genius, and to mend the heart:
Say, that we thought it could no baseness carry,
With Jack to smile, or to reform with Harry:
Say, on the world's great stage we ne'er will deign,
To dissimulate a vice, or virtue feign;
But scorning little views and mean controul,
Avow the genuine dictates of the soul.
And from the tongue of malice thus defend us.
Say, that we deem'd it no inglorious part
To raise the genius, and to mend the heart:
Say, that we thought it could no baseness carry,
With Jack to smile, or to reform with Harry:
Say, on the world's great stage we ne'er will deign,
To dissimulate a vice, or virtue feign;
But scorning little views and mean controul,
Avow the genuine dictates of the soul.
| A collection of poems on various subjects | |