PROLOGUE

         To a NEW PLAY, Call'd,

     The Diſappointment :

                        OR,

    The Mother in fashion.

      Spoken by Mr. BETTERTON.

HOW comes it, Gentlemen, that now aday's.
When all of you ſo ſhrewdly judge of Plays,
Our Poos tax you ſtill with want of Sence ?
All Prologues' treat you at your own Expence.
Sharp Citizens a wiſer way can go;
They make you Fools, but never call you ſo.
They, in good Manners, feldom make a Slip,
But, Treat a Common Whore with Ladyſhip:
But here each fawcy Wit at Random writes,
And uſes Ladies as he uſe's Knights.
Our Author, Young, and Grateful in his Nature,
Vows, that from him no Nymph deſerves a Satyr.
Nor will he ever Draw-----I mean his Rhime,
Againſt the ſweet Partaker of his Crime.
Nor is he yet ſo bold an Undertaker
To call MEN Fools, 'tis Railing at their MAKER.
Beſides, he fears to ſplit upon that Shelf;
He's young enough to be a FOPP himſelf.
And, if his Praiſe can bring you all A-bed,
He ſwears ſuch hopeful Youth no Nation ever pared.

Your Nurſes, we preſume, in ſuch a Cafe,
Your Father choſe, becauſe he lik'd the Face;
And, often, they ſupply'd your Mothers place.
The Dry Nurſe was your Mothers ancient Maid,
Who knew ſome former Slip ſhe ne're betray'd.
Betwixt 'em both, for Milk and Sugar Candy,
Your lucking Bottles were well ſtor'd with Brandy.
Your Father to initiate your Diſcourſe
Meant to have taught you firſt to Swear and Curſe;
But was prevented by each careful Nurſe.
For, leaving Dad and Mam, as Names too common,
They taught you certain parts of Man and Woman..
I pate your Schools, for there when firſt you came,
You wou'd be ſure to learn the Latin name.
In Colledges you ſcorn'd their Art of thinking,
But learn'd all Moods and Figures of good Drinking :
Thence, come to Town you practiſe Play, to know
The Vertues of the High Dice, and the Low.
Each think himſelf SHARPER moſt profound:
He cheats by Pence; is cheated by the Pound :
With theſe Perfections, and what elſe he Gleans,
The SPARK ſets up for Love behind our Scenes;
Hot in purſuit of Princeſſes and Queens.
There, if they know their Man, with cunning Carriage,
Twenty to one but it concludes in Marriage.
He hires ſome Homely Room, Love's fruits to gather,
And, Garret-high, Rebels againſt his Father.
But he once dead———
Brings her in Triumph, with her Portion down,
A Twillety Dreſſing Box, and Half a Crown.
Some Marry firſt, and then they fall to Scowring,
Which is, Refining Marriage into Whoring.
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