Divine Fancies Digested into Epigrammes, Meditations, and Observations. By Fra: Quarles |
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Divine Fancies | ||
8. On Dagon and the Arke.
What newes with Dagon? Is thy Shrine so hot,Thou canst not keepe it? Or has Dagon got
The falling sicknes, that his Godship's found
On such a posture, prostrate on the Ground?
Poore helplesse God! But stay! Is Dagon growne
So weake ith' hamms: Nor stand, nor rise, alone?
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He must have help, or lye: A proper God!
Well, Dagon must requier help of hands;
Vp Dagon goes the second time, and stands
As confident as though his place had bin
His owne, in Fee: Downe Dagon falls agin:
But Dagon's shrewdly martyr'd with the iumpe,
Lost hands and Head, and nothing left but stumpe:
Sure, all's not well with Dagon, now a late;
Hee's either sicke, or much forgot the State,
Belonging to so great a God: Has none
Offer'd some stinking Sacrifice, or blowne
Some nausceous fume into his Sacred Nose,
And made his God-ship dizzy? Or who knowes,
Perchance h'as taken Pett, and will resigne
His sullen place, and quitt his empty Shrine:
No wonder, a false God should stoope, and lye
Vpon the floore, when as a true God's by:
It was unlikely, Dagon should forbeare
Respite of Homage, when the Arke was there:
If I would worship a false God at all,
It should be one that would not scorne to fall
Before his Betters: whose indiff'rent arme,
If it could doe no good, could doe no harme;
I'd rather choose to bend my idle knee,
Of all false Gods, to such a God as Hee,
Whose spirit's not too quick: The fabulous Frogge
Found greater danger in the Stork, then Logge:
And to conclude, I'd choose him, Dagon-like,
Not having Head, to plot; nor Hand, to strike.
Divine Fancies | ||