A gentleman, to give us somewhat new, <br />Hath brought up OXFORD with him to show you; <br />Pray be not frighted--Tho the scaene and gown's <br />The Universities, the wit's the town's; <br />The lines each honest Englishman may speake: <br />Yet not mistake his mother-tongue for Greeke, <br />For stil 'twas part of his vow'd liturgie:-- <br />From learned comedies deliver me! <br />Wishing all those that lov'd 'em here asleepe, <br />Promising SCHOLARS, but no SCHOLARSHIP. <br /> <br /> You'd smile to see, how he do's vex and shake, <br />Speakes naught; but, if the PROLOGUE do's but take, <br />Or the first act were past the pikes once, then-- <br />Then hopes and joys, then frowns and fears agen, <br />Then blushes like a virgin, now to be <br />Rob'd of his comicall virginity <br />In presence of you all. In short, you'd say <br />More hopes of mirth are in his looks then play. <br /> <br /> These feares are for the noble and the wise; <br />But if 'mongst you there are such fowle dead eyes, <br />As can damne unaraign'd, cal law their pow'rs, <br />Judging it sin enough that it is ours, <br />And with the house shift their decreed desires, <br />FAIRE still to th' BLACKE, BLACKE still to the WHITE-FRYERS; <br />He do's protest he wil sit down and weep <br />Castles and pyramids . . . <br />. . . . . . No, he wil on, <br />Proud to be rais'd by such destruction, <br />So far from quarr'lling with himselfe and wit, <br />That he wil thank them for the benefit, <br />Since finding nothing worthy of their hate, <br />They reach him that themselves must envy at:<br /><br />Richard Lovelace<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-prologue-to-the-scholars-a-comaedy-presented-a-2/
