EPILOGUE.

SPOKEN BY

EUPHROSYNE, WITH A WAND AND CUP.

SOME critic, or I'm much deceived, will ask,
"What means this wild, this allegoric masque?
Beyond all bounds of truth this author shoots;
Can wands or cups transform men into brutes?
'Tis idle stuff!"—And yet I'll prove it true;
Attend; for sure I mean it not of you.

The mealy fop, that tastes my cup, may try,
How quick the change from beau to butterfly;
But o'er the Insect should the Brute prevail,
He grins a monkey with a length of tail.

One stroke of this,* as sure as Cupid's arrow,
Turns the warm youth into a wanton sparrow.
Nay, the cold prude becomes a slave to love,
Feels a new warmth, and cooes a billing dove.
The sly coquet, whose artful tears beguile
Unwary hearts, weeps a false crocodile.

Dull poring pedants, shock'd at truth's keen light,
Turn moles, and plunge again in friendly night;
Misers grow vultures, of rapacious mind,
Or more than vultures, they devour their kind;

10

५०

The Wand.

Flatt'rers cameleons, creeping on the ground,
With ev'ry changing colour changing round.
The party-fool, beneath his heavy load,
Drudges a driven ass thro' dirty road.
While guzzling sots, their spouses say, are hogs;
And snarling critics, authors swear, are dogs.
But to be grave, I hope we've prov'd at least,
All vice is folly, and makes man a beast.

28

THE

MAID OF THE MILL.

A

COMIC OPERA.

BY ISAAC BICKERSTAFF.

ADAPTED FOR

THEATRICAL REPRESENTATION,

AS PERFORMED AT THE

THEATRE-ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN,

REGULATED FROM THE PROMPT BOOK,
By Permission of the Managers.

"The Lines distinguished by inverted Commas, are omitted in the Representation.

LONDON:

Printed for the Proprietors, under the Direction of JOHN BELL, British-Library, STRAND, Bookseller to His Royal Highness the PRINCE of WALE

MD CC XCI.

ΤΟ

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

WILLIAM,

DUKE OF GLOUCESTER.

May it please your Royal Highness, WHEN I presumed to solicit the honour of laying the subsequent trifle at your Royal Highness's feet, it was not without a thorough consciousness of the little value of the offering I was going to make; but I considered, mean as it was, it would serve as a testimony of my devotion; and to a Prince happy in his love of the arts, nothing could be unacceptable, which bore the remotest analogy to them.

How far the Comic Opera, under proper regulations, has a right to be acknowledged for a junior offspring of the Drama, and as such become candidate for a share of public encouragement, I shall not pretend to determine ; but if it can be rendered an agreeable amusement, the English Theatre has never scrupled to adopt what was capable of pleasing there; and though as a work of genius, it is by no means to be set in competition with good Tragedies and Comedies, may, I apprehend, be permitted as an occasional relief to them, without bringing either our taste or understanding into question.

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