M EPILOGUE. ARRY a Turk! a haughty, tyrant king! To please his fancy!-fee no other man!- 'Tis true, the fellow 's handsome, ftrait, and tall; And for one man-one wife's enough of confcience. In vain proud man ufurps what 's woman's due ; For us alone, they honour's paths pursue: Infpir'd by us, they glory's heights afcend; Woman the fource, the object, and the end. Tho' wealth, and pow'r, and glory, they receive, These all are trifles to what we can give. For us the statesman labours, hero fights, Bears toilfome days, and wakes long tedious nights; And, when bleft peace has filenc'd war's alarms, Receives his full reward in beauty's arms. PROLOGU E, SPOKEN by Mr. GARRICK, APRIL 5, 1750, Before the MASQUE of COMUS. Acted at DRURY-LANE THEATRE, for the Benefit of MILTON'S Grand-Daughter *. Y E patriot crowds, who burn for England's fame, Ye nymphs, whose bosoms beat at Milton's name, Whose gen'rous zeal, unbought by flatt'ring rhymes, Shames the mean penfions of Auguftan times, Immortal patrons of fucceeding days, Attend this prelude of perpetual praise; Let wit, condemn'd the feeble war to wage With close malevolence, or publick rage, Let study, worn with virtue's fruitless lore, Behold this theatre, and grieve no more. This night, diftinguish'd by your finiles, fhall tell That never Britain can in vain excel; The flighted arts futurity fhall truft, And rifing ages haften to be juft. At length our mighty bard's victorious lays And baffled fpite, with hopeless anguish dumb, Or trace his form on circulating gold. PROLOGUE, SPOKEN by Mr. GARRICK, APRIL 5, 1750, Before the MASQUE of COMUS. 131 Acted at DRURY-LANE THEATRE, for the Benefit of Y E patriot crowds, who burn for England's fame, At length our mighty bard's victorious lays * See Vol. IX. p. 150, |