An Epilogue to a Play for the Benefit of the Weavers in Ireland
Who dares affirm this is no pious age,
When Charity begins to tread the stage?
When actors who at best are hardly savers,
Will give a night of benefit to weavers?
Stay,--let me see, how finely will it sound!
Imprimis, From his Grace an hundred pound.
Peers, clergy, gentry, all are benefactors;
And then comes in the Item of the actors.
Item, the actors, freely gave a day,--
The poet had no more who made the play.
But whence this wondrous charity in players?
They learnt it not at sermons, or at prayers:
Under the rose, since here are none but friends,
(To own the truth) we have some private ends.
Since waiting women, like exacting jades,
Hold up the prices of their old brocades;
We'll dress in manufactures, made at home;
Equip our kings, and generals at the Comb.
We'll rig in Meath Street Egypt's haughty queen,
And Antony shall court her in ratteen.
In blue shalloon, shall Hannibal be clad,
And Scipio trail an Irish purple plaid.
In drugget dressed, of thirteen pence a yard,
See Philip's son amidst his Persian guard;
And proud Roxana fired with jealous rage,
With fifty yards of crape, shall sweep the stage.
In short, our kings and princesses within,
Are all resolved the project to begin;
And you, our subjects, when you here resort,
Must imitate the fashion of the court.
O! could I see this audience clad in stuff,
Though money's scarce we should have trade enough;
But chintz, brocades, and lace take all away,
And scarce a crown is left to see a play:
Perhaps you wonder whence this friendship springs,
Between the weavers and us playhouse kings:
But wit and weaving has the same beginning,
Pallas first taught us poetry and spinning;
And next observe how this alliance fits,
For weavers now are just as poor as wits:
Their brother quill-men, workers for the stage,
For sorry stuff, can get a crown a page;
But weavers will be kinder to the players,
And sell for twenty pence a yard of theirs,
And to your knowledge there is often less in
The poet's wit, than in the player's dressing.
When Charity begins to tread the stage?
When actors who at best are hardly savers,
Will give a night of benefit to weavers?
Stay,--let me see, how finely will it sound!
Imprimis, From his Grace an hundred pound.
Peers, clergy, gentry, all are benefactors;
And then comes in the Item of the actors.
Item, the actors, freely gave a day,--
The poet had no more who made the play.
But whence this wondrous charity in players?
They learnt it not at sermons, or at prayers:
Under the rose, since here are none but friends,
(To own the truth) we have some private ends.
Since waiting women, like exacting jades,
Hold up the prices of their old brocades;
We'll dress in manufactures, made at home;
Equip our kings, and generals at the Comb.
We'll rig in Meath Street Egypt's haughty queen,
And Antony shall court her in ratteen.
In blue shalloon, shall Hannibal be clad,
And Scipio trail an Irish purple plaid.
In drugget dressed, of thirteen pence a yard,
See Philip's son amidst his Persian guard;
And proud Roxana fired with jealous rage,
With fifty yards of crape, shall sweep the stage.
In short, our kings and princesses within,
Are all resolved the project to begin;
And you, our subjects, when you here resort,
Must imitate the fashion of the court.
O! could I see this audience clad in stuff,
Though money's scarce we should have trade enough;
But chintz, brocades, and lace take all away,
And scarce a crown is left to see a play:
Perhaps you wonder whence this friendship springs,
Between the weavers and us playhouse kings:
But wit and weaving has the same beginning,
Pallas first taught us poetry and spinning;
And next observe how this alliance fits,
For weavers now are just as poor as wits:
Their brother quill-men, workers for the stage,
For sorry stuff, can get a crown a page;
But weavers will be kinder to the players,
And sell for twenty pence a yard of theirs,
And to your knowledge there is often less in
The poet's wit, than in the player's dressing.
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