University of Virginia Library

To one that was so impatient with the tooth-ach that he would not rest til all his teeth were drawn forth.

How! branch and root? that's too severe,
Let penal laws suffice! howe'r
Do not extirpate the whole breed,
Which one day you may so much need!
That is the last and worst extream
To 'stroy all, cause some are too blame.
If your right hand offend, I know
You may cut't off, your right eie too
If that offend, pluck out: but 'sooth,
I find not so you may one tooth:
Unless perhaps in drink and heat
With pots or candlesticks y'have beat
Teeth out of this or that mans head,
Then eie and tooth, for tooth indeed
Should be repaid. But tel me when
Your teeth are gone, what wil you then
For grinders do? youl' learn to chew
The cud, drink, and eat spoon-meat too?

7

Suck agen wil you not? I'm sure
That self-preservation Nature
Commands: what should we more preserve
Then teeth, whose want would make us sterve?
Do we not live by them? who w'ud
Deprive himself of's livelihood?
But since you have an aking tooth
To leave no jacks within your mouth,
And are so far run mad with pain
You are resolv'd to have all drane:
Let not the Barbar-surgion set
Them string'd on scarlet forth, but let
Them in a box be kept, and shown
For those that fel from that jawbone
That Samson fought with; and I'l swear,
That they the very Asses were.