The innocent ASPASIA's life, or death, 0000 EPILOGUE. Defign'd upon the firft Alteration of the Play, when the king only was left alive. A SPASIA bleeding on the Stage does lye, To shew you, fill 'tis the MAID'S TRAGEDY. When love was held fo capital a crime, ADVERTISEMENT. MR. R. WALLER, in his first thoughts of altering this Play, pitched upon a defign of making EvADNE go among the Veftals. But, confidering that the perfons in this Play are fuppos'd to be heathens, who never admitted any but pure virgins among their Vestals, he chang'd his defign. Nevertheless, before he did fo, he had writ the following verfes : EVADNE. A Veftal vow'd, with pity I look down On the KING'S love, and fierce MELANTIUS' frown. But here's the facred place, where we may have, Before we die, an honorable grave. The dead, and that they live retired here, Enter Governess. [Knocks at a door. Gov. The great EVADNE vifiting our cell! Ev. 'Tis not to vifit you: but here to dwell. find room for one fo bad as I, Can you That humbly begs she may among you die? Gov. You, that fo early can correct your thoughts, May hope for pardon for your greatest faults. Happy is fhe that from the world retires, And carries with her what the world admires ! Thrice-happy fhe! whose young thoughts fix'd above, While fhe is lovely, does to heav'n make love. I need not urge your promise, e'er you find An entrance here, to leave the world behind. Ev. My guilty love devotion fhall fucceed; But, of all paffions, I ambition find A Prince's favor, to belong to Jove. They go in, and the door fhuts. Enter MELANTIUS with a Letter. Among the Veftals' fhe'll corrupt them all; THE |