The prologue and epilogue to the last new play, Constantine the Great Otway, Thomas, 1652-1685. 1683 Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A70758 Wing O557 ESTC R1636 12265183 ocm 12265183 58018 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A70758) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 58018) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 181:23 or 724:32) 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. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Constantine -- I, -- Emperor of Rome, d. 337 -- Poetry. Prologues and epilogues. Broadsides -- England -- London -- 17th century. 2007-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-04 Celeste Ng Sampled and proofread 2007-04 Celeste Ng Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion 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.