DONNE, the delight of Phoebus, and each Muse, Who, to thy one, all other braines refuse; Whose every work, of thy most early wit, Came forth example, aud remaines so yet: Longer a knowing, than most wits do live; And which no affection praise enough can give! To it, thy language, letters, arts, best life, Which might with halfe mankind maintaine a strife; All which I meane to praise, and yet I would; But leave, because I cannot as I should!
THERE'S reason good, that you good laws should
Men's manners ne're were viler, for your sake.
ON SIR VOLUPTUOUS BEAST.
WHILE Beast instructs his faire and innocent wife In the past pleasures of his sensuall life, Telling the motions of each petticote,
And how his Ganimede mov'd, and how his goate, And now, her (hourely) her own cucqueane makes, In varied shapes, which for his lust she takes: What doth he else, but say, "Leave to be chaste, Just wife, and, to change me, make woman's haste."
THAN his chast wife, though Beast now know no more, He 'adulters still: his thoughts lye with a whore.
If any sword could save from Fates, Roe's could; If any Muse out-live their spight, his can; If any friends' teares could restore, his would; If any pious life ere lifted man
To Heaven, his hath: O happy state! wherein We, sad for him, may glory, and not sin.
DON Surly, to aspire the glorious name Of a great man, and to be thought the same, Makes serious use of all great trade he kuowes, He speakes to men with a Rhinocerote's nose, Which he thinks great; and so reades verses, too: And that is done, as he saw great men doe. H' has tympanies of businesse, in his face, And can forget men's names, with a great grace. He will both argue, and discourse in oathes, Both which are great. And laugh at ill made cloathes;
That's greater, yet: to crie his owne up neat. He doth, at meales, alone, his pheasant eat, Which is maine greatnesse. And, at his still boord, He drinks to no man; that's, too, like a lord. He keeps another's wife, which is a spice Of solemne greatnesse. And he dares, at dice, Blaspheme God greatly. Or some poore hinde beat, That breathes in his dog's way: and this is great, Nay more, for greatnesse sake, he will be one May heare my Epigrammes, but like of none. Surly, use other arts, these only can
Stile thee a most great foole, but no great man,
TILTER, the most may' admire thee, though not I: And thou, right guiltlesse, may'st plead to it, why? For thy late sharpe device. I say 't is fit All braines, at times of triumph, should runne wit, For then, our water-conduits doe runne wine; But that's put in, thou'lt say. Why, so is thine.
GUILTIE, be wise; and though thou know'st the crimes
Be thine, I tax, yet doe not owne my rimes: 'T were madnesse in thee, to betray thy fame, And person to the world; ere I thy name,
WHO would not be thy subject, James, t' obay A prince that rules by example more than sway? Whose manners draw more than thy powers con- straine.
And in this short time of thy happiest raigne, Hast purg'd thy realmes, as we have now no cause Left us of feare, but first our crimes, then lawes. Like aydes 'gainst treasons who hath found before? And then in them, how could we know God more? First thou preserved wert, our king to be, And since, the whole land was preserv'd for thee.
TO THE GHOST OF MARTIAL.
MARTIAL, thou gav'st farre nobler Epigrammes To thy Domitian, than I can my James: But in my royall subject I passe thee, Thou flattered'st thine, mine cannot flatter'd be.
ON CHEV'RIL THE LAWYER.
No cause, nor client fat, will Chev'ril leese, But as they come, on both sides he takes fees, And pleaseth both. For while he melts his grease For this: that winnes, for whom he holds his peace.
TO PERSON GUILTIE.
GUILTIE, because I bade you late be wise, And to conceale your ulcers, did advise,
You laugh when you are touch'd, and long before Any man else, you clap your hands and rore, And cry,Good! good! This quite perverts my sense, And lyes so farre from wit, 't is impudence. Beleeve it, Guiltie, if you lose your shame, I'le lose my modestie, and tell your name.
FOR all night-sinnes, with other wives, unknown, Colt, now, doth daily penance in his own.
ON MARGARET RATCLIFFE.
MARBLE, Weepe, for thou do'st cover A dead beautie under-neath thee, Rich as nature could bequeath thee: Grant then, no rude hand remove her. All the gazers on the skies
Read not in faire Heaven's storie, Expresser truth, or truer glorie, Than they might in her bright eyes.
R are as wonder was her wit; And like nectar ever flowing: Till time, strong by her bestowing, Conquer'd hath both life and it. Life whose griefe was out of fashion In these times; few so have ru'd Fate in a brother. To conclude, For wit, feature, and true passion, Earth, thou hast not such another.
GYPSEE, new baud, is turn'd physitian, And gets more gold than all the colledge can: Such her quaint practice is, so it allures, For what she gave, a whore; a baud, she cures.
WHO sayes that Giles and Jone at discord be? Th' observing neighbours no such mood can see. Indeed, poore Giles repents he married ever. But that his Jone doth too. And Giles would never, By his free-will, be in Jone's company.
No more would Jone he should. Giles riseth early, And having got him out of doores is glad. The like is Jone. But turning home is sad. And so is Jone. Oft-times when Giles doth finde Harsh fights at home, Giles wisheth he were blind, All this doth Jone. Or that his long-yearn'd life Where quite out-spun. The like wish hath his wife.
TO ROBERT EARLE OF SALISBURIE.
WHAT need hast thou of me? or of my Muse? Whose actions so themselves doe celebrate? Which should thy countrye's love to speake refuse, Her foes enough would fame thee in their hate. "Tofore, great men were glad of poets: now,
I, not the worst, am covetous of thee. Yet dare not to my thought least hope allow Of adding to thy fame; thine may to me, When in my book men reade but Cecil's name, And what I writ thereof finde farre, and free From servile flatterie (common poets' shame) As thou stand'st cleare of the necessitie.
ON CHUFFE, BANKS THE USURER'S KINSMAN. CHUFFE, lately rich in name, in chattels, goods, And rich in issue to inherit all,
Ere blacks were bought for his owne funerall, Saw all his race approach the blacker floods: He meant they thither should make swift repaire, When he made him exectutor, might be heire.
FAREWELL, thou child of my right hand, and joy; My sinne was too much hope of thee, lov'd boy, Seven yeares thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay, Exacted by thy fate on the just day. O, could I lose all father, now. For why, Will man lament the state he should envie? To have so soone scap'd world's, and fleshe's rage, And, if no other miserie, yet age?
Rest in soft peace, and, ask'd, say here doth lye Ben. Jonson his best piece of poetrie.
For whose sake, hence-forth, all his vowes be such, As what he loves may never like too much.
TO SIR LUCKLESSE WOO-ALL.
Is this the sir, who, some waste wife to winne, A knight-hood bought, to goe a wooing in? 'Tis Lucklesse he, that tooke up one on band To pay at's day of marriage. By my hand The knight-wright's cheated then: he'll never pay. Yes, now he weares his knight-hood every day.
SIR Lucklesse, troth, for luck's sake passe by one: He that wooes every widdow, will get none.
PLAY-WRIGHT me reades, and still my verses damnes, He sayes, I want the tongue of epigrammes; I have no salt: no bawdrie he doth meane; For wittie, in his language, is obscene. Play-wright, I loath to have thy manners knowne In my chast booke: professe them in thine owne.
LEAVE, Cod, tabacco-like, burnt gummes to take, Or fumie clysters, thy moist lungs to bake: Arsenike would thee fit for societie make.
UPON THE HAPPIE FALSE RUMOUR OF HIS DEATH, THE TWO AND TWENTIETH DAY OF MARCH, 1607.
THAT We thy losse might know, and thou our love, Great Heav'n did well, to give ill fame free wing; Which though it did but panick terrour prove, And farre beneath least pause of such a king, Yet give thy jealous subjects leave to doubt: Who this thy scape from rumour gratulate, No lesse than if from perill; and devout,
Doe beg thy care unto thy after-state. For we, that have our eyes still in our eares, Looke not upon thy dangers, but our feares.
TO CENSORIOUS COURTLING. COURTLING, I rather thou should'st utterly Dispraise my work, than praise it frostily: When I am read, thou fain'st a weak applause, As if thou wert my friend, but lack'dst a cause. This but thy judgement fooles: the other way Would both thy folly and thy spite betray.
TO OLD-END GATHERER.
LONG-GATHERING Old-end, I did feare thee wise, Thou wert content the author's name to loose: When having pill'd a book, which no man buyes, But when (in place) thou didst the patron's choose, It was as if thou printed had'st an oath, To give the world assurance thou wert both; And that, as puritanes at baptisme doe, Thou art the father, and the witnesse too. For, but thy selfe, where, out of motly, 's he Could save that line to dedicate to thee?
CHEV'RIL Cryes out, my verses libells are;
And threatens the starre-chamber, and the barre. What are thy petulant pleadings, Chev'ril, then, That quit'st the cause so oft, and rayl'st at men ?
TO FRANCIS BEAUMONT.
How I doe love thee, Beaumont, and thy Muse, That unto me dost such religion use ! How I doe feare my selfe, that am not worth The least indulgent thought thy pen drops forth! At once thou mak'st me happie, and unmak'st; And giving largely to me, more thou tak'st. What fate is mine, that so it selfe bereaves? What art is thine, that so thy friend deceives? When even there, where most thou praisest me, For writing better, I must envie thee.
POORE Poet-ape, that would be thought our chiefe, Whose works are eene the frippery of wit, From brocage is become so bold a theefe,
As we, the rob'd, leave rage, and pitie it. At first he made low shifts, would pick and gleane, Buy the reversion of old playes; now growne To 'a little wealth, and credit in the scene,
He takes up all, makes each man's wit his owne. And, told of this, he slights it. Tut, such crimes The sluggish gaping auditor devoures; He markes not whose 't was first: and after-times May judge it to be his, as well as ours. Foole, as if halfe eyes will not know a fleece From locks of wooll, or shreds from the whole peece?
ON BAUDES, AND USURERS.
Ir, as their ends, their fruits were so the same, Baudry and usury were one kind of game.
IDEOT, last night, I pray'd thee but forbeare To reade my verses; now I must to heare: For offring, with thy smiles, my wit to grace, Thy ignorance still laughs in the wrong place. And so my sharpenesse thou no lesse dis-joynts, Than thou did'st late my sense, loosing my points. So have I seene at Christ-masse sports, one lost, And, hood-wink'd, for a man, embrace a post.
SPIES, you are lights in state, but of base stuffe, Who, when you've burnt your selves downe to the snuffe,
Stinke, and are throwne away. End faire enough.
TO WILLIAM LORD MOUNTEAGLE.
LOE, what my countrey should have done (have An obeliske, or columne to thy name, [rais'd Or, if she would but modestly have prais'd Thy fact, in brasse or marble writ the same) I, that am glad of thy great chance, here doe! And proud, my worke shall out-last common deeds,
Durst thinke it great, and worthy wonder too, But thine, for which I doo't, so much exceeds! My countrie's parents I have many knowne; But saver of my countrey thee alone.
TO FOOLE, OR KNAVÈ.
THY praise, or dispraise is to me alike; One doth not stroke me, nor the other strike.
TO FINE LADY WOULD-BE. FINE madam Would-be, wherfore should you feare, That love to make so well, a child to beare? The world reputes you barren: but I know Your 'pothecary, and his drug sayes no. Is it the paine affrights? that's soone forgot. Or your complexion's losse? you have a pot, That can restore that. Will it hurt your feature? To make amends, yo' are thought a wholesome
What should the cause be? Oh, you live at court And there's both losse of time, and losse of sport In a great belly. Write, then on thy wombe; Of the not borne, yet buried, here's the tombe.
TO ROBERT EARLE OF SALISBURIE. WHO can consider thy right courses run, With what thy vertue on the times hath won, And not thy fortune; who can clearely see, The judgement of the king so shine in thee; And that thou seek'st reward of thy each act, Not from the publick voyce, but private fact? Who can behold all envie so declin'd By constant suffring of thy equall mind; And can to these be silent, Salisburie, Without his, thine, and all times injurie? Curst be his Muse, that could lye dumbe, or hid To so true worth, though thou thy selfe forbid.
UPON THE ACCESSION OF THE TREASURERSHIP TO HIM.
Nor glad, like those that have new hopes, or suites, With thy new place, bring I these early fruits Of love, and what the golden age did hold A treasure, art: condemn'd in th' age of gold.
Nor glad as those, that old dependents be, To see thy father's rites new laid on thee. Nor glad for fashion. Nor to show a fit Of flattery to thy titles, Nor of wit. But I am glad to see that time survive, Where merit is not sepulcher'd alive. Where good men's vertues them to honours bring, And not to dangers. When so wise a king Contends t' have worth enjoy, from his regard, As her owne conscience, still, the same reward. These (noblest Cecil) labour'd in my thought, Wherein what wonder see thy name hath brought? That whil'st I meant but thine to gratulate, I've sung the greater fortunes of our state.
AWAY, and leave me, thou thing most abhord, That hast betray'd me to a worthlesse lord; Made me commit most fierce idolatrie To a great image through thy luxurie.. Be thy next master's more unluckie Muse, And, as thou 'hast mine, his houres, and youth abuse. Get him the times' long grudge, the court's ill will; And reconcil'd, keepe him suspected still. Make him lose all his friends; and, which is worse, Almost all wayes, to any better course. With me thou leav'st an happier Muse than thee, And which thou brought'st me, welcome povertic, She shall instruct my after-thoughts to write Things manly, and not smelling parasite. But I repent me: stay. Who e're is rais'd, For worth he has not, he is tax'd, not prais'd.
THAT neither fame, nor love might wanting be To greatnesse, Cary, I sing that, and thee. Whose house, if it no other honour had, In onely thee, might be both great, and glad. Who, to upbraid the sloth of this our time, Durst valour make, almost, but not a crime. Which deed I know not, whether were more high, Or thou more happie, it to justifie Against thy fortune: when no foe, that day, Could conquer thee, but chance, who did betray. Love thy great losse, which a renowne hath wonne, To live when Broeck not stands, nor Roor doth runne1.
Love honours, which of best example be, When they cost dearest, and are done most free. Though every fortitude deserves applause, It may be much, or little, in the cause. He's valiant'st, that dares fight, and not for pay; That vertuous is, when the reward's away.
That sound, and that authority with her name, As, to be rais'd by her, is onely fame. Stand high, then, Howard, high in eyes of men, High in thy blood, thy place, but highest then, When, in men's wishes, so thy vertues wronght, As all thy honours were by them first sought: And thou design'd to be the same thou art, Before thou wert it, in each good man's heart. Which, by no lesse confirm'd, than thy king's choice, Proves, that is God's, which was the people's voice.
PLAY-WRIGHT Convict of publick wrongs to men, Takes private beatings, and begins againe. Two kinds of valour he doth show at ones; Active in 's braine, and passive in his bones.
CoB, thon nor souldier, theefe, nor fencer art, Yet by thy weapon liv'st! th' hast one good part.
WHEN Nature bids us leave to live, 't is late Then to begin, my Roe. He makes a state In life, that can employ it; and takes hold On the true causes, ere they grow too old. Delay is bad, doubt worse, depending worst; Each best day of our life escapes us, first. Then, since we (more than many) these truths know: Though life be short, let us not make it so.
To pluck downe mine, Poll sets up new wits still, Still, 't is his luck to praise me 'gainst his will.
I GRIEVE not, Court-ling, thou art started up A chamber-critick, and dost dine, and sup At madame's table, where thou mak'st all wit Goe high, or low, as thou wilt value it. 'T is not thy judgement breeds the prejudice, Thy person only, Courtling, is the vice.
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