The prologue and epilogue to the last new play, Constantine the Great

The prologue and epilogue to the last new play, Constantine the Great

Table of contents

THE Prologue and Epilogue, TO THE LAST NEW PLAY; Conſtantine the Great.

PROLOGUE. Spoken by Mr. Goodman.

EPILOGUE. Spoken by Mrs. COOK,

§

THE Prologue and Epilogue, TO THE LAST NEW PLAY; Conſtantine the Great.

[Page]

PROLOGUE. Spoken by Mr. Goodman.

WHat think ye meant Wiſe Providence, when firſt

POETS were made? I'de tell you if I durſt.

That 'twas in Contradiction to Heaven's Word,

That when its Spirit o're the Waters ſtir'd,

When it ſaw All, and ſaid that All was good,

The Creature POET was not underſtood.

For were it worth the pains of Six long Days,

To Mould Retailers of dull Third-Day-Plays,

That ſtarve out Three-ſcore Years in Hopes of Bays.

'Tis plain they ne're were of the Firſt Creation,

But came by meer Equiv'cal Generation.

Like Rats in Ships, without Coition bred;

As hated too, as they are, and unfed.

Nature their Species ſure muſt needs diſown,

Scarce knowing POETS, leſs by POETS known.

Yet this Poor Thing ſo ſcorn'd, and ſet at nought,

Ye all pretend to, and would fain be thought.

Diſabl'd waſting Whore-Maſters, are not

Prouder to own the Brats they never got;

Then Fumbling Itching Rhimers of the Town,

T' Adopt ſome baſe Born Song that's not their own.

Spite of his State, my Lord ſometimes Deſcends,

To pleaſe the Importunity of Friends.

The dulleſt He thought moſt for buſineſs fit,

'Twill Venture his bought Place, to Aim at Wit.

And though He ſinks with His Imploys of State,

Till Common Senſe forſake Him, He'l Tranſlate.

The POET and the WHORE, alike Complains

Of Trading Quality, that ſpoils their Gains;

The Lords will Write, and Ladies will have Swains.

Therefore all you, who have Male Iſſue born,

Under the Starving Sign of CAPRICORN;

Prevent the Malice of their Stars in Time,

And warn them Early from the Sin of Rhime.

Tell 'em how Spencer ſtarv'd, how Cowley mourn'd,

How Butler's Faith and Service was return'd;

And if ſuch Warning they refuſe to take,

This laſt Experiment, O Parents make!

With Hands behind them ſee the Offender ty'd,

The Pariſh Whip, and Beadle by his Side.

Then lead him to ſome Stall that does Expoſe

The Authors he loves moſt, there rub his Noſe.

Till like a Spannel laſht, to know Command,

He by the due Correction underſtand,

To keep his Brains clean, and not foul the Land.

Till he againſt his Nature learn to ſtrive,

And get the Knack of Dulneſs how to Thrive.

EPILOGUE.
Spoken by Mrs. COOK,

[Page]

OUR Hero's Happy in the Plays Concluſion,

The Holy Rogue at laſt has met Confuſion;

Tho' Arrius all along appear'd a Saint,

The laſt Act ſhew'd him a True Proteſtant:

Euſebius (for you know I Read Greek Authors)

Reports, That after all theſe Plots and Slaughters,

The Court of CONSTANTINE was full of Glory,

And every TRIMMER turn'd Addreſſing TORY:

They Followed Him in Herds as they were Mad,

When CAƲSE was King then all the World was Glad:

WHIGGS kept the Places they Poſſeſs'd before,

And moſt were in a Way of Getting more;

Which was as much as to ſay—Gentlemen,

Here's Power and Money to be ROGUES agen.

Indeed there were a ſort of peaking Tools,

(Some call 'em Modeſt, but I call 'em Fools,

Men much more Loyal, though not half ſo Loud,)

But theſe Poor Devils were Caſt Behind the Crowd.

For Bold Knaves Thrive without one Grain of Senſe,

But Good Men Starve for want of Impudence.

Beſides all theſe there were a ſort of Wights,

I think my Authour calls 'em Teckelites:

Such hearty Rogues againſt the King and Laws,

They favour'd even a Forreign Rebell's Cauſe.

When their own Damn'd Deſign was quaſht and aw'd,

At laſt they gave it their Good Word abroad;

As many a Man, who for a quiet life,

Sends out his Baſtard, not to Noſe his Wife:

Thus o're their Darling Treaſon Trimmers Cry,

And though they dare not Her, it wants Supply,

They Bind it Prentice to Count TECKELEY.

They believe not the laſt PLOT, may I be Curſt,

If I believe, they e're believ'd the firſt.

No Wonder their own PLOT, no PLOT they think,

The Man that makes it never Smells the STINK.

And now it comes into my Mind, I'le tell,

Why thoſe Damn'd Trimmers love the TƲRK ſo well;

Th' Original Trimmer, tho' a Friend to no Man,

Yet in his heart Ador'd a pretty Woman:

He knew that MAHOMET laid up for Ever

Kind Black-Ey'd Rogues for ev'ry True Believer.

And which was more then Mortal Man e're Taſted,

One Pleaſure that for Threeſcore Twelve-Months laſted:

To Turn for this may ſurely be Forgiven,

Who'd not be Circumcis'd for ſuch a HEAVEN?

§

Printed for C. Tebroc, 1683.

Information about this book

Title statement

The prologue and epilogue to the last new play, Constantine the Great

Otway, Thomas, 1652-1685.

Edition statement

1683

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A70758

ID [STC]

Wing O557

ID [STC]

ESTC R1636

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12265183

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12265183

ID [VID]

58018

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A70758)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 58018)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 181:23 or 724:32)

Source

— The prologue and epilogue to the last new play, Constantine the Great, Otway, Thomas, 1652-1685., Lee, Nathaniel, 1653?-1692. Constantine the Great., Dryden, John, 1631-1700..

Extent

1 sheet ([2] p.)

Printed for C. Tebroc,. [London] :: 1683.. (In verse.) (The prologue to Lee's Constantine the Great was written by T. Otway; the epilogue by Dryden. Cf. DNB.) ("Prologue spoken by Mr. Goodman") ("Epilogue spoken by Mrs. Cook") (Place of publication from Wing.) (Title on reel 724:32 lacks the initial article "The".) (This item appears at reel 180:23 as Wing D2332A (number cancelled in Wing 2nd ed.), and at reel 724:32 as Wing (CD-ROM, 1996) O557.) (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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