The Hesperides & Noble Numbers Part 41

_Prew_, _i.e._, his servant, Prudence Baldwin.

553. THE CREDIT OF THE CONQUEROR.

He who commends the vanquished, speaks the power And glorifies the worthy conqueror.

554. ON HIMSELF.

Some parts may perish, die thou canst not all: The most of thee shall 'scape the funeral.

556. THE FAIRIES.

If ye will with Mab find grace, Set each platter in his place; Rake the fire up, and get Water in, ere sun be set.

Wash your pails, and cleanse your dairies; s.l.u.ts are loathsome to the fairies; Sweep your house, who doth not so, Mab will pinch her by the toe.

557. TO HIS HONOURED FRIEND, M. JOHN WEARE, COUNCILLOR.

Did I or love, or could I others draw To the indulgence of the rugged law, The first foundation of that zeal should be By reading all her paragraphs in thee, Who dost so fitly with the laws unite, As if you two were one hermaphrodite.

Nor courts[t] thou her because she's well attended With wealth, but for those ends she was intended: Which were,--and still her offices are known,-- _Law is to give to ev'ry one his own_; To sh.o.r.e the feeble up against the strong, To s.h.i.+eld the stranger and the poor from wrong.

This was the founder's grave and good intent: To keep the outcast in his tenement, To free the orphan from that wolf-like man, Who is his butcher more than guardian; To dry the widow's tears, and stop her swoons, By pouring balm and oil into her wounds.

This was the old way; and 'tis yet thy course To keep those pious principles in force.

Modest I will be; but one word I'll say, Like to a sound that's vanis.h.i.+ng away, Sooner the inside of thy hand shall grow Hisped and hairy, ere thy palm shall know A postern-bribe took, or a forked fee, To fetter Justice, when she might be free.

_Eggs I'll not shave_; but yet, brave man, if I Was destin'd forth to golden sovereignty, A prince I'd be, that I might thee prefer To be my counsel both and chancellor.

_Hisped_ (_hispidus_), rough with hairs.

_Postern-bribe_, a back-door bribe.

_Forked fee_, a fee from both sides in a case; cp. Ben Jonson's _Volpone_: "Give forked counsel, take provoking gold on either hand".

_Eggs I'll not shave_, a proverb.

560. THE WATCH.

Man is a watch, wound up at first, but never Wound up again: once down, he's down for ever.

The watch once down, all motions then do cease; And man's pulse stop'd, all pa.s.sions sleep in peace.

561. LINES HAVE THEIR LININGS, AND BOOKS THEIR BUCKRAM.

As in our clothes, so likewise he who looks, Shall find much farcing buckram in our books.

_Farcing_, stuffing.

562. ART ABOVE NATURE: TO JULIA.

When I behold a forest spread With silken trees upon thy head, And when I see that other dress Of flowers set in comeliness; When I behold another grace In the ascent of curious lace, Which like a pinnacle doth show The top, and the top-gallant too.

Then, when I see thy tresses bound Into an oval, square, or round, And knit in knots far more than I Can tell by tongue, or true-love tie; Next, when those lawny films I see Play with a wild civility, And all those airy silks to flow, Alluring me, and tempting so: I must confess mine eye and heart Dotes less on Nature than on Art.

_Civility_, order.

564. UPON HIS KINSWOMAN, MISTRESS BRIDGET HERRICK.

Sweet Bridget blush'd, and therewithal Fresh blossoms from her cheeks did fall.

I thought at first 'twas but a dream, Till after I had handled them And smelt them, then they smelt to me As blossoms of the almond tree.

565. UPON LOVE.

I played with Love, as with the fire The wanton Satyr did; Nor did I know, or could descry What under there was hid.

That Satyr he but burnt his lips; But mine's the greater smart, For kissing Love's dissembling chips The fire scorch'd my heart.

_The wanton Satyr_, see Note.

566. UPON A COMELY AND CURIOUS MAID.

If men can say that beauty dies, Marbles will swear that here it lies.

If, reader, then thou canst forbear In public loss to shed a tear, The dew of grief upon this stone Will tell thee pity thou hast none.

567. UPON THE LOSS OF HIS FINGER.

One of the five straight branches of my hand Is lop'd already, and the rest but stand Expecting when to fall, which soon will be; First dies the leaf, the bough next, next the tree.

568. UPON IRENE.

Angry if Irene be But a minute's life with me: Such a fire I espy Walking in and out her eye, As at once I freeze and fry.

569. UPON ELECTRA'S TEARS.

Upon her cheeks she wept, and from those showers Sprang up a sweet nativity of flowers.

NOTES.

NOTES.