THE
                 PROLOGUE
                        TO
Mr. LACY'S New play, Sir HERCULES
BUFFOON or the Poetical Eſquire.

      Written by THO. DURFEY, Gent.

           Spoken by Mr. HAYNES.

YE Scribling Fops, (cry mercy if I wrong ye)
But without doubt, there be muſt ſome among ye
Know, that fam'd Lacy, Ornament o'th' Stage,
That Standard of true Comedy in our Age ;
Wrote this new Play,
And if it takes not, all that we can ſay on't,
Is we have his Fiddle, not his Hands to play on'c :
Againſt our Intereſt, he to do you right,
Your Foes, the Poets, has abus'd to night ;
And made us like rude Birds our Neſt Beſh—te.}
We know,
If you would Write us Plays, they'd loſe their ends,
Kind Parties ſtill would make your pains amends ;
For there's no Fop but has a world of friends :}
Who will like City-Whiggs help one another,
And every noiſie Fool cry up his Brother :
No more then rack for Prologue or for Song,
Such Trifles, to dull Quality belong ;
Nor Lampoon Ladies, that your Virtues truſt,
That Bask in the hot Malls Pulvillio duſt ;
Whoſe low hung Fringes, with Attractive Arts,
Sweep heaps of ſtraws, 'mongſt Crowds of Lovers Hearts ;
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