’ i 
138 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
EPILOGUE 20 the WONDER. Spoken by Mrs. Crespicny, ix 
the Charatter of Viovante, at the Clofe of her Theatricals, 
HO’, inthis play, I’ve borne the heroine’s part, 
Its foolifh title rankles in my heart. 
A woman heeps a fecret-—Tuis THE Wonder! 
O, I fhall prove it an egregious blunder! 
In ages pait, indeed, when woman’s power 
Was circum{crib’d, juft like her feanty dower ; 
When pin-money —dear bleffing! was unknown, 
And we had nothing we could call our own; 
In fome duil Gothic hall we pafs’d our lives, 
And work’d, and walk’d, and pros’d with farmers’ wives; 
Then fearce a carriage did the doors approach, 
And Sunday, only, faw the great old coach. 
A fret then—QO, ’twas a charming thing 
Yo whifper till it made the village ring! 
But times are fweetly chang’d—our manners, fafhions, 
Condué&, behaviour, nay, our very paftions! . 
And ¢ell-tale women often now conceal 
Events, which mez are anxious to reveal ; 
For, when quick circling bowls their fpirits raife, 
In fancy’s borrow’d beams they fondly blaze; 
"The wink, the nod, the fhrug, they call to aid, 
And boaft of conquetts they have never made.— 
Secrets indeed !—’tis now become THE WonDeER, 
If man can keep his b0a/fing paffion under. : 
The world’s quite chang’d—things go a different way— 
Now «women tyrannize, and men obey— ' 
Yet, we can all find fome good-natur’d friend, 
Who lets us know how very few commend. . 
E’en here, perhaps, fome, with a fhrug, will own, 
« They think this acting better let alone.” 
Tf there are any fuch wife cenfors here, - . ‘ 
I fain would whifper fomething in their ear— 
«© What motive prompts this genius-damping {neer ?”” 
If it be judgment from all enyy free, 
They then fhall make a convert too of me: 
But while from each dramatic bard J learn 
The genuine form of Virtue to difcern ; 
While, hid in fhapes that captivate all eyes, 
Inftruétion comes in Pleafure’s luring guife, 
My heart forbids me to be fway’d by fears — 
Which blaft the joys that Innocence uprears : 
But a thought rifes which muft damp my fire, 
And make each kindling {park at once expire— 
Detefted 
