By which each gull is now a gallant deem'd ;
Or of a journey he deliberates,

To Paris-garden,5 Cock-pit or the Play;

Or how to steale a dog he meditates,

Or what he shall unto his mistriss say:

Yet with these thoughts he thinks himself most fit

To be of counsell with a king for wit.

6

AD MUSAM. 48.

Peace, idle Muse, haue done! for it is time,
Since lousie Ponticus enuies my fame,

And sweares the better sort are much to blame

To make me so well knowne for my7 ill rime :

8

Yet Bankes his horse, is better knowne then he.

So are the Cammels and the westerne hogge,9

And so is Lepidus his printed Dog :1

8 See note on this under Epigram 30. G.

9 Isham corrects 'Hay' here with 'hogge.' G.

1 That is 'Lepidus's printed dog.' The following epigram by Sir John Harington determines that he is the Lepidus of this passage, and that his favourite dog Bungey is the "printed dog." In a compartment of the engraved title-page to Harington's Orlando Furioso,

Why doth not Ponticus their fames enuie?

Besides, this Muse of mine, and the blacke feather

1591, is a representation of Bungey (see too the Annotations on Book xli. of that poem); and hence he is termed by Davies the printed dog."

66

"AGAINST MOMUS, IN PRAISE OF HIS DOG

BUNGEY."

Because a witty writer of this time

Doth make some mention in a pleasant rime

Of Lepidus and of his famous dog,

Thou, Momus, that dost loue to scoffe and cog,
Prat'st amongst base companions, and giv'st out
That unto me herein is meant a flout.

Hate makes thee blind, Momus: I dare be sworn,
He meant to me his loue, to thee his scorn.
Put on thy envious spectacles, and see
Whom doth he scorn therein, the dog or me?
The dog is grac'd, compared with great Banks,
Both beasts right famous for their pretty pranks;
Although in this I grant the dog was worse,
He only fed my pleasure, not my purse :

Yet that same dog, I may say this and boast it,

He found my purse with gold when I haue [had] lost it.

Now for myself: some fooles (like thee) may judge

That at the name of Lepidus I grudge:

No sure; so far I think it from disgrace,

I wisht it cleare to me and to my race.
Lepus, or Lepos, I in both haue part;
That in my name I beare, this in mine heart.

Grew both together fresh 2 in estimation :

And both growne stale, were cast away together:
What fame is this that scarce lasts3 out a fashion?

Onely this last in credit doth remaine,

That from henceforth, each bastard cast-forth rime,
Which doth but savour of a libell vaine,

Shall call me father, and be thought my crime;

So dull, and with so little sence endu'd,
Is my grose-headed Judge, the multitude.

But Momus, I perswade myself that no man
Will deigne thee such a name, English or Roman.
Ile wage a but of Sack, the best in Bristo,
Who cals me Lepid, I will call him Tristo."

Epigrams, Book iii. Ep. 21. edition folio. D.

2 In other editions as Isham, but dropped out inadvertently from our text. G.

3 Isham badly 'last.'

G.

Finis. I. D.

Appendix to Epigrams:

(FROM THE HARLEIAN MSS. 1836.)

As explained in the Note, page 6 ante, I have gleaned a few additions to these Epigrams. At close of those of HUTTON,-in the MS. marked 60 and in Hutton's own volume 56,—on folio 15d, is the word 'finis.' Immediately under this, the MS. is continued in the same handwriting on to folio 19, whereon 'finis' is again placed and on folios 19 and 20 Lines of Tobacco' with 'finis' once more. These Lines on 'Tobacco' are curious: and somewhat resemble those on 'Moly' given in the Hitherto Unpublished Poems of Davies, onward. G.

I. IN SUPERBIAM. Epi. 4.

I tooke the wall, one thrust me rudely by,
And tould me the King's way did open lye.
I thankt him yt he did me so much grace,
to take the worse, leave me the better place;
For if by th' owners wee esteeme of things,
the wall's the subjects, but the way's the King's.

IX :.

whilst thus my letters stand,

Am whiter then the plumbe1 of swan
or any ladye's hand;

Take but away my letter first,

and then I doe encline

That stood before for milke white snowe

to be the figure nine.

And if that further you

desire

by change to doe som trickes,

As blacke as any bird I am.

CORNIX by adding COR to NIX.

3. Epi. 6.

Health is a jewell true, which when we buy

Physitians value it accordingly.

4.

IN AMOROSUM. Epi. 7.

A wife you wisht me (sir) rich, faire and young with French, Italian, and the Spanish tongue :

1 =plumage. G.