That Officer are intail'd, and that there are
Perpetuities of them, lasting as far
As the last day; and that great Officers
Do with the Spaniards share, and Dunkirkers.
I more amaz'd than Circes prifoners, when
They felt themselves turn beasts, felt myself then
Becoming Traytor, and methought I faw
One of our Giant Statutes ope his jaw
To fuck me in for hearing him: I found
That as burnt venemous Leachers do grow found
By giving others their fores, I might grow
Guilty, and he free: Therefore I did show
All signs of loathing; but fince I am in,
I must pay mine, and my forefathers fin
To the last farthing. Therefore to my power
Toughly and stubbornly I bear; but th' hower
Of mercy now was come: he tries to bring
Me to pay a fine to 'scape a torturing,
And fays, Sir, can you spare me---? I said, Willingly;
Nay, Sir, can you spare me a crown? Thankfully I
Gave it, as ransom; but as fidlers, still,
Though they be paid to be gone, yet needs will Thrust one more jigg upon you: so did he With his long complimental thanks vex me.
VER. 167. fall endlong] The sudden effect of the transformation is strongly and finely painted to the imagination, not in
Nay hints, 'tis by connivance of the Court, 164
That Spain robs on, and Dunkirk's still a Port.
Not more amazement seiz'd on Circe's guests,
To fee themselves fall endlong into beasts,
Than mine, to find a subject stay'd and wife
Already half turn'd traytor by surprize.
I felt th' infection slide from him to me,
As in the pox, some give it to get free;
And quick to swallow me, methought I saw
One of our Giant Statutes ope its jaw.
In that nice moment, as another Lye
Stood just a-tilt, the Minifter came by.
To him he flies, and bows, and bows again,
Then, close as Umbra, joins the dirty train.
Not Fannius' felf more impudently near,
When half his nose is in his Prince's ear.
I quak'd at heart; and still afraid, to fee
All the Court fill'd with stranger things than he,
Ran out as fast, as one that pays his bail
And dreads more actions, hurries from a jail.
Bear me, fome God! oh quickly bear me hence
To wholsome Solitude, the nurse of sense: 185
the found, but in the sense of these two words.
VER. 184. Bear me,) These four lines are wonderfully fub
But he is gone, thanks to his needy want,
And the Prerogative of my Crown; fcant
His thanks were ended, when I (which did fee
All the Court fill'd with more strange things than he)
Ran from thence with fuch, or more haft than one
Who fears more actions, doth haft from prifon.
At home in wholesome folitariness
My piteous foul began the wretchedness
Of suiters at court to mourn, and a trance
Like his, who dreamt he saw hell, did advance
It felf o'er me: such men as he faw there
I saw at court, and worse and more. Low fear
Becomes the guilty, not th' accufer: Then,
Shall I, none's flave, of high-born or rais'd men
Fear frowns; and my mistress truth, betray thee
For th' huffing, bragart, puft nobility?
No, no, thou which since yesterday haft been,
Almost about the whole world, haft thou seen,
O fun, in all thy journey, vanity,
Such as fwells the bladder of our court? I
lime. His impatience in this region of vice, is like that of Vifgil, in the region of heat. They both call out as if they were half stifled by the fulphury air of the place,
O qui me gelidis -
O quickly bear me hence.
Where Contemplation prunes her ruffled wings,
And the free foul looks down to pity Kings!
There sober thought pursu'd th' amusing theme,
Till Fancy colour'd it, and form'd a Dream.
A Vision hermits can to Hell transport,
And forc'd ev'n me to fee the damn'd at Court
Not Dante dreaming all th' infernal state,
Beheld such scenes of envy, fin, and hate.
Base Fear becomes the guilty, not the free;
Suits Tyrants, Plunderers, but suits not me: 195
Shall I, the Terror of this sinful town,
Carė, if a liv'ry'd Lord or fmile or frown?
Who cannot flatter, and detest who can,
Tremble before a noble Serving-man?
O my fair mistress, Truth! shall I quit thee 200
For huffing, braggart, puft Nobility?
Thou, who fince yesterday hast roll'd o'er all
The bufy, idle blockheads of the ball,
Hast thou, oh Sun! beheld an emptier fort,
Than such as fwell this bladder of a court? 205
VER. 188. There sober thought] These two lines are remark
able for the delicacy and propriety of the expreffion.
VER. 194. Bafe Fear These four admirable lines become
the high office he had affumed, and to nobly sustained.
Think he which made your Waxen garden, and
Transported it from Italy, to stand
With us at London, flouts our Courtiers; for
Just such gay painted things, which no sap, nor
Tast have in them, ours are; and natural
Some of the stocks are; their fruits bastard all.
'Tis ten a Clock and past; all whom the mues,
Baloun, or tennis, diet, or the stews
Had all the morning held, now the second
Time made ready, that day, in flocks are found
In the Prefence, and I (God pardon me)
As fresh and sweet their Apparels be, as be
Their fields they sold to buy them. For a king
Those hofe are, cry the flatterers: and bring
Them next week to the theatre to fell.
Wants reach all states: me feems they do as well
b A show of the Italian Garden in Waxwork, in the time of
King James the First.
• That is, of wood.
VER. 206. Court in wax!] A famous show of the Court of
VER. 213. At Fig's, at White's,] White's was a noted gam
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