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<DATE>2008-10-02</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080852.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B04848">
<STC T="W">p3660</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99887621</BIBNO>
<VID>182409</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="prologue">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 11 -->
<HEAD>A PROLOGUE SPOKEN BY Mrs. Bracegirdle, AT THE Entertainment of <HI>LOVE for LOVE.</HI></HEAD>
<L>CU&s;tom, which every where bears mighty Sway,</L>
<L>Brings me to Act the Orator to Day:</L>
<L>But Woman, you will &s;ay, are ill at Speeches,</L>
<L>'Tis true, and therefore I appear in Breeches:</L>
<L>Not for Example to you City-Wives,</L>
<L>That by Pre&s;cription's &s;ettled for your Lives.</L>
<L>Was it for Gain the Husband fir&s;t con&s;ented?</L>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">Making Horns with her Hands over her Head.</NOTE> O yes, their Gains are mightily augmented:</L>
<LG>
<L>And yet, methinks, it mu&s;t have co&s;t &s;ome Strife:</L>
<L>A Pa&s;&s;ive Husband, and an Active Wife!</L>
<L>'Tis aukward, very aukward, by my Life.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But to my Speech. A&s;&s;emblies of all Nations</L>
<L>Still are &s;uppos'd to open with Orations:</L>
<L>Mine &s;hall begin, to &s;hew our Obligations.</L>
</LG>
<L>To you, our Benefactors, lowly Bowing,</L>
<L>Who&s;e Favours have prevented our Undoing;</L>
<L>A long <HI>Egyptian</HI> Bondage we endur'd,</L>
<L>'Till Freedom, by your Ju&s;tice, we procur'd:</L>
<LG>
<L>Our Taskma&s;ters were grown &s;uch very <HI>Jews,</HI></L>
<L>We mu&s;t at length have Play'd in Wooden Shoos,</L>
<L>Had not your Bounty taught us to refu&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<L>Freedom's of <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Growth, I think, alone;</L>
<L>What for lo&s;t <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Freedom can attone?</L>
<L>A Free-born Player loaths to be compell'd;</L>
<L>Our Rulers Tyranniz'd, and We Rebell'd.</L>
<L>Freedom! the Wi&s;e Man's Wi&s;h, the Poor Mans Wealth?</L>
<L>Which you, and I, and mo&s;t of us enjoy by Stealth;</L>
<LG>
<L>The Soul of Plea&s;ure, and the Sweet of Life,</L>
<L>The Woman's Charter, Widow, Maid or Wife,</L>
<L>This they'd have concell'd, and thence grew the Strife.</L>
</LG>
<L>But you, perhaps, wou'd have me here confe&s;s</L>
<L>How we obtain'd the Favour;&mdash;Can't you gue&s;s?</L>
<L>Why then I'll tell you, (for I hate a Lie)</L>
<L>By Brib'ry, errant Brib'ry, let me die:</L>
<LG>
<L>I was their Agent, but by <HI>Jove</HI> I &s;wear,</L>
<L>No honourable Member had a &s;hare,</L>
<L>Tho' young and able Members bid me Fair:</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I cho&s;e a wi&s;er way to make you willing,</L>
<L>Which has not co&s;t the Hou&s;e a &s;ingle Shilling;</L>
<L>Now you &s;u&s;pect at lea&s;t I went a Billing.</L>
</LG>
<L>You &s;ee I'm Young, and to that Air of Youth,</L>
<L>Some will add Beauty, and a little Truth;</L>
<L>The&s;e pow'rful Charms, improv'd by pow'rful Arts,</L>
<L>Prevail'd to captivate your op'ning Hearts.</L>
<L>Thus furni&s;h'd, I preferr'd my poor Petition,</L>
<L>And brib'd ye to commi&s;erate our Condition:</L>
<L>I laugh'd, and &s;igh'd, and &s;ung, and leer'd upon ye,</L>
<L>With rogui&s;h loving Looks, and that way won you:</L>
<L>The Young Men ki&s;s'd me, and the Old I ki&s;s'd,</L>
<L>And luringly I led them as I li&s;t.</L>
<L>The Ladies in meer Pity took our Parts,</L>
<L>Pity's the Darling Pa&s;&s;ion of their Hearts.</L>
<L>Thus Bribing, or thus Brib'd, fear no Di&s;graces;</L>
<L>For thus you may take Bribes, and keep your Places.</L>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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