PROLOGUETOSHERIDANKNOWLES'COMEDY,"THEWIFE"

prologuetosheridanknowles'comedy,"thewife"

(1833)

untowardfatenolucklesswightinvades

moresorelythanthemanwhodrivestwotrades;

likeesop'sbat,betweentwonaturesplaced,

scowl'datbymice,amongthebirdsdisgraced.

ourauthorthus,oftwo-foldfameexactor,

isdoublyscouted,—bothasbard,andactor!

wantinginhasteaprologue,heapplied

tothreepoeticfriends;wasthricedenied.

eachglaredonhimwithsuperciliousglance,

asonapoorrelationmetbychance;

andonewasheard,withmorerepulsiveair,

tomutter"vagabond,""rogue,""strollingplayer!"

apoetonce,hefound—andlook'daghast—

byturningactor,hehadlosthiscaste.

theversepatch'dupatlength—withlikeillfortune

hisfriendsbehindthesceneshedidimportune

tospeakhislines.hefoundthemallfightshy,

noddingtheirheadsincoolcivility.

"thereserviceinthedramawasenough,

thepoetmightrecitethepoet'sstuff!"

therogues—theylikehimhugely—butitstung'em,

somehow—tothinkabardhadgotamong'em.

theirmindmadeup—noearthlypleadingshookit,

inpurecompassion'tilliundertookit.

disown'dbypoets,andbyactorstoo,

dearpatronsofbotharts,heturnstoyou!

ifinyourheartssometenderfeelingsdwell

fromsweetvirginia,orheroictell:

ifinthesceneswhichfollowyoucantrace

whatoncehaspleasedyou—anunbiddengrace—

atouchofnature'swork—anawkwardstart

orebullitionofanirishheart—

cry,clap,commendit!ifyoulikethemnot,

yourformerfavourscannotbeforgot.

condemnthem—damnthem—hissthem,ifyouwill—

theirauthorisyourgratefulservantstill!