University of Virginia Library

A Roaring Boy.

He is the Kingdoms froth, the Wisemans Wonder,
The Coward's Gallant, and the Taverns Thunder:
A thing disguis'd in Noise, and one that findes
A great Delight in vying with the VVindes:
If Man's Life be a blast, we cannot form
His to be lesse outragious than a storm;
For at his Midnight Revels, in a Tavern,
He puffs like Boreas from the Nothern Cavern,
VVhere Pots and Bacchanalians look next day
Like men whom last nights Tempest cast away:
His frequent Jests are Blasphemies, and swears
Such Oaths, the Hearers wish they had no Ears:
Hell-fire he fears not, for he knows (before
He goes) the Devil can but make him Roar:
He is the Devil's Agent, to perswade
Our younger Frie of Gallants to his Trade:
VVho doth with such mysterious craft deceive um:
That they are forc'd to Live by't, ere he leave um:
A Bail of Dice (which ow nothing to Chance)
VVith cheating Cards, are his Inheritance:
Then for his VVomen, he hath choice of Faces,
Learnedly registred, with Common places
In his black Book (and for a Summ) you may
VVin on his gentle Nature, to betray
Your Liberty unto some One, which he
Vows, hath but new lost her Virginity;
Meerly drawn into it, by some great Lord,
Although by twenty names, shee's on Record
In both Bridewels; and every Autumn, fils
A Ream of Paper, with her Doctors bils:
So comes forth (like some book that had offended
The world) newly Corrected, and Amended.
These Creatures Annually do contribute
To his Necessity, with Buff, Red sute,
Dutch hat, and Bilbo, that must needs be drawn
When any of their Honours lie at pawn:
By which, he gains a liberty to know
Their Sensual sheets Cum Privilegio:
And (for a surplusage sometimes) his Fate is,
To get Morbosus Generosus, Gratis:
He talks much of great Houses, and 't is true
He hath liv'd in them, Give the Divell his due:
The Poultry, Woodstreet, Newgate, and Bridewel,
A Lordship which he willingly would sell:
But that it is intail'd, and must descend
To the Heirs Femal: Nay, 'tis thought, his End
Will be in some Great Mansion, for the Stews
May purchase him, Thomas, or Bartholmews:
It is most fit, Men that have liv'd as he
Hath done, should end their days in Charity:
But he's not come to that yet, now he Raigns
Like Dominus fac, with his Inglorious trains
Of new fledg'd Gallantry, who spread the street
With their pied Plumes, Sophistically sweet
As the Exchange in Term-time, that invites
The new-dub'd Ladies, of our Country Knights:
He walks in Westminster, where his wise Pate
Contrives some Criticism on the State,
Censures the Reformation, and would be
Content, the People had more Liberty:
Speaks of Arrears, although he nere did wrastle
A Fall ith' Businesse, beyond Windsor Castle:
Yet, for the Fighting Dialect, he talks
Most of Duellum, where he struts, and stalks,
Extends his large Man-slaying Arm, and cries,
They were too cruell, who did first devise,
This beating Men with Bullets, (so he might
Complain of them, which taught them first to fight
For any zeal he bears to't) though the Words
Of Slaughter, VVar, Combat, & drawing Swords,
He'll talk of, like illiterate Men, that throng
To hear Orations made in the Greek Tongue:
Thus is the Bubble blown, whom (aptly) we
May term, the Blister of Humanity;
The Timpany of Nature, the VVorlds VVen,
Man in Monstrosity, from whom all Men
Should flie as from a Plague, when Death displays
His Mortal VVings in the Canicular Days;
That, but destroys the Corps, This, kills the Fame,
Health, Wealth, Life, Soul, the Body, & good Name.