But neither side a winner,

For things are as they were.

Chorus of all. The fools are only, &c.

Enter VENUS.

Venus. Calms appear when storms are past;
Love will have his hour at last :

Nature is my kindly care;

Mars destroys, and I repair;
Take me, take me, while you may,
Venus comes not every day.

Chorus of all. Take her, take her, &c.
Chronos. The world was then so light,

I scarcely felt the weight;

Joy ruled the day, and Love the night.

70

80

But, since the queen of pleasure left the ground,
I faint, I lag,

And feebly drag

The ponderous orb around.

Momus. All, all of a piece throughout;

[Pointing to Diana.] Thy chase had a beast in view; [To Mars.] Thy wars brought nothing about ;

[To Venus.] Thy lovers were all untrue. Janus. 'Tis well an old age is out.

Chronos. And time to begin a new.

Cho. of all. All, all of a piece throughout ;
Thy chase had a beast in view:
Thy wars brought nothing about;
Thy lovers were all untrue.
"Tis well an old age is out,

And time to begin a new.

Dance of huntsmen, nymphs, warriors, and lovers.

90

XXII.

SONG OF A SCHOLAR AND HIS MISTRESS,

WHO, BEING CROSSED BY THEIR FRIENDS, FELL MAD FOR ONE ANOTHER; AND NOW FIRST MEET IN BEDLAM.

[Music within.]

The Lovers enter at opposite doors, each held by a keeper.

Phillis.

Look, look I see-I see my love appear!

"Tis he 'Tis he alone;

For, like him, there is none:

'Tis the dear, dear man, 'tis thee, dear.

Amyntas. Hark! the winds war;

Phillis.

The foamy waves roar;

I see a ship afar :

Tossing and tossing, and making to the shore :
But what's that I view,

So radiant of hue,

St Hermo, St Hermo, that sits upon the sails?
Ah! No, no, no.

St Hermo never, never shone so bright;
'Tis Phillis, only Phillis, can shoot so fair a
light;

"Tis Phillis, 'tis Phillis, that saves the ship
alone,

For all the winds are hush'd, and the storm is overblown.

Let me go, let me run, let me fly to his arms. Amyntas. If all the fates combine,

And all the furies join,

I'll force my way to Phillis, and break through

the charm.

[Here they break from their keepers, run to each other, and embrace.]

Phillis.

Shall I marry the man I love?

And shall I conclude my pains?
Now bless'd be the powers above,
I feel the blood bound in my veins;
With a lively leap it began to move,
And the vapours leave my brains.

Amyntas. Body join'd to body, and heart join'd to heart,
To make sure of the cure,

Go call the man in black, to mumble o'er his

part.

Phillis. But suppose he should stay

Amyntas. At worst if he delay,

"Tis a work must be done,

We'll borrow but a day,

And the better, the sooner begun.

Cho. of both. At worst if he delay, &c.

[They run out together hand in hand.]

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES.

I.

PROLOGUE TO THE RIVAL LADIES.

'Tis much desired, you judges of the town
Would pass a vote to put all prologues down :
For who can show me, since they first were writ,
They e'er converted one hard-hearted wit?
Yet the world's mended well; in former days
Good prologues were as scarce as now good plays.
For the reforming poets of our age,

In this first charge, spend their poetic rage :
Expect no more when once the prologue's done :
The wit is ended ere the play's begun.
You now have habits, dances, scenes, and rhymes;
High language often; ay, and sense, sometimes.
As for a clear contrivance, doubt it now;
They blow out candles to give light to the plot.
And for surprise, two bloody-minded men
Fight till they die, then rise and dance again.
Such deep intrigues you're welcome to this day:
But blame yourselves, not him who writ the play;

10

Though his plot's dull, as can be well desired,

Wit stiff as any you have e'er admired :

He's bound to please, not to write well; and knows There is a mode in plays as well as clothes; Therefore, kind judges

A SECOND PROLOGUE ENTERS.

2. Hold; would you admit

For judges all you see within the pit?

1. Whom would he then except, or on what score? 2. All who (like him) have writ ill plays before; For they, like thieves condemn'd, are hangmen made, To execute the members of their trade.

All that are writing now he would disown,
But then he must except-even all the town;
All choleric, losing gamesters, who, in spite,
Will damn to-day, because they lost last night;
All servants, whom their mistress' scorn upbraids;
All maudlin lovers, and all slighted maids;
All who are out of humour, all severe;
All that want wit, or hope to find it here.

19

II.

PROLOGUE TO THE INDIAN QUEEN.

As the music plays a soft air, the curtain rises slowly and discovers an Indian boy and girl sleeping under two plantain-trees; and, when the curtain is almost up, the music turns into a tune expressing an alarm, at which the boy awakes, and speaks:

BOY.

WAKE, wake, Quevira! our soft rest must cease, And fly together with our country's peace!