 | The knave of Clubbs |  |
A Gull.
One wittily describ'd a Gull,In different sorte and kinde
And to the life doth paint a fop,
For eies that are not blinde.
His first Gull feares a silken wench,
Her veluet gowne doth scare him,
Another weares a siluer hilt,
Yet euery boy will dare him.
Next commeth fashions Iack-an-apes,
A Gull compos'd of pride,
That hath his goodnes in good cloathes,
And nothing good beside.
And lastly he's a Gul of Guls,
That makes an outward seeming,
Yet hath not one poore ounce of wit,
That's worth wise mens esteeming.
But vnto these let's ad a Gull,
That's very late found out,
Will spend his liuing, land, and wealth,
To finde conclusions out.
Shall farr excell all wheat,
And with a kind of burning glasse,
In Sunne, roast any meat.
Heele teach an ape to speak good french
Iack-daw to write and read,
And has a trick to vse a Cat,
That she shall Ferrets breed.
Yet these are all inferiour things,
To those his wit hath found,
Such secrets neuer were disclos'd,
Vpon this earthly ground,
For shortly he intends to flie,
One wing is almost made,
To put downe simple Dedalus,
He doth himselfe perswade.
But see how wise ingenious men,
Doe often ouerslip!
A craftier knaue then he (of late)
Had got him on the hip,
Which sould him a familiar flie
A Deuill in a box,
An artificiall flie of silke,
(A Deuill with a pox)
For this my Gull giues twenty pound,
Would I might sell him flies:
To make a Deuill rise.
This was allowed to the match,
And he must fall to charme,
So both against the poynted day,
Themselues for spirits arme,
The Gull gets on a surplis,
With a crosse vpon his brest,
Like Allen playing Faustus,
In that manner was he drest.
And hauing all his furniture,
He steps into the ring,
Saies his instructer, stir not out,
I must goe fetch a thing
(I left below) I needs must haue,
So out of doores he hies,
Vnto an officer hard by,
Saying sir in any wise,
Come with all expedition,
I will bring you to a place,
Where a most wicked creature is,
A wretch that wanteth grace,
Raising of Deuils, which you know,
The law doth straight forbid,
The action is so horrible,
I durst not keepe it hid
Vnto the house repaires,
And his director wills him goe,
Directly vp the staires:
Meane while, himselfe slips cleane away,
The Constable comes in:
And in the Kings name chargeth him,
To cease his hellish sin.
Art thou a raising Deuils heere,
I charge thee to obay me,
Quoth Gull, if I should stirr a foote,
Ten thousand spirits would slay me,
Keepe out my circle, come not neere,
Say you faire warning haue,
Depart before the Deuill come,
Least hell be made thy graue.
I'le raise the ghost of Hercules,
Shall braine thee with his club,
Doest thou not see a smoake appeare?
Why now comes Belzebub.
I coniure thee be gon I say,
Depart by Fee, Fa, Fum,
Now Rago, Crago, is at hand,
Looke where his hornes doe come!
The officer imagining,
He saw some thing arise,
And help, clubs, halberds, cries,
So apprehended him presently,
and carries him away,
Vnto a iustice, where the foole
Had not a word to say,
But onely that he ment no harme,
And would a deuill see,
Why quoth the Magistrate, thou shalt,
I'le send thee where they be,
Incarnate Deuils, such as doe
Assume a humane shape:
To newgate with him presently,
For playing Plutoes ape,
Where when he came, he found the knaue
That taught him coniuration
Villaine (quoth he) base rogue & slaue,
Is this your charming fashion?
To cousen me of twenty pounds
And bring me heere to hell?
Kinde Gentlman (quoth he) forbeare,
I'le recompence you well,
Of purpose I haue met you heere,
because you shall see art,
To morrow by a spirits help,
We both from hence will part,
Shall be performd at full,
So next day got himselfe releas'd,
And there leaues goodman Gull.
| The knave of Clubbs | |