University of Virginia Library

To his ingenious friend Mr. Robert Baron upon his Cyprian Academy.

I've thought upon't, yet faith I cannot tell
Wether thy prose or verse doth most excell
Each other, both in an Emphaticke style
Roare like the torrent of a troubled Nile
Stopp'd by an oblique beame thy words being pent
I'th confin's of thy throate, did force, their vent
To torture weake capacities, who'l say
Reading thy book 'tis Greeke, wrote English way
Nor is that all, some will conjecture by it
That in'ts conception thou keep'st sparing diet
They will not thinke thou did'st grosse Hamkins eat
Least thou shouldst choake thy quibles with such meate
Yet whatso'ere thou eat'st for other Palats
They Orcheards apples yeild, thy gardens sallads.
Well may Antiquitie amazed be
To view their chapells, an Academy
So farre out vie'd in which are many bowres
For Venus darlings, neatly strow'd with flowers
Of Rheth'rick, nay the seaven li'brall artes
Like thunder-clapps doe act their severall parts
In high expressions, which are forth brought
Some of them sure stand for a thirteenth thought.
But here I'le stoup, least I Tautologize
In vaine ambages, when it will suffice
That in worths plentuous cropps, of infant bayes
I gleane an handfull to adorne thy prayse.