 | Satires and miscellaneous poetry and prose |  |
172
HISTORY
Th' Ægyptian Pyramids were first Begun
Upon the same Designe with Babilon
T' avoyd an Inundation and Deliver
The Founders from the Deluge of their River.
Upon the same Designe with Babilon
T' avoyd an Inundation and Deliver
The Founders from the Deluge of their River.
The Antients held no act Adul[t]erous
That was Committed in a Common house.
That was Committed in a Common house.
Medea in a Pot could Stew
Decayd old Age to youth anew,
And could with herbs and spices season
A youthfull Ragoust of old Æson;
Yet half his Cunning had she not,
That Could renew the very pot.
Decayd old Age to youth anew,
And could with herbs and spices season
A youthfull Ragoust of old Æson;
Yet half his Cunning had she not,
That Could renew the very pot.
The British Language has no word
T' express a River but a Sword;
As if their swords much antienter
And long before their Rivers were,
And war more Natural then th' earth
Or Elements that brought them forth.
T' express a River but a Sword;
As if their swords much antienter
And long before their Rivers were,
And war more Natural then th' earth
Or Elements that brought them forth.
When Adam had eaten the forbidden fruite,
Of Leaves he made him a sligh[t] Summer suite;
But, being Banishd Eden for his Sins,
To labour like a Clown, h' was clad in Skins.
Of Leaves he made him a sligh[t] Summer suite;
But, being Banishd Eden for his Sins,
To labour like a Clown, h' was clad in Skins.
Lik Stow and Hollinshead who tell us where
The King did keep his Christmas evry yeare.
The King did keep his Christmas evry yeare.
The Antient Jews did morne in sackcloth
As now the Christians do in black cloth.
As now the Christians do in black cloth.
The antient Picts made feasts
[Of] Sheperds Bums and womens brests.
[Of] Sheperds Bums and womens brests.
For who but Fooles and Knaves possess
Those Antient Stately Pallaces,
Of Bethlem Sion, and Bridewell,
Where Princes heretofore did Dwell?
Those Antient Stately Pallaces,
Of Bethlem Sion, and Bridewell,
Where Princes heretofore did Dwell?
173
In Spaine
[T]hey count theyr yeares From Tubalkain,
[Th]e Patriarch of Iron Trades,
[T]hat Forgd Toled' and Bilbo-blades.
[T]hey count theyr yeares From Tubalkain,
[Th]e Patriarch of Iron Trades,
[T]hat Forgd Toled' and Bilbo-blades.
A Roman Prætor, as he led
His Army through the Gates of Rome,
Had hornes appearing on his head:
Which was interpreted if ere he Come
Within the wals of Rome againe
He wilbe crownd a King and Reigne.
His Army through the Gates of Rome,
Had hornes appearing on his head:
Which was interpreted if ere he Come
Within the wals of Rome againe
He wilbe crownd a King and Reigne.
A great Philosopher did choke
With laughing at a Jest he broke.
With laughing at a Jest he broke.
Th' Embassador of France,
Tooke out the Queen of Spain to dance
And after made a vow, and Swore
He'd never dance with Lady more
After so great a Queen had daygned
To let him take her by the hand.
Tooke out the Queen of Spain to dance
And after made a vow, and Swore
He'd never dance with Lady more
After so great a Queen had daygned
To let him take her by the hand.
In Rome no Temple was so low
As that of Honor, built to shew
[How] Humble Honor ought to bee,
Though there 'twas all Authority.
As that of Honor, built to shew
[How] Humble Honor ought to bee,
Though there 'twas all Authority.
The great Saint Lewis, king of France,
Fighting against Mahometans,
In Ægipt, in the holy war,
Was routed and made Prisoner.
The Sultan then, into whose hands
He and his Army fell, demandes
A thousand weight of gold, to free
And set them al at Liberty.
The king pay's down half o' th' nayle,
And for the other offers bayle
The Pyx, and in't the Eucharist
The Body of our Savior Christ.
The Turk considerd, and allowd
The Kings Security for good;
Such Credit had the Christian Zeal
In those days with an Infidell,
That wil not pass for two pence now
Among themselves, 'tis faln so low.
Fighting against Mahometans,
In Ægipt, in the holy war,
Was routed and made Prisoner.
The Sultan then, into whose hands
He and his Army fell, demandes
A thousand weight of gold, to free
And set them al at Liberty.
The king pay's down half o' th' nayle,
And for the other offers bayle
The Pyx, and in't the Eucharist
The Body of our Savior Christ.
The Turk considerd, and allowd
The Kings Security for good;
174
In those days with an Infidell,
That wil not pass for two pence now
Among themselves, 'tis faln so low.
The Mores believe Granada Ly's
Directly under Paradise,
And that they differ both no more
Then th' upper Roomes do from the Floure.
Directly under Paradise,
And that they differ both no more
Then th' upper Roomes do from the Floure.
The Antients payd respect and wonder
To Trees or Person[s] struck with Thunder.
To Trees or Person[s] struck with Thunder.
Was not king Dor forcd by the Tartar
To Keep Swine for a year and quarter,
And after being restord againe
Injoyd a Long and glorious Reigne?
To Keep Swine for a year and quarter,
And after being restord againe
Injoyd a Long and glorious Reigne?
Indians of Siam (Authors write)
Instead of Black do mourn in white.
Instead of Black do mourn in white.
The Spartans, that were held of all the Græcians
Most thrifty of their Language, and Expressions
That could indure no length of Circumstance
Yet cald themselves Lacedæmonians.
Most thrifty of their Language, and Expressions
That could indure no length of Circumstance
Yet cald themselves Lacedæmonians.
Chineses took the Busnes most unkinde
To see their Cuntry in our Maps designd,
And mad[e] the Skirts of all the universe,
Which they mistook to be the same to theirs.
To see their Cuntry in our Maps designd,
And mad[e] the Skirts of all the universe,
Which they mistook to be the same to theirs.
So all Inferiors of that Cuntry use
Before their Betters to Pull of[f] their shoes:
And [when] two æqualls civilly Salute,
Neither wil yeld to take the upper Foot.
Before their Betters to Pull of[f] their shoes:
And [when] two æqualls civilly Salute,
Neither wil yeld to take the upper Foot.
So those that at the Battle of Cressy, make
Theyr Bowstrings with a Showr of Rain, to slake
Were Ignorant of Nature, to forget
They were Contracted rather by the wet.
Else th' Ingineres of Rome that strov to Rayse
A great Aguglio, firm upon his Base,
Their Cables b'ing too long, had fayld, if Nature
Had not Retrencht them, when th' were drencht in water.
Theyr Bowstrings with a Showr of Rain, to slake
Were Ignorant of Nature, to forget
They were Contracted rather by the wet.
Else th' Ingineres of Rome that strov to Rayse
A great Aguglio, firm upon his Base,
Their Cables b'ing too long, had fayld, if Nature
Had not Retrencht them, when th' were drencht in water.
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Th' old Romans us'd to match, and pair
Their servants with great Art and Care;
Were critically exact to see
Their Statures, and their Years agree;
To match the colour of their Hair,
The black with black, and fair with fair;
And accurately fit, and size
Their Mouths, their Noses, and their Eyes;
And made them wear their Limbs, and Faces
For Liv'rys of the self-same Laces.
Their servants with great Art and Care;
Were critically exact to see
Their Statures, and their Years agree;
To match the colour of their Hair,
The black with black, and fair with fair;
And accurately fit, and size
Their Mouths, their Noses, and their Eyes;
And made them wear their Limbs, and Faces
For Liv'rys of the self-same Laces.
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