University of Virginia Library

The Prologue spoken by Mercury to the Academicall Auditors.

To greet this faire Assembly Hermes comes,
The winged Herald 'twixt the gods and men,
And helps an Infant-Muse, who not admires
His owne, nor envieth others clearer fires:
Whose modest Venus every where forbeares
To speake what may offend your Attick eares.
His chiefest ayme and Art is for to fit
Unto this Place, (the Vatican of Wit)
His Lines, that this faire Confluence may allow,
What his Minerva hath contrived now.
He to no forraigne parts for plot doth roame,
But speakes such Language as he learnt at home.
The Sceane Parrhesia is, the chiefest State
Of great, but much disturb'd Hermenia:
Discourse fallen mad, and troubled Method fled;
Young Intellect surpriz'd, Invention
Parts from Judicium; all that is amisse,
Is rectified by Analysis.
This, and what else we shall present to night
Unto this Round, we offer as a Rite:
For you can truely judge, and give report
Of what you heare above the Vulgar sort.
But here the Sophister, how to commence,
Or take's Degree, as yet is in suspence:
By keeping of his Acts, he now will try
To get your Placet by his Fallacy.
Exit.