Epilogue To A Benefit Play, Given In Behalf Of The Distressed Weavers Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDCCEECFGGHHIIJJ KKLLBBJJMMNNEEOOPPQQ BBCFJP| BY THE DEAN SPOKEN BY MR GRIFFITH | A |
| - | |
| Who dares affirm this is no pious age | B |
| When charity begins to tread the stage | B |
| When actors who at best are hardly savers | C |
| Will give a night of benefit to weavers | C |
| Stay let me see how finely will it sound | D |
| Imprimis From his grace a hundred pound | D |
| Peers clergy gentry all are benefactors | C |
| And then comes in the item of the actors | C |
| Item The actors freely give a day | E |
| The poet had no more who made the play | E |
| But whence this wondrous charity in players | C |
| They learn it not at sermons or at prayers | F |
| Under the rose since here are none but friends | G |
| To own the truth we have some private ends | G |
| Since waiting women like exacting jades | H |
| Hold up the prices of their old brocades | H |
| We'll dress in manufactures made at home | I |
| Equip our kings and generals at the Comb | I |
| We'll rig from Meath Street Egypt's haughty queen | J |
| And Antony shall court her in ratteen | J |
| In blue shalloon shall Hannibal be clad | K |
| And Scipio trail an Irish purple plaid | K |
| In drugget drest of thirteen pence a yard | L |
| See Philip's son amidst his Persian guard | L |
| And proud Roxana fired with jealous rage | B |
| With fifty yards of crape shall sweep the stage | B |
| In short our kings and princesses within | J |
| Are all resolved this project to begin | J |
| And you our subjects when you here resort | M |
| Must imitate the fashion of the court | M |
| O could I see this audience clad in stuff | N |
| Though money's scarce we should have trade enough | N |
| But chintz brocades and lace take all away | E |
| And scarce a crown is left to see the play | E |
| Perhaps you wonder whence this friendship springs | O |
| Between the weavers and us playhouse kings | O |
| But wit and weaving had the same beginning | P |
| Pallas first taught us poetry and spinning | P |
| And next observe how this alliance fits | Q |
| For weavers now are just as poor as wits | Q |
| Their brother quillmen workers for the stage | B |
| For sorry stuff can get a crown a page | B |
| But weavers will be kinder to the players | C |
| And sell for twenty pence a yard of theirs | F |
| And to your knowledge there is often less in | J |
| The poet's wit than in the player's dressing | P |
Jonathan Swift
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Epilogue To A Benefit Play, Given In Behalf Of The Distressed Weavers is a poem by Jonathan Swift. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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