Dialogues of the Dead Author:Matthew Prior Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: One Actor's Commendation shall do more Than Patron now, or Merit heretofore. Some Poets I confess, the Stage has fed, Who for Half Crowns are shown, for... more » two Pence read ; But these not envy thou, but imitate, Much rather starve in Shadwefs silent Fate, Then new vamp Farces, and be damn'd with Tate. For now no Sidneys will three hundred give, That needy Spenser and his Fame may live ; None of our new Nobility will send To the King's Bench, or to his Bedlam Friend. Chymists and Whores by Buckingham were fed, Those by their honest Labours gain'd their Bread; But he was never so expensive yet, To keep a Creature meerly for his Wit; And Cowley from Hall-Clifden scarce could have One grateful Stone, to shew the World his Grave. Pembroke lov'd Tragedy and did provide For Butcher's Dogs, and for the whole Bankside; The Bear was fed, but Dedicating Lee, Was thought to have a larger Paunch than he. More I could say, but care not much to meet A Crabtree Cudgel in a narrow Street. Besides, your Yawning prompts me to give o'er: Your humble Servant, Sir, not one word more. Nat Lee. FINIS. Epitaph Extempore. Heralds, and Statesmen, by your leave, Here lye the Bones of Matthew Prior ; The Son of Adam and of Eve, Can Bourbon, or Nassau, go higher? Turtle and the Sparrow. A TALE. BEHIND an unfrequented Glade, Where Eugh and Myrtle mix their Shade, A Widow Turtle pensive sat, And wept her murder'd Lover's Fate. The Sparrow chanc'd that Way to walk, (A Bird that loves to chirp and talk) Besure he did the Turtle greet, She answer'd him as she thought meet. Sparrows and Turtles by the bye, Can think as well as You or /: But how they did their Thoughts express, The Margin shows by 7", and 5. T. My Hope...« less