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 |  |
From darke obliuious den I here let loose
Th'imprison'd honour of the famous Goose:
In her creation and originall,
And after in the Law Leuiticall,
And at all times before and since the Flood,
A Goose hath iustly gain'd the name of good.
To value her with any other Bird,
Comparisons are weake and meere absurd:
First, for her flesh, she is mans daily fare:
She's good, she's cheape, she's plenty, and she's rare:
Bake her, or rost her, vse her as you will,
And Cooke her as she should be, she's good still:
But as great summes are made with little driblets,
So put the Hares head 'gainst the Gooses giblets;
And men may piece a dinner vp (perhaps)
Which otherwise would rise with hungry chaps:
For the old Prouerbe, I must here apply,
Good meate men may picke from a Gooses eye.
She is good fresh, but better two dayes salted,
For then she'le try if Ale or Beere be Malted;
Her greace is excellent (probatum est)
For such as numnesse in their ioynts molest:
For the Sciatica, the Crampe, or Gowte
It either cures or eases, out of doubt.
Mix'd with Stauesacre, and Argentum viue,
It will not leaue a man a Lowse aliue.
Her lungs and liuer into pouder dride,
And fasting in an Asses milke applide,
Is an experienc'd cordiall for the Spleene,
As oftentimes it hath approued beene.
Her braines, with Salt and Pepper, if you blend
And eate, they will the vnderstanding mend.
Her Gall, if one be but with drinke opprest,
Or meat, or fruit, and cannot well digest:
But swallow't downe, and take the 'tother cup,
And presently 'twill fetch the rest all vp.
And thus a Goose, for med'cine and for food,
I haue Anatomiz'd exceeding good.
As for her qualities, whil'st she doth liue,
She doth example and instruction giue:
Her modesty, and affabilitie,
Shewes she's descended from Gentilitie,
For if they be a hundred in a troope,
To a Barne doore in courtesie thei'l stoope.
How neate & comely they themselues will pick,
That no one feather out of order stick:
How grauely they from place to place will waggle,
And how (like Gossips) freely they will gaggle,
That sure I thinke, the fashion of her prate,
Our wiues at Gossipings doe imitate.
In Plinie and in Gesner I doe finde,
That Geese are of strange sundry sorts and kinde.
In Scotland there are Geese which grow on Trees,
(Which much from humane reason disagrees)
Bred by the Ayre and Sunnes all-quickning fire,
That ne'r was Egge, nor e'r had Dam or Sire.
Then ther's a Soleand Goose, which they so call,
Because the female hath but one in all.
Sole is as much to say, as be alone,
And neuer Soleand Goose did hatch but one:
Or else the name of them may well proceede
From the Dams foot-sole, whence they all do breede,
Which in her Claw she holds vntill it hatch,
The Gander fetches food, the Goose doth watch.
Th'imprison'd honour of the famous Goose:
In her creation and originall,
And after in the Law Leuiticall,
105
A Goose hath iustly gain'd the name of good.
To value her with any other Bird,
Comparisons are weake and meere absurd:
First, for her flesh, she is mans daily fare:
She's good, she's cheape, she's plenty, and she's rare:
Bake her, or rost her, vse her as you will,
And Cooke her as she should be, she's good still:
But as great summes are made with little driblets,
So put the Hares head 'gainst the Gooses giblets;
And men may piece a dinner vp (perhaps)
Which otherwise would rise with hungry chaps:
For the old Prouerbe, I must here apply,
Good meate men may picke from a Gooses eye.
She is good fresh, but better two dayes salted,
For then she'le try if Ale or Beere be Malted;
Her greace is excellent (probatum est)
For such as numnesse in their ioynts molest:
For the Sciatica, the Crampe, or Gowte
It either cures or eases, out of doubt.
Mix'd with Stauesacre, and Argentum viue,
It will not leaue a man a Lowse aliue.
Her lungs and liuer into pouder dride,
And fasting in an Asses milke applide,
Is an experienc'd cordiall for the Spleene,
As oftentimes it hath approued beene.
Her braines, with Salt and Pepper, if you blend
And eate, they will the vnderstanding mend.
Her Gall, if one be but with drinke opprest,
Or meat, or fruit, and cannot well digest:
But swallow't downe, and take the 'tother cup,
And presently 'twill fetch the rest all vp.
And thus a Goose, for med'cine and for food,
I haue Anatomiz'd exceeding good.
As for her qualities, whil'st she doth liue,
She doth example and instruction giue:
Her modesty, and affabilitie,
Shewes she's descended from Gentilitie,
For if they be a hundred in a troope,
To a Barne doore in courtesie thei'l stoope.
How neate & comely they themselues will pick,
That no one feather out of order stick:
How grauely they from place to place will waggle,
And how (like Gossips) freely they will gaggle,
That sure I thinke, the fashion of her prate,
Our wiues at Gossipings doe imitate.
In Plinie and in Gesner I doe finde,
That Geese are of strange sundry sorts and kinde.
In Scotland there are Geese which grow on Trees,
(Which much from humane reason disagrees)
Bred by the Ayre and Sunnes all-quickning fire,
That ne'r was Egge, nor e'r had Dam or Sire.
Then ther's a Soleand Goose, which they so call,
Because the female hath but one in all.
Sole is as much to say, as be alone,
And neuer Soleand Goose did hatch but one:
Or else the name of them may well proceede
From the Dams foot-sole, whence they all do breede,
Which in her Claw she holds vntill it hatch,
The Gander fetches food, the Goose doth watch.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet | |