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EPILOGUE] THE OLD BACHELOR 109
Enter Dancers: A Dance.
Bell. Now set we forward on a journey for life.—Come
take your fellow-travellers.—Old George, I'm sorry to see
thee still plod on alone.
Heart. With gaudy plumes and gingling bells made proud,
The youthful beast sets forth, and neighs aloud.
A morning sun his tinselled harness gilds,
And the first stage a down-hill green-sward yields.
But oh—
What rugged ways attend the noon of life!
Dur sun declines, and with what anxious strife,
What pain we tug that galling load, a wife!
All coursers the first heat with vigour run;
But 'tis with whip and spur the race is won.
[Exeunt omnes.
EPILOGUE
SPOKEN BY MRS. BARRY 13
As a rash girl, who will all hazards run,
And be enjoyed, though sure to be undone;
Soon as her curiosity is over,
Would give the world she could her toy recover;
So fares it with our poet, and I'm sent
To tell you he already does repent:
Would you were all so forward to keep Lent!
Now the deed's done, the giddy thing has leisure
To think o' th' sting that's in the tail of pleasure.
Methinks I hear him in consideration:—
"What will the world say? where's my reputation?
Now that's at stake"—No, fool, 'tis out of fashion.
If loss of that should follow want of wit,
How many undone men were in the pit!
Why. that's some comfort to an author's fears,
If he's an ass, he will be tried by's peers.
But hold—I am exceeding my commission:
13 Elizabeth Barry, a favourite actress of the day (born 1658, died 1713). It !•
snid that when Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Braccgirdle, Mrs. Moumford, and MM. Bowman
appeared together on the stage in the last act of The Old Bachelor, the audience
were so struck with a group so beautiful, that they broke out into a fervour
of applause.