Epilogue to "Secret Love; or, The Maiden Queen"

The Prologue durst not tell, before 't was seen,
The plot we had to swinge The Maiden Queen;
For had we then discover'd our intent,
The fop who writ it had not giv'n consent,
Or the new peaching trick at least had shown,
And brought in others' faults to hide his own.
That wit he has been by his betters taught,
When he 's accus'd to shew another's fault.
When one wit's hunted hard, by joint consent
Another claps betwixt and does prevent
His death, for many hares still foil the scent
Thus our poor poet would have scap'd today.
But from the herd I singled out his play.
Then heigh along with me --
Both great and small, you poets of the town,
And Nell will love you, for to run him down.