All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet Being Sixty and three in Number. Collected into one Volume by the Author [i.e. John Taylor]: With sundry new Additions, corrected, reuised, and newly Imprinted |
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 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet |  |
A Basket-Iustice.
The Argvment.
The best of men, when truely exercis'd,The actor may a Saint be canoniz'd:
Not Policy, but practise, Justice frames,
Those whom bribes blinde, haue onely thred-bare names
Of what they should be, thus the Land is blest,
When judgements just flow from the Judges brest.
Before the noyse of these two Hounds did cease,
A Iustice (comming by) commanded peace:
Peace Curres (qd. he) and learne to take your prey
And not a word, so wise folkes goe your way:
This is a youth that sued his place to haue,
Bought his authority to play the knaue.
And as for coine he did his place obtaine,
So hee'l sell Iustice to mak't vp againe,
For the old prouerbe fits his humor well,
That he that dearely buyes must dearely fell.
The sword of Iustice draw he stoutly can,
To guard a knaue, and grieue an honest man,
His Clarke's the Bee that fils his combe with honey,
He hath the wit, his master hath the money.
Such Iusticer as this (if men doe marke)
Is altogether guided by his Clarke,
He's the vice Iustice, he workes all by's wits,
The whil'st his master pickes his teeth or spits,
Walks, hums, and nods, cals knaue at euery turne,
(As if he in a dawes nest had beene borne:)
No other language from his worship flees,
But Prisons, Warrants, Mittimus, and Fees:
Commit before he search out the offence,
And heare the matter after two dayes hence,
Talkes of Recognizances, and hath scope,
To binde and loose as if he were the Pope.
Be the case ne're so good, yet build vpon't.
Fees must be payd, for that's the humor on't.
And thus with onely cursed wealth and beard,
He makes a world of witlesse fooles afeard.
And when he giues them but a smile or nod,
They thinke this doughty else a demy-god.
When fortune fals he knowes to vse the same,
His Clarke and he as quiet as a Lambe,
Make not two words, but share, & go through stich,
Here's mine, there's thine, for they know which is which,
There hath beene, are, and will be still agen,
In all professions some corrupted men:
Before this branch of false Gebezaes Tribe,
'Tis sacriledge to call a bribe a bribe,
Giue him a Bucke, a Pig, a Goose, or Phesant,
(For manners sake) it must be call'd a present,
And when hee's blind in Iustice, 'tis a doubt
But Turkies tallons scratcht his eyes halfe out,
Or Capons clawes, but 'tis a heauy case,
That fowles should flye so in a Iustice face.
Sometimes his eyes are goard with an Oxe horne,
Or suddaine dasht out with a sacke of corne,
Or the whiske brushing of a Coachmares taile
To fit the Coach, but all these thoughts may faile,
Some thinke they are but clouded and will shine,
Eclips'd a little with a Teirce of Wine,
Or onely falne into some hoodwink'd nap,
As some men may vpon the Bench, by hap.
But Iustice seemes deafe when some tales are told,
Perhaps his Charity hath tane some cold,
And that may be the cause, or rattling Coaching,
Or neighing of horses to her gate approaching,
From thence into the stable, as her owne:
The certaine truth thereof is not yet knowne.
But sure she is so deafe that she can heare,
Nothing but what her Clarke blowes in her eare,
Which Clark, good men must croach to, & stand bare
Or else small Iustice 'mongst them they shall share.
His Master like a weather-cocke inclinde,
As he doth please he makes him turne and winde.
This Iustice of all sences is bereft,
Except his feeling, onely feelings left:
With which he swallowes with insatiate power,
More bribes then doth my Cormorant fish deuoure.
A Iustice (comming by) commanded peace:
Peace Curres (qd. he) and learne to take your prey
And not a word, so wise folkes goe your way:
This is a youth that sued his place to haue,
Bought his authority to play the knaue.
And as for coine he did his place obtaine,
So hee'l sell Iustice to mak't vp againe,
For the old prouerbe fits his humor well,
That he that dearely buyes must dearely fell.
The sword of Iustice draw he stoutly can,
To guard a knaue, and grieue an honest man,
His Clarke's the Bee that fils his combe with honey,
He hath the wit, his master hath the money.
Such Iusticer as this (if men doe marke)
Is altogether guided by his Clarke,
He's the vice Iustice, he workes all by's wits,
The whil'st his master pickes his teeth or spits,
Walks, hums, and nods, cals knaue at euery turne,
(As if he in a dawes nest had beene borne:)
No other language from his worship flees,
But Prisons, Warrants, Mittimus, and Fees:
Commit before he search out the offence,
And heare the matter after two dayes hence,
Talkes of Recognizances, and hath scope,
To binde and loose as if he were the Pope.
Be the case ne're so good, yet build vpon't.
Fees must be payd, for that's the humor on't.
8
He makes a world of witlesse fooles afeard.
And when he giues them but a smile or nod,
They thinke this doughty else a demy-god.
When fortune fals he knowes to vse the same,
His Clarke and he as quiet as a Lambe,
Make not two words, but share, & go through stich,
Here's mine, there's thine, for they know which is which,
There hath beene, are, and will be still agen,
In all professions some corrupted men:
Before this branch of false Gebezaes Tribe,
'Tis sacriledge to call a bribe a bribe,
Giue him a Bucke, a Pig, a Goose, or Phesant,
(For manners sake) it must be call'd a present,
And when hee's blind in Iustice, 'tis a doubt
But Turkies tallons scratcht his eyes halfe out,
Or Capons clawes, but 'tis a heauy case,
That fowles should flye so in a Iustice face.
Sometimes his eyes are goard with an Oxe horne,
Or suddaine dasht out with a sacke of corne,
Or the whiske brushing of a Coachmares taile
To fit the Coach, but all these thoughts may faile,
Some thinke they are but clouded and will shine,
Eclips'd a little with a Teirce of Wine,
Or onely falne into some hoodwink'd nap,
As some men may vpon the Bench, by hap.
But Iustice seemes deafe when some tales are told,
Perhaps his Charity hath tane some cold,
And that may be the cause, or rattling Coaching,
Or neighing of horses to her gate approaching,
From thence into the stable, as her owne:
The certaine truth thereof is not yet knowne.
But sure she is so deafe that she can heare,
Nothing but what her Clarke blowes in her eare,
Which Clark, good men must croach to, & stand bare
Or else small Iustice 'mongst them they shall share.
His Master like a weather-cocke inclinde,
As he doth please he makes him turne and winde.
This Iustice of all sences is bereft,
Except his feeling, onely feelings left:
With which he swallowes with insatiate power,
More bribes then doth my Cormorant fish deuoure.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet | |