AGLAURA.

PRESENTED

AT THE COURT,

BY

HIS MAJESTY'S SERVANTS.

་

PROLOGUE.

FORE love, a mighty sessions! and I fear,
Though kind last 'sizes, 'twill be now severe;
For it is thought, and by judicious men,
Aglaura 'scap'd only by dying then :

But 'twould be vain for me now to endear,
Or speak unto my lords, the judges here;
They hold their places by condemning still,
And cannot show at once mercy and skill;
For wit's so cruel unto wit, that they

Are thought to want, that find not want i' th' play.
But, Ladies, you, who never lik'd a plot,

But where the servant had his mistress got,

And whom to see a lover die it grieves,
Although 'tis in worse language that he lives,
Will like't we're confident, since here will be,
That your sex ever lik'd — variety.

PROLOGUE TO THE COURT.

'Tis strange, perchance you'll think, that she that died.

At Christmas, should at Easter be a bride :

But 'tis a privilege the poets have,

To take the long-since dead out of the grave;

Nor is this all, old heroes asleep

'Twixt marble coverlids, and six feet deep

In earth, they boldly wake, and make them do
All they did living here- sometimes more too;
They give fresh life, reverse and alter fate,
And, yet more bold, Almighty-like create,
And out of nothing, only to defy

Reason, and reason's friend, philosophy.

Fame, honour, valour, all that's great, or good,

Or is at least 'mongst us so understood,

They give; heav'n's theirs; no handsome woman dies, But, if they please, is straight some star i' th' skiesBut oh

How those poor men of metre do

Flatter themselves with that, that is not true;
And 'cause they can trim up a little prose,
And spoil it handsomely, vainly suppose
They're omnipotent, can do all those things
That can be done only by gods and kings!
Of this wild guilt he fain would be thought free,
That writ this play; and therefore, Sir, by me
He humbly begs, you would be pleas'd to know
Aglaura's but repriev'd this night, and though
She now appears upon a poet's call,

She's not to live, unless you say she shall.

AGLAURA.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Enter ZIRIFF, PASITHAS, and Guard; he places them, and exit. A state set out. Enter ZIRIFF, IOLAS, ARIASPES.

Iolas. A glorious night!

Ari. Pray heav'n it prove so.

Are we not there yet?

Zir. "Tis about this hollow.

[They enter the cave.

Ari. How now what region are we got into?

Th' inheritance of night?

Have we not mistaken a turning, Ziriff,

And stepp'd into the confines of some melancholy

Devil's territory?

Iolas. Sure 'tis a part of the first chaos,

That would not suffer any change.

Zir. No matter, sir; 'tis as proper for our purpose,

As the lobby for the waiting-woman's.

Stay you here, I'll move a little backward,

And so we shall be sure to put him past

Retreat; you know the word, if 't be the prince.

[ZIRIFF goes to the door.

Enter the King.

Here, sir, follow me, all's quiet yet.

King. Is he not come then?

Zir. No.