The prologue and epilogue to the last new play, Constantine the Great
Otway, Thomas, 1652-1685.
1683
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A70758
Wing O557
ESTC R1636
12265183
ocm 12265183
58018
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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.
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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eng
Constantine -- I, -- Emperor of Rome, d. 337 -- Poetry.
Prologues and epilogues.
Broadsides -- England -- London -- 17th century.
2007-02 TCP
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2007-03 Apex CoVantage
Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images
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THE
Prologue
and
Epilogue
,
TO
THE
LAST
NEW
PLAY
;
Constantine
the
Great
.
PROLOGUE
.
Spoken
by
Mr.
Goodman
.
WHat
think
ye
meant
Wise
Providence
,
when
first
POETS
were
made
?
I
'de
tell
you
if
I
durst
.
That
't
was
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
.
'T
is
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
,
'T
will
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
,
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
CAVSE
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
TVRK
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.