Poems, and phancies written By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, And Excellent Princess The Lady Marchioness of Newcastle [i.e. Margaret Cavendish]. The Second Impression, much Altered and Corrected |
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A Battel between Honour and Dishonour.
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 | Poems, and phancies |  |
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A Battel between Honour and Dishonour.
Honour with Grief and Sorrow did complain,How all her Sons, her Servants all were Slain,
And none was left but those that did her Slight,
And in Rebellion did against her Fight;
And how this Age did Dirt upon her throw,
Lest she the Baseness of the next should show:
Thus Mourned Honour, Veil'd in Clouds of Night,
When heretofore her Garments were of Light;
Her Crown was Laurel, wreath'd with Fancy's Tire,
Her Scepter, Mars his Sword, made Foes retire;
Pallas's Head-piece did as her Foot-stool stand,
By whose Support she Rose and did Command;
And thus did Honour live with great Applause,
All did Obey Her, none did Break her Laws:
But now Dishonour Arm'd 'gainst her doth Rise,
And all her Laws she utterly Denies.
Then Honour fearing she should be surpriz'd,
And by her Council being well advis'd,
Did raise an Army to maintain her Right,
Resolv'd she was, Dishonour for to Fight;
Courage the Van, Wisdome and Wit each Wing
Did Lead, the Rear Fidelity did bring;
Invention doth th'Artillery Command,
Patience and Constancy as Sent'nels stand;
Sciences Pioniers are of great Skil,
Which undermine Towns, Castles, when they will,
And Trenches make, where Souldiers safely Sleep,
And for a Guard a watchfull Eye do keep:
Arts like Dragoons do serve on Foot and Horse,
To Skirmish, or an En'my to Inforce;
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And with the Bag and Baggage standeth Care;
Prudence, as Quarter-master, fits each place,
Who Disobeys is Punish'd with Disgrace;
Industry, as Purvey'r, provides the Meat,
And Temp'rance gives Proportions out to Eat;
Scout-master, Truth, Intelligence doth give,
By which the Army doth in safety Live;
The Drum is Faith, Braced with Reasons clear,
The Sticks that Beat thereon are Hope and Fear;
Trumpeters, Oratours, Sound loud and high,
And call to Horse when th'Enemy draws nigh;
The Treas'rer, Gratitude, doth th'Army pay,
Gen'rosity, as General, Leads the way.
When this Army was in Battalio set,
Dishonour with her Army near did get;
Partiality did Lead the Van awry,
And Treachery the Rear, which came not nigh;
The left Wing order'd Perjury that Day,
Unthankfulness on th'Right did bear the Sway;
Suspicion was the Scout to search the way,
And Envy close in Ambuscado lay;
Revenge, as Canoneer, did take the Aim,
But mist the Mark, which made him high Exclame;
Envy and Malice were two Engineers,
Which Subtilty had Practis'd many Years:
Their Drum was Ignorance, Stupidity
Was one Stick, th'other was Obstinacy;
And Brac'd it was with Rudeness, which sounds Harsh
On Strings of Wilfulness that's ever Rash.
| Poems, and phancies | |