WE act by Fits and Starts, like drowning Men, But just peep up, and then Dop down again. Let those who call us Wicked change their Sence, For never Men liv'd more on Providence. Not Lott'ry Cavaliers are half so poor, Nor Broken Cits, nor a Vacation Whore; Not Courts, nor Courtiers living on the Rents Of the three last ungiving Parliaments; So wretched, that, if @3Pharaoh@1 could Divine, He might have spar'd his Dream of Seven lean Kine, And chang'd his Vision for the Muses Nine. The @3Comet@1 which, they say, portends a Dearth Was but a Vapour drawn from @3Play-house@1 Earth, Pent there since our last Fire, and @3Lilly@1 sayes, Foreshows our change of State and thin @3Third-dayes.@1 'Tis not our want of Wit that keeps us poor, For then the Printers Press would suffer more. Their Pamphleteers each Day their Venom spit; They thrive by Treason, and we starve by Wit. Confess the truth, which of you has not laid Four Farthings out to buy the @3Hatfield@1 Maid? @3To the upper Gallery.@1 Or, what is duller yet and more does spite us, @3Democritus@1 his Wars with @3Heraclitus?@1 These are the Authors that have run us down, And Exercise you Critticks of the Town. Yet these are Pearls to your @3Lampooning@1 Rhimes, Y' abuse your selves more dully than the Times. @3Scandal@1, the Glory of the @3English@1 Nation, Is worn to Raggs, and Scribled out of Fashion; Such harmless Thrusts as if like Fencers Wise, You had agreed your Play before their Prize. Faith, you may hang your Harps upon the Willows, 'Tis just like Children when they box with Pillows. Then put an end to Civil Wars for shame, Let each Knight Errant who has wrong'd a Dame Throw down his Pen and give her if he can, The satisfaction of a Gentleman. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ORANGE BUDS BY MAIL FROM FLORIDA by WALT WHITMAN COMPANIONSHIP by MABEL WARREN ARNOLD THE BANJO FIEND by WILLARD GROSVENOR BLEYER GREEN LEAVES AND SERE by MATHILDE BLIND RELIQUES by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN |