University of Virginia Library

SATYRA VOLANS.

Goe, Swift-wing'd Satyre, through all States, but feare,
Though thou a base and thanklesse Errand beare:
Goe thou Post-haste, & through all Hazards hye thee;
Trueth is thy Warrand; Nip them that come nye thee;
Passe King and Prince, with Praysing, and with Praying:
And if to Court thou goe, make little Staying:
Yet tell thus much, to all, though it should wrong them,
There's but small Trueth and Honestie among them:
And hee that's helde in most Respect, by all,
His Fellowes waite, and long to see him fall.
Tell Church, 'tis full of Shisme, vaine Pryde, and Greede;
They teach what's good, but doe no good in-deede.
Tell Noble-men, They are prowde Tyrants growne;
Ere they lacke Practise, they'll oppresse their owne.
Tell some Ignoble Nobles in their Faces,
They are not worthie of their Fathers Places.
Tell to the best, They act but others Actions,
And vexe their Neighbours to beare out their Factions.
Tell Rich men, Riches would bee well employed;
Those that haue Much, haue manie to destroy it.
Tell wretched Chremes, His example heere,
Makes manie fast, where they haue got good Cheare:
The Traine retrainsh'd, the Table curt and short,
Sad Solitude, where I haue seene resort.
The Wrath of GOD consume that worthlesse Worme,
Who first began this lewde and pinching Forme.
Hee lookes a Man so hungrie in the Face,
As hee would eate him raw, and nere say Grace.
Tell subtill Merchandes, They're perjur'd Exporters
Of needfull thinges; vnprofitable Importers
Of needlesse thinges, which men buy head-longes, rash,
As Scalerigs, Wyne, Tobacko, and such Trash.
Tell those who still attende Effaires of State,
They keepe no Place, nor Greatnesse, without Hate.
Tell, Knowledge wanting Zeale, is nothing worth;
And Zeale but Knowledge, many Shisme brings foorth.
Pray Iudges haue but two, not dowble, Eares;
Some say, Their Hand, chiefe Organe, sees, groapes, heares.
Tell, Lawyers are the Children of Horse-lieches,
Which crye, Giue, giue, and make great Gaine by Speaches:
Their chieffest Sporte, is but to sow Dissention,
And builde their States by Crooks, Delayes, Contention.
Tell Clerkes and Writers, They are farre from ill:
Yet Scrybes of olde expon'd the Lawes at will.
Tell Physicke-mongers, Drogs are growne vnsure,
And manie Doctors rather kill, than cure.
Tell th'Vsurer, His Gaine for Money lent,
Is but maintainde by Actes of Parliament,
And Parables. It cannot bee with-stood,
The Talent dowbled, was helde service good.
Tell, Zeale is blinde: Tell Loue is turn'd to Lust:
Tell fainting Age, it wastes: tell Flesh 'tis Dust.
Tell Youth, it takes in most excessiue measure,
In Borthels lewde, and Taverns too much pleasure
Tell Beautie braue, 'tis but admir'd a-while,
And fondlie prays'd in Poëts franticke Stile.
Tell great Men, that, One Parasite, One Knaue,
Will make them lose the truest Friende they haue.
Nip Fortune to the quicke; tell shee is blinde.
Tell Pithias too, To Damon hee's vnkinde.
Tell, Trueth hath left the Citie in a Grudge,
And in the Countrey finds but small Refuge.
Bid the Satyricke Find-fault Poët, Take him
To some more Lucrous Trade: his Vane will wracke him.
Hee hath good Wits, and yet a Foole doth spende them:
Fit to finde Faults, but most vnfit to mende them.
Thus having runne, and rayl'd, till all admire Thee,
Fall on thy Face, beg Pardon, and retire thee.