EPILOGUE
TO
THE
SAME
PLAY
.
SPOKEN
BY
CONSTANCE
.
BY
THE
SAME
.
SPITE
of
court
tricks
,
of
sorrow
,
madness
,
pain
,
I've
brush'd
thro'
all
,
and
am
myself
again
.
—
O
Ladies
!
what
cannot
our
sex
perform
?
—
A
bustling
woman
lives
thro'
every
storm
.
Have
I
not
dash'd
my
character
with
spirit
?
To
bully
two
such
Kings
was
no
small
merit
.
Around
the
world
to
find
the
wretch
I'd
search
,
Who
dares
to
leave
a
woman
in
the
lurch
.
—
My
son
the
dupe
of
regal
baseness
made
,
Myself
amus'd
by
hopes
,
cajol'd
,
betray'd
,
My
jointure
lost
,
a
widow
,
and
not
young
,
I
had
no
weapon
left
me
but
my
tongue
—
Should
any
Fair
be
here
whose
nerves
are
weak
,
Who
when
man
blusters
,
is
afraid
to
speak
,
Whose
gentle
bosom
no
resentment
fires
,
But
with
her
eau
de
luce
in
hand
,
expires
,
She'll
think
,
no
doubt
,
my
voice
too
loudly
thunders
;
Trust
me
,
this
female
instrument
does
wonders
.
Those
,
who
turn
o'er
the
page
of
ancient
story
,
Must
own
the
tongue
was
ever
Woman's
glory
.
—
Who
has
not
heard
of
fam'd
XANTIPPE's
lute
?
That
play'd
her
philosophic
husband
mute
:
Or
her
,
whose
artful
notes
so
well
could
slander
Her
rival
,
and
subdue
great
ALEXANDER
?
—
What
gifts
of
speech
had
EGYPT's
QUEEN
to
boast
,
Who
talk'd
till
ANTONY
the
world
well
lost
!
Think
of
the
Maid
of
ORLEANS
,
JOAN
of
ARC
,
There
was
an
enterprizing
,
female
spark
!
Whole
armies
she
harangued
,
whole
hosts
withstood
;
Her
tongue
was
surely
more
than
flesh
and
blood
!
Tho'
last
,
not
least
shall
BESS
of
ENGLAND
stand
,
Who
box'd
her
courtiers
with
her
own
fair
hand
,
To
female
rules
profess'd
a
brave
dislike
,
Her
majesty
could
swear
as
well
as
strike
.
Ladies
!
might
I
advise
,
let's
urge
our
power
,
Dethrone
usurping
man
,
and
take
him
lower
;
He'd
only
have
us
learn
the
gentle
arts
Of
studying
graces
,
and
subduing
hearts
:
These
are
but
schemes
to
trifle
Life
away
,
Our
nobler
aim
is
—
UNIVERSAL
SWAY
.