FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127  
128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   >>   >|  
his wars with Heraclitus? Such are the authors who have run us down, And exercised you critics of the town. Yet these are pearls to your lampooning rhymes, Ye abuse yourselves more dully than the times. Scandal, the glory of the English nation, Is worn to rags, and scribbled out of fashion. Such harmless thrusts, as if, like fencers wise, 30 They had agreed their play before their prize. Faith! they may hang their harps upon the willows; 'Tis just like children when they box with pillows. Then put an end to civil wars for shame; Let each knight-errant, who has wrong'd a dame, Throw down his pen, and give her, as he can, The satisfaction of a gentleman. * * * * * FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 59: Epilogue spoken in 1682; and full of temporary allusions now of no earthly interest.] * * * * * XXXII. PROLOGUE TO "THE LOYAL BROTHER; OR, THE PERSIAN PRINCE;"[60] BY MR SOUTHERN, 1682. POETS, like lawful monarchs, ruled the stage, Till critics, like damn'd Whigs, debauch'd our age. Mark how they jump: critics would regulate Our theatres, and Whigs reform our state: Both pretend love, and both (plague rot them!) hate. The critic humbly seems advice to bring; The fawning Whig petitions to the king: But one's advice into a satire slides; The other's petition a remonstrance hides. These will no taxes give, and those no pence; 10 Critics would starve the poet, Whigs the prince. The critic all our troops of friends discards; Just so the Whig would fain pull down the guards. Guards are illegal, that drive foes away, As watchful shepherds, that fright beasts of prey. Kings, who disband such needless aids as these, Are safe--as long as e'er their subjects please: And that would be till next Queen Bess's night: [61] Which thus grave penny chroniclers indite. Sir Edmondbury first, in woful wise, 20 Leads up the show, and milks their maudlin eyes. There's not a butcher's wife but dribs her part, And pities the poor pageant from her heart; Who, to provoke revenge, rides round the fire, And, with a civil conge, does retire: But guiltless blood to ground must never fall; There's Antichrist behind, to pay for all. The punk of Babylon in pomp appears, A lewd old gentleman of seventy years: Whose age
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127  
128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
critics
 

critic

 

advice

 
gentleman
 

illegal

 

Guards

 

Babylon

 

guards

 

discards

 

friends


watchful

 
disband
 

needless

 
troops
 
shepherds
 

fright

 

beasts

 

prince

 

slides

 

petition


remonstrance

 

satire

 

petitions

 

Critics

 

starve

 
seventy
 

appears

 

maudlin

 

retire

 

butcher


guiltless

 

pageant

 
provoke
 

pities

 

Edmondbury

 

subjects

 

ground

 

Antichrist

 

chroniclers

 

indite


fawning
 
revenge
 

agreed

 

thrusts

 

harmless

 
fencers
 

pillows

 
willows
 
children
 

fashion