Since that can't mend the play.
PROLOGUS. NAUFRAGIUM JOCULARE.
Exi foras-inepte; nullamne habebunt hic comœdiam ?
Exi, inquam, inepte: aut incipiam ego cum Epilogo.
Tun' jam Sophifta junior, et modestus adhuc ?
Ego nihil poffum, præter quod cætera folent,
Salvete cives Attici, et corona florentiffima.
Utinam illam videretis, plus hoc spectaculo
Rifuros vofmet credo, quam totâ in Comœdiâ.
Jam nunc per rimam aliquam ad vos omnes adfpicit.
Nifi placidè intueamini, actum eft de Puero.
Tragedia ifthæc fiet, et Naufragium verum.
Dicturus modo Prologum,novi,inquit,peccatummeum.
Prodire, nifi perfonatus, in hanc frequentiam
Non audet, et plus fuâ rubefcit purpurâ.
Illius ergò caufâ, finite exorator fiem
Ut nequis Poëta vitio vortat novitio,
Quodque non folet fieri, infolentiam putet.
Nifi fari inceptaverit, Nemo eft futurus eloquens.
Qui modò pulpitum fortius, aut Scenam concutit,
Aliquandò balbutivit ac timuit loqui.
beque annos novem pofcite; non eft, Spectatores ope Adulta res, fed Puerilis, Ludere.
Vetus Poëta Comico ceffit in convitium.
Quis fuum dieculæ invidet crepufculum?
Quis violæ, quod primo oritur, extinguit purpuram ? Favete et huic Flori, ne tanquam Solftitialis Herbula Repentè exortus, repentinò occidat. 26
EPILOGUS. NAUFRAGIUM JOCULARE.
HABET; peracta eft Fabula; nil restat denique :
Nifi ut vos valere jubeam; quod ut fiat mutuò,
Valere et nos etiam jubeatis precor.
Naufragium fic non erit ; nam vobis, fi placuimus,
Ut acutiffime obfervat Gnomicus, Vir admirabilis,
Jam nunc in vado fumus cum Proverbio.
PROLOGUE TO THE GUARDIAN.
WHO fays the times do learning difallow?
'Tis falfe; 'twas never honour'd fo as now.
When you appear, great Prince! our night is done;
You are our morning ftar, and shall be our fun.
But our scene's London now, and by the rout
We perish, if the Roundheads be about.
For now no ornament the head must wear,
No bays, no mitre, not so much as hair.
How can a play pafs fafely, when, ye know,
Cheapfide Crofs falls for making but a show?
Our only hope is this, that it may be
A play may pafs, too, made extempore.
Tho' other arts poor and neglected grow,
They'll admit poefy, which was always fo.
But we contemn the fury of these days,
And fcorn no less their cenfure than their praise.
Our Mufe! blefs'd Prince! does only' on you rely,
Would gladly live, but not refuse to die.
Accept our hafty zeal; a thing that's play'd
Ere 'tis a play, and acted ere 'tis made.
Our ign'rance, but our duty, too, we show:
I would all ign'rant people would do fo!
A other times expect our wit or art;
This comedy is acted by the heart.
EPILOGUE TO THE GUARDIAN.
THE play, Great Sir! is done; yet needs must fear,
Tho' you brought all your father's mercies here,
It may offend your Highness, and we 'ave now
Three hours done treason here, for ought we know.
But pow'r your Grace can above Nature give,
It can give pow'r to make abortives live:
In which, if our bold wishes should be crofs'd,
"Tis but the life of one poor week 't has loft:
Tho' it should fall beneath your mortal scorn,”
Scarce could it die more quickly than 'twas born. 10
TO THE CUTTER OF COLEMAN-STREET,
As when the midland fea is no where clear
From dreadful fleets of Tunis and Argier,
Which coast abont, to all they meet with foes,
And upon which nought can be got but blows,
The merchant fhips fo much their paffage doubt, 5
That, tho' full-freighted, none dares venture out,
And trade decays, and scarcity enfues:
Juft fo the tim❜rous wits of late refuse,
Tho' laded, to put forth upon the stage,
Affrighted by the critics of this age.
It is a party num'rous, watchful, bold;
They can from nought, which fails in sight, with-hold.
Nor do their cheap, tho' mortal, thunder fpare;
They shoot, alas! with wind-guns charg'd with air.
But yet, Gentlemen Critics of Argier,
For your own int'reft I'd advise ye here
To let this little forlorn hope go by,
Safe and untouch'd. That must not be, you'll cry. If ye be wife it must; I'll tell ye why. 19
There are fev'n, eight, nine,-stay-there are be-
Ten plays at least, which wait but for a wind, [hind
And the glad news that we the en'my mifs,
And thofe are all your own if you spare this.
Some are but new trimm'd up, others quite new,
Some by known fhipwrights built, and others too 25
By that great Author made, whoe'er he be,
That styles himfelf Perfon of Quality.
All these, if we miscarry here to-day,
Will rather till they rot in th' harbour stay;
Nay, they will back again, tho' they were come 30 Ev'n to their last safe road, the Tiring-room.
Therefore again I say, if you be wife;
Let this for once pass free, let it fuffice
That we, your fov'reign pow'r here to avow;
Thus humbly, ere we pass, strike fail to you.
ADDED AT COURT.
STAY, Gentlemen; what I have said, was all
But forc'd fubmiffion, which I now recall.
Ye 're all but pirates now again; for here
Does the true Sov'reign of the feas appear,
The fov'reign of these narrow feas of wit;
'Tis his own Thames; he knows and governs it.
'Tis his dominion and domain; as he
Pleases 'tis either fhut to us or free.
Not only if his passport we obtain,
We fear no little rovers of the main ;
But if our Neptune his calm vifage show,
No wave fhall dare to rife, or wind to blow.
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