 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet
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IN PRAISE OF THE AVTHOR MASTER Thomas Coriat.
Thou that the world with pleasures ful hast pleasur'd,
And out of measure many kingdomes measur'd.
Whilst men (like swine) doe in their vices wallow,
And not one dares for's eares thy steps to follow;
Not one within the Compasse of the Cope,
Like thee that dares suruay the Horoscope:
For who is he that dares call it a lye,
That thou hast trotted into Italie?
By th'edge of France, and skirts of Spaine th'ast rambled;
Through Belgia & through Germany th'ast ambled.
And Denmarke, Sweden, Norway, Austria,
Pruce, Poland, Hungary, Musconia,
With Thracia, and the land of merry Greekes,
All these and more applaud thee, that who seekes
Vpon the top of Mount Olympus front,
Perhaps may see thy name insculp'd vpon't,
And he that durst detract thy worth in Europe,
I wish he may be hang'd vp in a new rope.
It were a world of businesse to repeat
Thy walkes through both the Asiaes, lesse & great,
Whereas (no doubt) but thou hast tane suruay
Of China and the kingdome of Catay,
Th'East Indies, Persia, Parthia, Media,
Armenia, and the great Ass-yria,
Caldea, Iurie, (if we not mistake vs)
Thou hast o'r-look'd the Sea call'd Mortuus Lacus.
And I durst venter somewhat for a wager,
Thou hast seene Ionia, Lidia, Misia Maior,
Old Iliums Ruins, and the wracks of Priam,
But of Inuention I (alas) so dry am,
I beat my braines and with outragious thumping,
My lines fall from my pen with extreme pumping.
Auaunt, dull Morpheus, with thy leaden spirit,
Can matter want of him that wants no merit?
As he through Syria and Arabia's coasting,
My lines from Asia into Africke poasting,
I'l follow him alongst the Riuer Nilus,
In Egypt, where false Crocodiles beguile vs.
Through Mauritania to the towne of Dido,
That slew her selfe by power of god Cupido.
The Kingdomes vnsuruaid he'l not leaue one
From Zona Foride, to the Frozen Zone.
With Prester Iohn in Æthiopia,
And th'ayrie Empire of Eutopia.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet
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