PROLOGUE
This
Prologue
and
Epilogue
were
spoken
by
two
young
Gentlemen
who
performed
some
scenes
from
Shakespeare
,
Moliere
,
Zenobia
,
and
the
Mayor
of
Garratt
,
before
the
earl
of
Chesterfield
,
their
particular
friend
and
patron
,
and
a
private
party
of
other
noble
and
illustrious
friends
.
.
BY
A.
MURPHY
,
ESQ
.
AS
a
young
bird
,
as
yet
unus'd
to
fly
On
wings
expanded
thro'
the
liquid
sky
,
With
doubt
and
fear
his
first
excursions
tries
,
And
shivers
every
feather
with
surprise
;
So
various
flutterings
in
our
bosoms
play
,
Eager
yet
anxious
for
our
first
essay
.
New
to
the
world
,
its
vanity
and
care
,
And
all
the
ills
to
which
the
flesh
is
heir
;
Two
mischiefs
,
we
are
told
,
ordain'd
by
Fate
,
Twin
at
our
birth
,
and
all
our
footsteps
wait
;
Some
by
fierce
Passion
headlong
down
are
thrown
,
And
Ridicule
marks
others
for
her
own
.
To
steer
thro'
both
by
some
unerring
rule
,
This
day
we
study
in
the
Muse's
school
.
To
shun
the
first
,
we
look
in
Shakespeare's
page
,
And
THERE
observe
how
the
fell
Passions
rage
;
THERE
mark
the
bounds
of
good
and
ill
defin'd
,
And
Wisdom's
jesses
once
thrown
off
the
mind
,
How
every
virtue
is
let
down
the
wind
.
Should
we
avoid
on
this
dread
rock
to
split
,
Then
—
free
from
folly
,
the
true
point
to
hit
,
Moliere
instructs
us
with
his
comic
wit
.
He
of
right
manners
doth
the
rule
dispense
,
The
law-giver
of
decency
and
sense
!
This
is
our
plan
,
our
growing
minds
to
rear
;
Your
kind
applause
will
bid
us
persevere
.