Epilogue. Spoken, at the opening of the new house, by Mrs Bracegirdle.

Love for Love

by William Congreve

Sure Providence at first designed this place
To be the
player's refuge in distress;
For still in every storm they all
run hither,
As to a shed that shields 'em from the weather.

But thinking of this change which last befel us,
It's like what I
have heard our poets tell us:
For when behind our scenes their
suits are pleading,
To help their love, sometimes they show their
reading;
And, wanting ready cash to pay for hearts,
They top
their learning on us, and their parts.
Once of philosophers they
told us stories,
Whom, as I think, they
called--Py--Pythagories,
I'm sure 'tis some such Latin name they
give 'em,
And we, who know no better, must believe 'em.
Now
to these men, say they, such souls were given,
That after death
ne'er went to hell nor heaven,
But lived, I know not how, in
beasts; and then
When many years were past, in men again.

Methinks, we players resemble such a soul,
That does from bodies,
we from houses stroll.
Thus Aristotle's soul, of old that
was,
May now be damned to animate an ass,
Or in this very
house, for ought we know,
Is doing painful penance in some
beau;
And thus our audience, which did once resort
To shining
theatres to see our sport,
Now find us tossed into a
tennis-court.
These walls but t'other day were filled with
noise
Of roaring gamesters and your dam'me boys;
Then
bounding balls and rackets they encompast,
And now they're filled
with jests, and flights, and bombast!
I vow, I don't much like
this transmigration,
Strolling from place to place by
circulation;
Grant heaven, we don't return to our first
station!
I know not what these think, but for my part
I can't
reflect without an aching heart,
How we should end in our
original, a cart.
But we can't fear, since you're so good to save
us,
That you have only set us up, to leave us.
Thus from the
past we hope for future grace,
I beg it -
And some here know
I have a begging face.
Then pray continue this your kind
behaviour,
For a clear stage won't do, without your favour.