Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DECEIVER DECIVED: PROLOGUE, by MARY PIX


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DECEIVER DECIVED: PROLOGUE, by                    
First Line: Deceiv'd deceiver, and imposter cheated!
Last Line: There's no appeal to any court but you.
Subject(s): Devil; Duplicity; Plays & Playwrights; Satan; Mephistopheles; Lucifer; Beelzebub; Deceit


Deceiv'd Deceiver, and Imposter cheated!
An Audience and the Devil too defeated!
All trick and cheat! Pshaw, 'tis the Devil and all,
I'll warr'nt ye we shall now have Cups and Ball;
No, Gallants, we those tricks don't understand;
'Tis t'other House best shows the slight of hand:
Hey Jingo, Sirs, what's this! their Comedy?
Presto be gone, 'tis now our Farce you see.
By neat conveyance you have seen and know it
They can transform an Actor to a Poet.
With empty Dishes they'll set out a Treat,
Whole Seas of Broth, but a small Isle of Meat:
With Powderle-Pimp of Dance, Machine and Song,
They'll spin ye out short Nonsense four hours long:
With Fountains, Groves, Bombast and airy Fancies
Larded with Cynthias, little Loves and Dances:
Which put together, makes it hard to say,
If Poet, Painter, or Fidler made the Play.
But hold, my business lies another way.
Not to bespeak your praise by kind perswasions,
But to desire the favour of your patience.
Our case is thus:
Our Authoress, like true Women, shew'd her Play
To some, who, like true Wits, stole't half away.
We've Fee'd no Councel yet, tho some advise us
T'indite the Plagiaries at Apollo's Sizes?
But ah, how they'd out face a Damsel civil:
Who've impudence enough to out face the Devil:
Besides, shoud they be cast by prosecution,
'Tis now too late to think of restitution;
And faith, I hear, that some do shrewdly opine
They Trade with other Muses than the nine.
I name no names, but you may easily guess,
They that can cheat the Devil can cheat the Flesh.
Therefore to you kind Sirs, as to the Laws
Of Justice she submits her self and Cause,
For to whom else shou'd a wrong'd Poet sue,
There's no appeal to any Court but you.





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