Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A PROLOGUE TO 'THE SCHOLARS', A COMEDY PRESENTED AT THE WHITEFRIARS, by RICHARD LOVELACE



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A PROLOGUE TO 'THE SCHOLARS', A COMEDY PRESENTED AT THE WHITEFRIARS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: A gentleman, to give us somewhat new
Last Line: They reach him that themselves must envy at.


A GENTLEMAN, to give us somewhat new,
Hath brought up Oxford with him to show you---
Pray, be not frighted, though the scene and gown's
The University's, the wit's the Town's;
The lines each honest Englishman may speak,
Yet not mistake his mother-tongue for Greek,
For still 'twas part of his vow'd liturgy:
From learned comedies deliver me!
Wishing all those that lov'd 'em here asleep,
Promising Scholars, but no scholarship.

You'd smile to see how he does vex and shake,
Speaks naught; but if the Prologue does but take,
Or the first act were past the pikes once, then---
Then hopes and joys, then frowns and fears agen,
Then blushes like a virgin now to be
Robb'd of his comical virginity
In presence of you all---in short, you'd say
More hopes of mirth are in his looks than play.

These fears are for the noble and the wise;
But if 'mongst you there are such foul dead eyes
As can damn unarraign'd, call law their pow'rs,
Judging it sin enough that it is ours,
And with the house shift their decreed desires,
Fair still to th' black, Black-still to the White-friars,
He does protest he will sit down and weep
Castles and pyramids---
---No, he will on,
Proud to be rais'd by such destruction
So far from quarr'lling with himself and wit,
That he will thank them for the benefit,
Since, finding nothing worthy of their hate,
They reach him that themselves must envy at.





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