THE PROLOGUE TO King WILLIAM & Queen MARY, At a Play Acted before Their Majesties at Whitehall, on Friday the 15th of November 1689.  Written by N. TATE. 
WHILE Britain's State Her Monarch does support,  
Protects Her Liberties, adorns Her Court,  
Confirms Her Laws; the Muse's Tribe would wrong  
The Public Interest to detain him long.  
Yet, with His grateful Subjects they implore  
Their Hour of Thanks,— even Them He did Restore.  
To Them and Their Loved Swains did safety bring,  
Permits Their Flocks to Feed, and Them to Sing.  
No Lambs shall now for Foreign Altars bleed,  
The Flock, the Fleece, the Shepherds too are freed.  
He Scorned all Danger, for Fair Britain's Aid,  
(To Roman Zeal, a ready Victim laid,)  
And with His Peril, saved the helpless Maid.  
Belgia, that next Devoted was to Fall,  
Did for the same Adventurous Courage call,  
He Faced our Common Fears—  
Outbraved both Seas and Foes, to rescue All!  
So HERCULES, when Monsters did infest,  
Commenced His Toils to give the Nations rest.  
Such Pious Valour justly is Adored,  
And well may different Tongues, that had implored,  
His Guardian-Aid, consent to call him Lord.  
Fortune and Chance, elsewhere may show their Powers,  
Give Kingdoms Lords, but Providence gives Ours  
Our kind Restorer first, who, to maintain  
Our rescued Freedom, Condescends to Reign.  
For Albion's Wounds a sovereign Balm decreed,  
But Heaven not sent Him, till the utmost Need,  
To make its Champion Prized, and let Him lay  
Engagements, such as we could ne'er Repay.  
His Fame's vast only Price was his before,  
MARIA's Charms— Empire could add no more,  
Nature in Her exhausted all its Store.  
What we confer, on Us descends again,  
Who wait the ripening Blessings of his Reign:  
Saturnian Days revolve, of former Crimes  
If any Seeds molest our Halcyon Times,  
And Rouse our Mars, on him lies all the Care,  
Defence and Freedom ne'er were bought too Dear.  
He only Arms to make our Dangers cease,  
His Wars are Glorious, for his End is Peace.  
The Muses once were Sacred, give 'em leave,  
One Vote for Britain's Welfare to conceive;  
They Sum Their Wishes up, in one short Prayer,  
(join all True Hearts) Long Live the ROYAL PAIR.  
FINIS.   

LICENCED,  
Novemb. 16. 1689. I. FRASER,   

LONDON, Printed for F. Saunders, at the Blue Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange, and Published by R. Baldwin in the Old Baily 1689.