EPILOGUE.

BY MR. DUKE, OF CAMBRIDGE*.

It is not long, since in the noisy pit
Tumultuous faction sat the judge of wit;

There knaves applauded what their blockheads writ.
At a whig-brother's play, the bawling crowd
Burst out in shouts, as zealous, and as loud,
As when some member's stout election-beer
Gains the mad voice of a whole drunken shire.
And yet ev'n then, our poet's truth was tried,
Tho' 'twas a dev'lish pull to stem the tide:
And tho' he ne'er did line of treason write,
Nor made one rocket on queen Bess's night,
Such was his fortune, or so good his cause,
Ev'n then he fail'd not wholly of applause.
He that could then escape, now bolder grows:
Since the whig-tide runs out, the loyal flows.
All you
who lately here presum❜d to bawl,
Take warning from your brethren at Guildhall;
The spirit of rebellion there is quell'd,
And here your poet's acts are all repeal'd:
Impartial justice has resum'd again

Her awful seat, nor bears the sword in vain.
The stage shall lash the follies of the times,
And the law's vengeance overtake the crimes.
The perjur'd wretch shall no protection gain
From his dishonour'd robe and golden chain;
But stand expos'd to all th' insulting town,
While rotten eggs bedaub the scarlet gown.
Pack hence betimes, you that were never sparing
To save the land, and damn yourselves, by swearing.
Shou'd the wise city now, to ease your fears,

Erect an office to insure your ears,

• This epilogue does not appear among the poems of Duke. †The ceremony of pope-burning took place on the anniversary of queen Elizabeth's coronation.

These passages relate to the triumph obtained by the courtparty in the city about this time, and the punishment of sheriff

Thither such num'rous shoals of witnesses,
And juries, conscious of their guilt, wou'd press,
That to the chamber hence might more be gain'd
Than ever Mother Creswell from it drain'd;
And perjury to th' orphans' bank restore
Whatever whoredom robb'd it of before*.

Pilkington, and sir Patience Ward, the late mayor: the former of whom, for some severe remarks upon the duke of York, was cast in damages to the amount of 100,000! and the latter, having appeared as evidence for the sheriff, was indicted for perjury, and stood in the pillory.

* Lord Shaftesbury, when a member of the cabal, was generally reputed the contriver of the project of closing the exchequer. Allusion is again made here to his gallantries. Mrs. Creswell, the same person mentioned in the prologue to "Venice Preserved,” was a noted procuress, supposed to be patronized by the noble lord.

THE POET'S COMPLAINT

OF

HIS MUSE:

OR,

A SATIRE AGAINST LIBELS.

Si quid habent veri vatum præsagia, vivam.

OVID. MET. LIB. 15.

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