Prologue to Theodosius: Spoken by Athenais at the Theatre in Dublin, when Lord and Lady Carteret were in Ireland. Constantia Grierson (née Crawley) Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
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Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T42622 519 p. 45 Barber, Mary, ca. 1690-1757. Poems on Several Occasions [poems only]. London Printed for C. Rivington, at the Bible and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1734 pp. 243-245. xlviii,283,[7]p.; 8⁰.

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Prologue to Theodosius : Spoken by Athenais at the Theatre in Dublin , when Lord and Lady Carteret were in Ireland . Written by Mrs. Grierson . You look surpriz'd , in this deriding Age , To find that Love dares venture on the Stage ; Where you , of late seem nothing to approve , But what , in Men of Sense , Contempt must move ; That after all your Concerts , Farces , Shows , You must attend a dying Lover's Woes . I know you'll be amaz'd at what I mean , In all my Height of Fortune to complain : Ador'd by Monarchs , and an Emp'rot's Bride , You'll say , I need not in a Fret have dy'd . Forbear ; nor witless Jests on Love employ , Alike unknowing in its Pain and Joy : When you despise its Happiness or Woe , You but your Want of Sense , or Virtue , show : Be humane then ; be touch'd with Scenes refin'd , Which , while they raise the Passions , mend the Mind : And , by your Pity of my Woes To night , Convince the World , your Hearts are form'd aright . Or , if you scorn to hear what I advise , Let great Examples teach you to be wise . Lovers are not so out of Fashion here , That Athenais blushes to appear : As fam'd Lord and Lady Carteret . a Pair adorns this Isle and Age , As ever could each other's Heart engage ; Endow'd with ev'ry Grace of Form and Mind , To raise the Love and Wonder of Mankind : Tho' bless'd with ev'ry Gift to merit Fame , Their highest Glory is their mutual Flame : A Flame , like that my tender Bosom fir'd ; But rul'd by Reason , and by Heav'n inspir'd : Their Love like mine , but diff'rent far their Fate ; As happy they , as I unfortunate . But my Distress had never reach'd the Stage , Had Heav'n reserv'd me to the present Age : None would have dar'd my Fondness to abuse , Had I from beauteous Worsley learnt to chuse ; Nor I my Heart on rash Varanes set , Had I , like her , but known a Carteret .