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Plays of Mr. William Shakespeare; The Life of Timon of Athens
Plays of Mr William Shakespeare The Life of Timon of Athens Author:William Shakespeare General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1907 Original Publisher: The Shakespeare Society of New York Subjects: Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Drama / Shakespeare Literary Criticism / Shakespeare Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos ... more »or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: Prologue TIMON. Since the bare gleanings of the ftage are grown The only portion for brisk Wits o'th' Town We mean fuch as have no crop of their own; Methinks you fhould encourage them that fow, Who are to match and gather what does grow. Thus a poor Poet mttft maintain, a Mu-fe, As you do Miftreffes for others nfe: The wittieft Play can ferve him but one day, Though for three months it finds you what to fay. Yet you your Creditors of wit will fail, And never pay, but borrow on and rail. Poor Echo's can repeat wit, though they've none, Like Bag-pipes they no found have of their own, Till fame into their emptinefs be blown. Yet To be thought Wits and Judges they're fo glad, And labour for't, as if they Were Wit-mad. Some will keep Tables for the Wits o'th'Nation, And Poets eat them into reputation. Some Scriblers will Wit their whole bus'nefs make, For labour'd dullnefs grievous pains will take; And when with many Throes they've travail'd long, They now and then bring forth a Foolifh Song. One Fop all modern Poets will condemn, And by this means a parlous Judg will feem. Wit is a common Idol, and in vain Fops try a thoufand wayes the name to gain. Pray judge the naufeous Farces of the Age, And meddle not with fence upon the Stage; To you our Poet no one line fubmits, Who fuch a Coil will keep to be thought Wits: 'Tis you who truly are fo, he would pleafe; But knows it is not to be done wi...« less