ALMIGHTY critiques! whom our @3Indians@1 here Worship, just as they do the Devil -- for fear; In Rev'rence to your Power, I come this day, To give you timely warning of our Play. The Scenes are old, the Habits are the same We wore last Year, before the @3Spaniards@1 came. Our Prologue, th' old-cast too For to observe the new it should at least Be spoke by some ingenious Bird or Beast. 9 Now, if you stay, the Blood that shall be shed From this poor Play be all upon your Head. We neither promise you one Dance or Show; Then Plot and Language, they are wanting too. But you, kind Wits, will those light Faults excuse, Those are the common Frailties of the @3Muse@1; Which who observes, he buys his Place too dear; For 'tis your Business to be cozen'd here. These wretched Spies of Wit must then confess, They take more Pains to please themselves the less. Grant us such Judges, @3Phoebus,@1 we request, As still mistake themselves into a Jest; Such easy Judges that our Poet may Himself admire the Fortune of his Play; And arrogantly, as his Fellows do, Think he writes well, because he pleases you. This he conceives not hard to bring about, If all of you would join to help him out: Would each Man take but what he understands, And leave the rest upon the Poet's Hands. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BOATMAN OF KINSALE by THOMAS OSBORNE DAVIS SIR LANCELOT AND QUEEN GUINEVERE by ALFRED TENNYSON THE KNIGHTS: THE POET AND HIS RIVALS by ARISTOPHANES A TOMB BY THE SEA by AULUS LICINIUS ARCHIAS TWELVE SONNETS: 5. GLAD SEASONS by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) DOOMSDAY by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES APPLE SAUCE! by EDITH GRACE BERKNESS |