University of Virginia Library

PROLOGUE, Spoken by Mrs. Knight.

To Gain your favourable smile to Day,
What a hard Task has our Unhappy Play.
After so Rich a Feast of Wit before,
Our Courser Fare, we fear's a Treat too Poor.
Yet let's Consider, half our fears to Ease,
What Constitutions 'tis we have to please,
You, who when some bright Celia you'ave injoy'd,
How have we seen you Surfeited and Cloy'd
With the possession of those fairer Charms,
Run to some Little Paltry Dowdies Arms?
Change, dear sweet Change!
There you run on so Fast, Siege, Battle, Storm:
Cou'd you your feats of War like those of Love perform,
All so many Young headlong Alexanders,
You'd make a Swinging Nursery for Flanders,
That brisk, bold, pushing Race! Lord what a Dance
Wou'd such a set of Heroes make in France.
Ah Sirs, so very Fickle in your Kisses,
Wou'd you treat Poets as you do your Misses,
Let Wit and Love your Equal Graces share;
Our humble Scribler then need ne'er Despair.
Ah no!—
A Poet may, perhaps, once in an Age,
Have the good fortune your kind hearts t'engage.
They gain your favours slow, but then they last.
Your kind Embrace they win and hold as fast.
With us, our Sex alone, to your disgrace
False Men, you're every day for a new Face.
Your Volatile Mercury is all in Love
We are the Mourning Turtles of the Grove:
You're those wild Strays, and fly so all at Rovers,
You're Beaus, Wits, Courtiers, every thing but Lovers;
Youth, Beauty, Virtue, all will do no good:
You're Constant every where, but where you shou'd.