 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet
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To the Reader.
Now honest Reader (if thou be so) tell,
Haue I not Canuas'd this same Rascall well?
Me thinkes I heare some say I am too bitter,
And if I were more milde, they hold it fitter.
Let such men truely but conceiue my wrong,
And thinke the case did to themselues belong:
When such a fellow with me shall agree,
And take my money for an earnest fee:
And make me print a thousand Bils and more,
And daily on the Posts to clap vp store,
For thousand Readers as they passe the way,
To see my name engag'd to play a Play
'Gainst William Fennor, my Antagonist;
And then, for me each houre to persist,
(Vpon his word) to study and to write,
And scarce in six weekes rest or day, or night;
And when the time is come the play should be,
My opposite should run away from me,
And leaue me to be made a wondring stocke,
A scorne, a by-word, for the world to mocke:
To make me lose my credit, and my name,
To be o'rclouded with perpetuall shame.
Iudge, if this would not moue a man to spleene,
To be thus basely vs'd as I haue beene.
Thus to the censure of the World I send
This sharpe Inuectiue, which my Anger pend.
And as my wrong was publike, so will I
Reuenged be vpon him publikely.
And for him I haue worser Rods in pisse,
If he but dare to write and answer this.
But if he durst no better play the Knaue
Then answer me, he would not goe so braue.
But yet heer's one thing was almost forgot,
Which till this time my Muse remembred not,
And sure it must his Fooleship needs molest,
This hath beene read and laught at by the Best,
That when he dares but to the Court to come,
His entertainment will be like Iack Drum.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet
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