University of Virginia Library


36

SAT. 5. Slupet Albius ære.

Would now that Matho were the Satyrist,
That some fat bribe might greaze him in the fist,
For which he neede not braule at any barre,
Nor kisse the booke to be a periurer;
Who else would scorne his silence to haue solde,
And haue his tongue tyed with stringes of gold?
Curius is dead, and burled long since,
And all that loued golden Abstinence:
Might he not well repine at his olde fee,
Would he but spare to speake of vsurie?
Hirelings enow beside, can be so base,
Tho we should scorne ech bribing varlets brasse;

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Yet he and I could shun ech iealous head,
Sticking our thumbs close to our girdle-stead,
Tho were they manicled behinde our backe,
Anothers fist can serue our fees to take:
Yet pursy Euclio chearly smiling prayd,
That my sharpe words might curtal their side trade;
For thousands beene in euery gouernall,
That liue by losse, and rise by others fall,
What euer sickly sheepe so secret dies,
But some foule Rauen hath bespoke his eyes?
What else makes N. when his lands are spent,
Go shaking like a threedbare malecontent.
Whose band-lesse Bonnet vailes his ore-grown chin,
And sullen rags bewray his Morphew'd skin;
So ships he to the woluish westerne ile,
Among the sauage Kernes in sad exile;
Or in the Turkish wars at Cæsars paye
To rub his life out till the latest day;

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Another shifting Gallant to forecast,
To gull his Hostesse for a months repast;
With some gal'd Trunk ballae'd with straw & stone
Left for the paune of his prouision;
Had F. shop lyen fallow but from hence,
His doores close seal'd as in some pestilence,
Whiles his light heeles theis fearfull flight can take,
To get some badg-lesse Blew vpon his backe?
Tocullio was a welthy vsurer,
Such store of Incomes had he euery yeare,
By Bushels was he wont to meete his coyne;
As did the olde wife of Trimalcion;
Could he doe more that finds an idle roome,
For many hundreth thousands on a Toombe?
Or who reares vp foure free-schooles in his age,
Of his olde pillage, and damn'd surplusage?
Yet now he swore by that sweet Crosse he kist,
(That siluer crosse, where he had sacrific'd

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His coueting soule, by his desires owne doome,
Dayly to dye the Diuels Martyrdome)
His Angels were all flowne vp to their sky,
And had forsooke his naked Tresurie,
Farewell Astræa and her weights of gold,
Vntill his lingring Calends once be told;
Nought left behind but waxe & parchment scroells
Like Lucians dreame that siluer turn'd to coles:
Shouldst thou him credit, that nould credit thee,
Yes and mayst sweare he swore the verity;
The ding-thrift heyre, his shift-got summe mispent,
Comes drouping like a pennylesse penitent,
And beats his faint fist on Tocullios doore,
It lost the last and now must call for more,
Now hath the Spider caught a wandring Flye,
And drags her captiue at her cruell thigh:
Soone is his errand red in his pale face,
Which beares dumbe Characters of euery case,

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So Syneds dusky cheeke and fiery eye,
And hayre-les brow, tels where he last did lye,
So Matho doth bewray his guilty thought;
Whiles his pale face doth say, his cause is nought.
Seest thou the wary Angler trayle along,
His feeble line, soone as some Pike too strong
Hath swallowed the bayte that scornes the shore,
Yet now neare hand cannot resist no more:
So lyeth he aloofe in smooth pretence,
To hide his rough intended violence;
As he that vnder name of Christmas cheere;
Can starue his Tennants all th' ensuing yeare,
Paper and waxe (God wot) a weake repay,
For such deepe debts, and downstakt sūums as they;
Write, seale, deliuer, take, go, spend and speede,
And yet full hardly could his present need.
Part with such summe; For but as yester-late
Did Furnus offer pen-worths at easy rate,

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For small disbursment; He the bankes hath broke,
And needs more now some further playne ore looke;
Yet ere he goe fayne would he be releast:
Hy you ye Rauens, hy you to the feast;
Prouided that thy lands are left entyre,
To be redeem'd or ere thy day expyre;
Then shalt thou teare those idle paper-bonds,
That thus had fettered thy pauned lands.
Ah foole! For sooner shall thou sell the rest,
Then stake ought for thy former Intrest;
When it shall grinde thy grating gall for shame,
To see the lands that beare thy Grandsires name,
Become a dunghill peasants sommer-hall,
Or lonely Hermits cage in hospitall;
A pining Gourmand, an imperious slaue,
An hors-leech, barren womb, and gaping graue,
A legall theefe, a bloud-lesse murtherer;
A feind incarnate, a false Vsurer.

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Albee such mayne extort scorns to be pent,
In the clay walles of thatched Tenement,
For certes no man of a low degree,
May bid two guestes; or Gout, or Vsurie:
Vnlesse some base hedge-creeping Collybist,
Scatters his refuse scraps on whom he list,
For Easter-gloues, or for a Shroftide Hen,
Which bought to giue, he takes to sell agen:
I doe nor meane some gloking Merchants feate,
That laugheth at the cozened worlds deceipt,
When as an hundred stocks ly in his fist,
He leakes and sinkes, and breaketh when he list;
But, Nummius eas'd the needy Gallants care,
With a base bargaine of his blowen ware,
Of fusted hoppes now lost for lacke of sayle,
Or mo'ld browne-paper that could nought auaile:
Or what he cannot vtter otherwise,
May pleasure Fridoline for treble price.

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Whiles his false broker lyeth in the winde,
And for a present Chapman is assign'd,
The cut-throte wretch for their compacted gaine,
Buyes all for but one quarter of the mayne;
Whiles if he chance to break his deare-bought day,
And for fait for default of due repay.
His late intangled lands: Then Fridoline,
Buy thee a wallet, and go beg or pyne.
If Mammon selfe should euer liue with men,
Mammon himselfe shalbe a Citizen.