UPON DOLL. EPIG.

DOLL she so soone began the wanton trade,
She ne'r remembers that she was a maide.

UPON SKREW. EPIG.

SKREW lives by shifts; yet sweares by no small oathes, For all his shifts he cannot shift his clothes.

LINNIT playes rarely on the lute, we know ;
And sweetly sings, but yet his breath sayes no.

UPON M. BEN JOHNSON. EPIG.

AFTER the rare arch-poet Johnson dy'd,

The sock grew loathsome, and the buskins pride,
Together with the stage's glory, stood
Each like a poore and pitied widowhood.
The cirque prophan'd was, and all postures rackt;
For men did strut, and stride, and stare, not act.
Then temper flew from words, and men did squeake,
Looke red, and blow, and bluster, but not speake;

No holy rage or frantick fires did stirre,

Or flash about the spacious theater.

No clap of hands, or shout, or praises-proofe

Did crack the play-house sides, or cleave her roofe.

Artlesse the sceane was, and that monstrous sin
Of deep and arrant ignorance came in ;

Such ignorance as theirs was, who once hist
At thy unequal'd play, the Alchymist;

Oh fie upon 'em! Lastly too, all witt

In utter darknes did, and still will sit

Sleeping the lucklesse age out, till that she
Her resurrection ha's again with thee.

ANOTHER.

THOU had'st the wreath before, now take the tree; That henceforth none be laurel crown'd but thee.

TO HIS NEPHEW, TO BE PROSPEROUS IN HIS ART
OF PAINTING.

ON, as thou hast begunne, brave youth, and get
The palme from Urbin, Titian, Tintarret,
Brugel, and Coxu, and the workes outdoe
Of Holben, and that mighty Ruben too.
So draw, and paint, as none may do the like,
No, not the glory of the world, Vandike.

UPON GLASSE. EPIG.

GLASSE, out of deepe and out of desp'rate want,
Turn'd from a Papist here, a Predicant.
A vicarage at last Tom Glasse got here,
Just upon five and thirty pounds a-yeare.

Adde to that thirty five, but five pounds more,
He'l turn a Papist, rancker then before.

A VOW TO MARS.

STORE of courage to me grant,
Now I'm turn'd a combatant;
Helpe me, so that I my shield,
Fighting, lose not in the field.
That's the greatest shame of all,
That in warfare can befall.

Do but this, and there shall be
Offer'd up a wolfe to thee.

TO HIS MAID PREW.

THESE summer birds did with thy master stay
The times of warmth, but then they flew away,
Leaving their poet, being now grown old,
Expos'd to all the comming winter's cold.
But thou, kind Prew, did'st with my fates abide,
As well the winter's as the summer's tide;
For which thy love, live with thy master here,
Not one, but all the seasons of the yeare.

A CANTICLE TO APOLLO.

PLAY, Phœbus, on thy lute,
And we will sit all mute;

By listning to thy lire,

That sets all eares on fire.

Harke, harke, the God do's play;
And as he leads the way

Through heaven, the very spheres,

As men, turne all to eares.

A JUST MAN.

A JUST man's like a rock that turnes the wroth Of all the raging waves into a froth.

UPON A HOARSE SINGER.

SING me to death, for till thy voice be cleare, "Twill never please the pallate of mine eare.

HOW PANSIES OR HART-EASE CAME FIRST.

FROLICK virgins once these were,
Overloving, living here;
Being here their ends deny'd
Ran for sweet-hearts mad, and di’d.
Love, in pitie of their teares,
And their losse in blooming yeares,
For their restlesse here-spent houres.
Gave them hearts-ease turn'd to flow'rs.

TO HIS PECULIAR FRIEND, SIR EDWARD FISH,

KNIGHT BARONET.

SINCE for thy dull deserts, with all the rest
Of these chaste spirits, that are here possest
Of life eternall, time has made thee one
For growth in this my rich plantation;

Live here; but know 'twas vertue, and not chance,

That gave thee this so high inheritance.

Keepe it forever; grounded with the good,

Who hold fast here an endlesse lively food.

LARR'S PORTION AND THE POET'S PART.

Ar my homely country-seat,

I have there a little wheat,

Which I worke to meale, and make
Therewithall a holy cake;

Part of which I give to Larr,
Part is my peculiar.

UPON MAN.

MAN is compos'd here of a twofold part;
The first of nature, and the next of art;
Art presupposes nature; nature shee
Prepares the way for man's docility.