To first-borne males, so list the law to grace,
Nature's first fruits in an eternal* race?
Let second brothers, and poore nestlings,
Whom more injurious nature later brings
Into the naked world; let them assaine
To get hard penny-worths with so bootlesse paine.
Tush! what care I to be Arcesilas +,
Or some sad Solon, whose deed-furrowed face,
And sullen head, and yellow-clouded sight,
Still on the stedfast earth are musing pight;
Mutt'ring what censures their distracted minde,
Of brain-sick paradoxes deeply hath definde:
Or of Parmenides, or of darke Heraclite,
Whether all be one, or ought be infinite?
Long would it be ere thou hast purchase bought,
Or welthier wexen by such idle thought.
Fond fool! six feet shall serve for all thy store;
And he that cares for most shall find no more.
We scorne that wealth should be the finall end,
Whereto the heavenly Muse her course doth bend;
And rather had be pale with learned cares,
Than paunched with thy choyce of changed fares.
Or doth thy glorie stand in outward glee?
A lave-ear'd asse with gold may trapped be.
Or if in pleasure? live we as we may,
Let swinish Grill delight in dunghill clay.
* See Pratt's Hall, 10 Vol. p. 300.
+ Persius, Sat. 3. 78.
Lear, Act. 2. Sc. 1.
WHO doubts? the laws fell down from heaven's height,
Like to some gliding starre in winters night?
Themis, the Scribe of God, did long agone
Engrave them deepe in during marble stone,
And cast them downe on this unruly clay,
That men might know to rule and to obey.'
But now their characters depraved bin,
By them that would make gain of others' sin.
And now hath wrong so maistered the right,
That they live best, that on wrong's offal light.
So loathly flye, that lives on galled wound,
And scabby festers inwardly unsound,
Feeds fatter with that poys'nous carrion,
Than they, that haunt the healthy limbs alone.
Wo to the Weale, where many lawyers be;
For there is, sure, much store of maladie!
"Twas truely said, and truely was foreseene,
The fat kine are devoured of the leane.
Genus and Species* long since barefoote went,
Upon their ten-toes in wilde wanderment:
Whiles father Bartoll on his footcloth rode,
Upon high pavement gayly silver-strow'd.
Each home-bred science percheth in the chaire,
While sacred artes grovell on the groundsell bare.
*"Dat Galenus opes, dat Justinianus honores,
"Sed Genus et species cogiturire in pedes."
See Pratt's Hall, 10 vol. p. 320.
Since pedling Barbarismes gan be in request,
Nor classicke tongues, nor learning found no rest.
The crowching client, with low-bended knee,
And manie Worships, and faire flatterie,
Tells on his tale as smoothly as him list,
But still the lawyer's eye squints on his fist;
If that seem lined with a larger fee,
Doubt not the suite, the law is plaine for thee.
Tho' must he buy his vainer hope with price,
Disclout his crownes, and thanke him for advice.
So have I seene in a tempestuous stowre,
Some bryer-bush shewing shelter from the showre
Unto the hopefull sheepe, that faine would hide
His fleecie coate from that same angry tide:
The ruthlesse breere, regardlesse of his plight,
Laies holde upon the fleece he should acquite,
And takes advantage of the carelesse prey,
That thought she in securer shelter lay.
The day is faire, the sheepe would far to feede,
The tyrant brier holdes fast his shelter's meed,
And claimes it for the fee of his defence:
So robs the sheepe, in favour's faire pretence.
WORTHIE were Galen to be weighed in gold, Whose help doth sweetest life and health uphold :
Yet, by Saint Esculape he sollemne swore,
That for diseases they were never more,
Fees never lesse, never so little gaine;
Men give a groate, and aske the rest againe.
Groats-worth of health can anie leech allot?
Yet should he have no more, that gives a groate.
Should I on each sicke pillow leane my brest,
And grope the pulse of everie mangie wrest,
And spie out marvels in each urinall,
And tumble up the filths that from them fall,
And give a dosse for everie disease
In prescripts long and tedious recipes,
All for so leane reward of art and me?
No horse-leach but will looke for larger fee.
Meane while, if chaunce some desp'rate patient die,
Com'n to the period of his destinie:
(As who can crosse the fatall resolution,
In the decreed day of dissolution?)
Whether ill tendment, or recurelesse paine,
Procure his death; the neighbours straight complaine, Th' unskilfull leech murd'red his patient,
By poyson of some foule ingredient.
Here-on the vulgar may as soone be brought
To Socrates his poysoned hemlock-drought,
As to the wholsome julap, whose receat
Might his disease's lingring-force defeat.
If nor a dramme of triacle soveraigne,
Or acqua vitæ, or sugar candian,
Nor kitchin-cordials can it remedie,
Certes his time is come, needs mought he die.
Were I a leech, (as who knowes what may be?)
The liberal man should live, and carle should die:
The sickly ladie, and the goutie peere
Still would I haunt, that love their life so dear.
Where life is deare, who cares for coyned dross?
That spent is counted gaine; and spared, losse :
Or would conjure the chymick mercurie,
Rise from his horsedung bed, and upwards flie;
And with glasse stills, and sticks of juniper,
Raise the black spright, that burnes not with the fire: And bring quintessence of elixir pale,
Out of sublimed spirits minerall.
Each powdred graine ransometh captive kings,
Purchaseth realms, and life prolonged brings.
SAW'ST thou ever SI-QUIS patch'd* on Paul's church dore,
To seeke some vacant vicarage before?
Who wants a churchman, that can service
Read fast and faire his monthly homiley?
And wed and bury, and make christen-soules?
Come to the left-side alley of Saint Poules.
* See Decker-Wroth-Warton-and Pratt's Hall, 10 vol. p. 304.
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