Pictures of passions, fancies, & affections Poetically Deciphered in variety of Characters [by Thomas Jordan] |
 |
A Common Souldier. |
 | Pictures of passions, fancies, & affections |  |
A Common Souldier.
Is one that would seem Wise, and understand,
For Silence is his first word of Command:
He may be (by his Officers assistance)
Made mannerly enough to know his distance:
Six foot, or lesse; One that hath cause to thank
His Destinie, he lives in a good Rank:
His Leader should be right, for (sink or swim)
March, or Retreit, he's bound to follow him:
He is a man whom Fortune hath bereft
Of Constancy, for to the Right, or Left,
He always wheels, and (like her frown or fleir)
One turn, converts the Van, unto the Rear:
Two shillings binds both him and his Comrade
Prentice to this ubiquitary trade
Of Marshal Mischief; and (whats strange to me)
When they are taken Prisoners, they are Free:
With Knapsack on, Match, Musquet, Band o'leir,
Pouder, Bullet, and Sword, he doth appear
Like Mars his Journyman, and (if Death stop
Not his advance) may prove Fore man oth' Shop:
Which is the first File-leader, and from thence,
(Gradatim) mount to higher Eminence:
For (once a Halbert gain'd) the very chance
Of war, yields Honour, by Inheritance:
They have one Custom, Civil Law abhors,
Their Enemies, are still Executors:
Yet (in a sense convertible) complies
With us, for ours, sometimes, prove Enemies;
For Silence is his first word of Command:
He may be (by his Officers assistance)
Made mannerly enough to know his distance:
Six foot, or lesse; One that hath cause to thank
His Destinie, he lives in a good Rank:
His Leader should be right, for (sink or swim)
March, or Retreit, he's bound to follow him:
He is a man whom Fortune hath bereft
Of Constancy, for to the Right, or Left,
He always wheels, and (like her frown or fleir)
One turn, converts the Van, unto the Rear:
Two shillings binds both him and his Comrade
Prentice to this ubiquitary trade
Of Marshal Mischief; and (whats strange to me)
When they are taken Prisoners, they are Free:
With Knapsack on, Match, Musquet, Band o'leir,
Pouder, Bullet, and Sword, he doth appear
Like Mars his Journyman, and (if Death stop
Not his advance) may prove Fore man oth' Shop:
Which is the first File-leader, and from thence,
(Gradatim) mount to higher Eminence:
For (once a Halbert gain'd) the very chance
Of war, yields Honour, by Inheritance:
Their Enemies, are still Executors:
Yet (in a sense convertible) complies
With us, for ours, sometimes, prove Enemies;
These Souldiers are mad Surgeons, and let bloud
Ere the Disease, or Sign, be understood;
Their Pills are very powerfull for (to those
They give them) one wil serve for a whole Dose.
The same success, somtimes, our Doctors know
Both use their Art, Cum Privilegio:
Ere the Disease, or Sign, be understood;
Their Pills are very powerfull for (to those
They give them) one wil serve for a whole Dose.
The same success, somtimes, our Doctors know
Both use their Art, Cum Privilegio:
A Souldier (of all men) cannot agree
With Courtiers, what should the Reason be?
They both love Honour, and, which is the prouder,
Is disputable, both do deal in Pouder
And Plaisters, to, although the Souldiers Glory
(In faith of Fame) have the best Salvatory:
With Courtiers, what should the Reason be?
They both love Honour, and, which is the prouder,
Is disputable, both do deal in Pouder
And Plaisters, to, although the Souldiers Glory
(In faith of Fame) have the best Salvatory:
Religion is a thing hee'l think upon
At better leisure, when the Wars be done:
In the mean time, his Conscience can agree
With bold Belona's red Divinity:
Whose Basts is the Pedestall of ill,
And grand Commandement, that Thou shalt kill,
Pillage, Imprison, Plunder, and do all
That is conducible unto the fall
Of him thou call'st thy foe; Patience, and Peace,
Are both Apocripha, and do increase
Plenty, and Pride; therefore resolv'd they are
No Law shall be Canonical but War:
The Foe a desperate Outlaw, whose abuse
The Sword, Musquet and Cannon must reduce
To the same wilde Obedience, and shall use
Some strange Religion, they are yet to chuse:
At better leisure, when the Wars be done:
In the mean time, his Conscience can agree
With bold Belona's red Divinity:
Whose Basts is the Pedestall of ill,
And grand Commandement, that Thou shalt kill,
Pillage, Imprison, Plunder, and do all
That is conducible unto the fall
Of him thou call'st thy foe; Patience, and Peace,
Are both Apocripha, and do increase
Plenty, and Pride; therefore resolv'd they are
No Law shall be Canonical but War:
The Foe a desperate Outlaw, whose abuse
The Sword, Musquet and Cannon must reduce
Some strange Religion, they are yet to chuse:
This is my Souldiers doctrine, and the right
End of the wrong devise that makes him fight;
Little supposing that a wheel of State
Gives such a powerfull motion to his Fate:
And whirls him round, untill his giddy Sence
Hath lost the freedome of Intelligence:
End of the wrong devise that makes him fight;
Little supposing that a wheel of State
Gives such a powerfull motion to his Fate:
And whirls him round, untill his giddy Sence
Hath lost the freedome of Intelligence:
But this is now his trade, and he must on,
March is the word, and Pay is thought upon:
His Quarters (to) are good, or else hee'l know
A reason why he may not make them so:
March is the word, and Pay is thought upon:
His Quarters (to) are good, or else hee'l know
A reason why he may not make them so:
In brief, A Private Souldier is a man
(If rightly spirited) in whose short Span
Of Life, the Officer that brings him on
May read rich Rules of Resolution:
And not disdain to practise; since the Stuff
Of Valour, doth not constantly line Buff,
Nor ride the barbed Barbarie, whose fire,
Is quicker then his burthen doth desire:
(If rightly spirited) in whose short Span
Of Life, the Officer that brings him on
May read rich Rules of Resolution:
And not disdain to practise; since the Stuff
Of Valour, doth not constantly line Buff,
Nor ride the barbed Barbarie, whose fire,
Is quicker then his burthen doth desire:
A Souldier animally fraught with store
Of mettle, is (though rugged) Gold ith' Oar;
So well inur'd to hardnesse, he dares yeild
His Corps to the cold herbage of a Field,
And in the fury of the fowlest weather
There join his Musquet, and his Rest together.
Of mettle, is (though rugged) Gold ith' Oar;
So well inur'd to hardnesse, he dares yeild
His Corps to the cold herbage of a Field,
And in the fury of the fowlest weather
There join his Musquet, and his Rest together.
| Pictures of passions, fancies, & affections | |