The works of Sr William Davenant ... Consisting of Those which were formerly Printed, and Those which he design'd for the Press: Now published Out of the Authors Originall Copies |
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To Doctor Duppa Dean of Christ-Church, and Tutor
to the Prince. An acknowledgment for his Collection,
in Honour of Ben. Johnson's Memory.
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 | The works of Sr William Davenant |  |
To Doctor Duppa Dean of Christ-Church, and Tutor to the Prince. An acknowledgment for his Collection, in Honour of Ben. Johnson's Memory.
How shall I sleep to night, that am to pay,
By a bold vow, a mighty Debt ere Day?
Which all the Poets of this Island owe:
Like Paines neglected, it will greater grow.
How vainly from my single stock of Wit,
(As small, as is my Art, to Husband it)
I have adventur'd what they durst not do,
With strong confed'rate Art, and Nature too.
This Debt hereditary is, and more
Than can be pay'd for such an Ancestor;
Who living, all the Muses Treasure spent,
As if they him, their Heir, not Steward meant;
Forrests of Mirtle, he disforrested,
That near to Helicon their shades did spread;
Like Modern Lords, w'are so of Rent bereft;
Poets, and they have nought but Titles left:
He wasted all in wreaths, for's conqu'ring Wit;
Which was so strong, as nought could conquer it,
But's Judgement's force, and that more rul'd the sense
Of what he writ, than's Fancy's vast expence,
Of that he still was lavishly profuse;
For joyn the remnant-wealth of ev'ry Muse,
And t'will not pay the Debt we owe to thee,
For honors done unto his Memory:
Thus then; he brought th'Estate into decay,
With which, this Debt, we as his Heirs should pay.
By a bold vow, a mighty Debt ere Day?
Which all the Poets of this Island owe:
Like Paines neglected, it will greater grow.
How vainly from my single stock of Wit,
(As small, as is my Art, to Husband it)
I have adventur'd what they durst not do,
With strong confed'rate Art, and Nature too.
This Debt hereditary is, and more
Than can be pay'd for such an Ancestor;
Who living, all the Muses Treasure spent,
As if they him, their Heir, not Steward meant;
Forrests of Mirtle, he disforrested,
That near to Helicon their shades did spread;
Like Modern Lords, w'are so of Rent bereft;
Poets, and they have nought but Titles left:
He wasted all in wreaths, for's conqu'ring Wit;
Which was so strong, as nought could conquer it,
But's Judgement's force, and that more rul'd the sense
Of what he writ, than's Fancy's vast expence,
Of that he still was lavishly profuse;
For joyn the remnant-wealth of ev'ry Muse,
And t'will not pay the Debt we owe to thee,
For honors done unto his Memory:
Thus then; he brought th'Estate into decay,
With which, this Debt, we as his Heirs should pay.
As sullen Heirs, when wastful Fathers die,
Their old Debts leave for their posterity
To clear; and the remaining Akers strive
T' injoy, to keep them pleasant whilst alive;
So I (alas!) were to my self unkind,
If from that little wit, he left behind,
I simply should so great a debt defray;
I'le keep it to maintaine me, not to pay.
Yet, for my soul's last quiet when I die,
I will commend it to posterity:
Although 'tis fear'd ('cause they are left so poor)
They'll but acknowledge, what they should restore:
However, since I now may erne my Bayes;
VVithout the taint of flattery in praise;
Since I've the luck, to make my praises true,
I'le let them know, to whom this Debt is due:
Their old Debts leave for their posterity
To clear; and the remaining Akers strive
T' injoy, to keep them pleasant whilst alive;
So I (alas!) were to my self unkind,
If from that little wit, he left behind,
I simply should so great a debt defray;
I'le keep it to maintaine me, not to pay.
Yet, for my soul's last quiet when I die,
I will commend it to posterity:
Although 'tis fear'd ('cause they are left so poor)
They'll but acknowledge, what they should restore:
However, since I now may erne my Bayes;
VVithout the taint of flattery in praise;
254
I'le let them know, to whom this Debt is due:
Due unto you, whose learning can direct
Why Faith must trust, what reason would suspect:
Teach Faith to rule, but with such temp'rate law,
As Reason not destroys, yet keeps't in awe:
Wise you; the living-Volume, which containes
All that industrious Art, from Nature gaines;
The useful, open-Book, to all unty'd;
That knows more, than half-Knowers seem to hide
And with an easie cheerfulness reveal,
What they, through want, not sullenness conceal.
That to great faithless-Wits, can truth dispence
'Till't turne, their witty scorne, to reverence:
Make them confess their greatest error springs,
From curious gazing on the least of things;
With reading Smaller prints, they spoil their sight
Darken themselves, then rave, for want of light:
Shew them, how full they are of subtil sin,
When Faith's great Cable, they would nicely spin
To Reason's slender Threads; (then falsly bold)
When they have weakned it, cry, t'will not hold!
Why Faith must trust, what reason would suspect:
Teach Faith to rule, but with such temp'rate law,
As Reason not destroys, yet keeps't in awe:
Wise you; the living-Volume, which containes
All that industrious Art, from Nature gaines;
The useful, open-Book, to all unty'd;
That knows more, than half-Knowers seem to hide
And with an easie cheerfulness reveal,
What they, through want, not sullenness conceal.
That to great faithless-Wits, can truth dispence
'Till't turne, their witty scorne, to reverence:
Make them confess their greatest error springs,
From curious gazing on the least of things;
With reading Smaller prints, they spoil their sight
Darken themselves, then rave, for want of light:
Shew them, how full they are of subtil sin,
When Faith's great Cable, they would nicely spin
To Reason's slender Threads; (then falsly bold)
When they have weakned it, cry, t'will not hold!
To him, that so victorious still doth grow,
In knowledge, and t'inforce others to know;
Humble in's strength; not cunning to beguile,
Nor strong, to overcome, but reconcile:
To Arts milde Conqueror; that is, to you,
Our sadly mention'd Debt, is justly due:
And now Posterity is taught to know,
Why, and to whom, this Mighty Summe they owe,
I safely may go sleep; for they will pay
It all at times, although I break my Day.
In knowledge, and t'inforce others to know;
Humble in's strength; not cunning to beguile,
Nor strong, to overcome, but reconcile:
To Arts milde Conqueror; that is, to you,
Our sadly mention'd Debt, is justly due:
And now Posterity is taught to know,
Why, and to whom, this Mighty Summe they owe,
I safely may go sleep; for they will pay
It all at times, although I break my Day.
| The works of Sr William Davenant | |