EPILOGUE, Spoken by Mr. WILSON, at the Theatre-Royal, in the Character of an EDINBURGH BUCK. YE who oft finish care in Lethe's cup, Last night, when potent draughts of mellow wine Did sober reason into wit refine;" When lusty Bacchus had contriv'd to drain And like renowned Quixotte and his squire, . Let never tallow chandler give them light, The guard, still watchful of the lieges' harm, And all the guard with seize ta rogue reply'd. As in a war, there's nothing judg'd so right As a concerted and prudential flight; So we, from guard and scandal to be freed, Left them the field, and burial of the dead. Next we approach'd the bounds of George's square, Blest place! No watch, no constable, comes there. Now had they borrow'd Argus' eyes who saw us, All was made dark and desolate as chaos: Lamps tumbl'd after lamps, and lost their lustres, Like doomsday, when the stars shall fall in clusters. Let fancy paint what dazzling glory grew From chrystal gems, when Phoebus came in view; Each shatter'd orb ten thousand fragments strews, And a new sun in ev'ry fragment shews. Hear then, my Bucks! how drunken fate decreed as For a nocturnal visit to the Meadows, And how we, val'rous champions! durst engage O deed unequall'd-both the Bridge and Cage; The rage of per'lous winters which had stood, This 'gainst the wind, and that against the flood; But what nor wind, nor flood, nor heav'n could bend e'er, We tumbl'd down, my Bucks, and made surrender. What are your far-fam'd warriors to us, 'Bout whom historians make such mighty fuss; Posterity may think it was uncommon That Troy should be pillag'd for a woman; But ours your ten years sieges will excel, And justly be esteem'd the nonpareil. Our cause is slighter than a dame's betrothing, For all these mighty feats have sprung fromnothing. WHERE winding Forth adorns the vale, Fond Strephon, once a shepherd gay, Did to the rocks his lot bewail, And thus address'd his plaintive lay: "O Julia! more than lily fair, "More blooming than the budding rose, "How can thy breast relentless bear "A heart more cold than winter's snows. II. "Yet nipping winter's keenest sway "But for a short-liv'd space prevails; "Spring-time returns and cheers each spray, "Scented with Flora's fragrant gales. "Come, Julia, come, thy love obey, "Thou mistress of angelic charms! "Come smiling like the morn in May, "And center in thy Strephon's arms. |