Prologue to the King and Queen at the opening of their theatre. Spoken by Mr. Batterton ; written by Mr. Dryden. Dryden, John, 1631-1700. 1683 Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). B02789 Wing D2339A ESTC R175989 53981507 ocm 53981507 180206 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. B02789) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 180206) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2820:12) Prologue to the King and Queen at the opening of their theatre. Spoken by Mr. Batterton ; written by Mr. Dryden. Dryden, John, 1631-1700. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1683] In verse. Caption title. Imprint suggested by Wing. Printed in two columns. Includes "Epilogue." Imperfect: creased, stained with slight loss of text. Reproduction of the original in the National Library of Scotland. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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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 English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. 2008-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-08 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-09 Megan Marion Sampled and proofread 2008-09 Megan Marion Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion PROLOGUE TO THE KING AND QUEEN , At the Opening of their THEATRE . Spoken by Mr. Batterton : Written by Mr. Dryden . Since Faction ebbs , and Rogues grow out of Fashion , Their penny-Scribes take care t' inform the Nation , How well men thrive in this or that Plantation . How Pensilvania's Air agrees with Quakers , And Carolina's with Associators : Both e'en too good for Madmen and for Traitors . Truth is , our Land with Saints is so run o'er , And every Age produces such a store , That now there 's need of two New-Englands more . What 's this , you 'll say , to Us and our Vocation ? Onely thus much , that we have left our Station , And made this Theatre our new Plantation . The Factious Natives never could agree ; But aiming , as they call'd it , to be Free , Those Play-house Whiggs ●et up for Property . Some say they no Obedience paid of late ; But wou'd new Fears and Jealousies create ; Till topsi-turvy they had turn'd the State. Plain Sense , without the Tallent of Foretelling , Might guess 't wou'd end in down-right knocks and quelling : For seldome comes there better of Rebelling . When Men will , needlesly , their Freedom barter For Lawless Pow'r , sometimes they catch a Tartar : ( There 's a damn'd word that rhimes to this call'd Charter . ) But , since the Victory with Us remains , You shall be call'd to Twelve in all our Gains : ( If you 'll not think us sawcy for our pains . ) Old Men shall have good old Plays to delight 'em : And you fair Ladies and Gallants that slight 'em , We 'll treat with good new Plays ; if our new Wits can writ'em . We 'll take no blundring Verse , no fustian Tumour , No dribling Love , from this or that Presumer : No dull fat Fool shamm'd on the Stage for humour . For , faith , some of 'em such vile stuff have made , As none but Fools or Fairies ever Play'd ; But 't was , as Shopmen say , to force a Trade . We 've giv'n you Tragedies , all Sense defying : And singing men , in wofull Metre dying ; This 't is when heavy Lubbers will be flying . All these disasters we well hope to weather ; We bring you none of our old Lumber hether : Whigg Poets and Whigg Sheriffs may hang together . EPILOGUE . NEW Ministers , when first they get in ●●●ce , Must have a care to Please ; and that 's our Case : Some Laws for publick Welfare we ●esign , If You , the Power supreme will please to joyn : There are a sort of Pratlers in the Pit , Who either have , or who pretend to Wit : These noisie Sirs so loud their parts rehearse , That oft the Play is silenc'd by the Farce : Let such be dumb , this Penal●●● to shun , Each to be thought my Lady 〈…〉 est Son. But stay , methinks some Viz 〈…〉 Masque I see , Cast out her Lure from the mi 〈…〉 llery : About her all the flutt'ring Sparks ●●e rang'd ; The Noise continues though the Scene is chang'd : Now growling , sputtring , wauling , such a clutter , Fine Love no doubt , but e'er two days are o'er ye , The Surgeon will be told a wofull story . Let Vizard Masque her naked Face expose , On pain of being thought to want a Nose : Then for your Laqueys , and your Train beside , ( By what e'er Name or Title dignify'd ) They roar so loud , you 'd think behind the Stairs Tom Dove , and all the Brotherhood of Bears : They 're grown a Nuisance , beyond all Disasters , We 've none so great but their unpaying Masters . We beg you , Sirs , to beg your Men , that they Wou'd please to give you leave to hear the Play. Next , in the Play-house spare your precious Lives ; Think , like good Christians , on your Bearns and Wives : Think on your Souls ; but by your lugging forth , It seems you know how little they are Worth : If none of these will move the Warlike Mind , Think on the helpless Whoore you leave behind ! We beg you last , our Scene-room to forbear , And leave our Goods and Chattels to our Care : Alas , our Women are but washy Toys , And wholly taken up in Stage employs : Poor willing Tits they are : but yet I doubt This double Duty soon will wear 'em out . Then you are watcht besides , with jealous care ; What if my Lady's Page should find you there ? My Lady knows t' a tittle what there 's in ye ; No passing your guilt Shilling for a Guiney . Thus , Gentlemen , we have summ'd up in short , Our Grievances , from Country , Town and Court ; Which humbly we submit to your good pleasure ; But first vote Money , then Redress at leasure . FINIS .