EPILOGUE TO LUCIUS. Matthew Prior Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
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. T075639 Prior, Matthew, 1664-1721. Poems on Several Occasions [English poems only]. London Printed for JACOB TONSON at Shakespear's-Head over against Katharine-Street in the Strand, and JOHN BARBER upon Lambeth-Hill. MDCCXVIII. 1718 pp. 276-277. [42],506,[6]p.: ill.; 2°.

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EPILOGUE TO LUCIUS . Spoken by Mrs. Horton . The Female Author who recites to Day , Trusts to her Sex the Merit of her Play . Like Father Bayes securely She sits down : Pitt , Box and Gallery , Gad ! All's our Own . In antient Greece , She says , when Sappho writ , By their Applause the Critics show'd their Wit . They tun'd their Voices to her Lyric String ; Tho' they cou'd All do something more , than Sing . But one Exception to this Fact we find ; That Booby Phaon only was unkind , An ill-bred Boat-man , rough as Waves and Wind . From Sappho down thro' all succeeding Ages , And now on French , or on Italian Stages , Rough Satyrs , sly Remarks , ill-natur'd Speeches , Are always aim'd at Poets , that wear Breeches . Arm'd with Longinus , or with Rapin , No Man Drew a sharp Pen upon a Naked Woman . The blust'ring Bully in our neighb'ring Streets , Scorns to attack the Female that He meets : Fearless the Petticoat contemns his Frowns : The Hoop secures , whatever it surrounds . The many-color'd Gentry there above , By turns are rul'd by Tumult , and by Love : And while their Sweet-hearts their Attention fix , Suspend the Din of their damn'd clatt'ring Sticks . Now Sirs — To You our Author makes Her soft Request , Who speak the kindest , and who write the best . Your Sympathetic Hearts She hopes to move , From tender Friendship , and endearing Love . If Petrarch's Muse did Laura's Wit rehearse , And Cowley flatter'd dear Orinda's Verse ; She hopes from You — Pox take her Hopes and Fears ; I plead her Sexe's Claim : what matters Hers ? By Our full Pow'r of Beauty We think fit , To damn this Salique Law impos'd on Wit : We'll try the Empire You so long have boasted ; And if We are not Prais'd , We'll not be Toasted . Approve what One of us presents to Night ; Or ev'ry Mortal Woman here shall write : Rural , Pathetic , Narrative , Sublime , We'll write to You , and make You write in Rhime : Female Remarks shall take up all Your Time . Your Time , poor Souls ! we'll take your very Money ; Female Third Days shall come so thick upon Ye . As long as We have Eyes , or Hands , or Breath , We'll Look , or Write , or Talk You All to Death . Unless Ye yield for Better and for Worse : Then the She-Pegasus shall gain the Course ; And the Grey Mare will prove the better Horse .