102. Sack-Drawers.
1
You Swains of the Deity ruling the Vines,
Why hang ye your heads and decline in your spirits?
What! can ye not meet in the strength of the wines,
The high supposition that Bacchus inherits?
The Calling you follow
Is allow'd by Apollo,
Where he and his Muses do feed;
And ye are all Gentlemen Drawers indeed.
Ye are all better then Princes, all heavenly heirs,
The honey-lipt Bacchus (a God) is your father;
But some have the Devil, the Devil for theirs.
Then are ye not worthy and reverend rather?
Your Function's a treasure of solace and pleasure,
As it by the Gods was decree'd.
And ye are all, &c.
3
Each day is a Holiday full of delight;
No Antidote like unto Wine against sorrow,
We sing and we play and are wanton to night,
Which mirth doth encrease and is doubled to morrow
With singing and laughing,
With drinking and quaffing,
Our fancies we fleece and we feed,
For we are all, &c.
4
And are we not company fit for the best
Of Nobles and Gallants that tread on the Center?
With them we confer, we comply and contest,
VVhich doth to our profit arise peradventure.
Our ways do present us
All things that content us;
There's nothing at all that we need.
And we are all, &c,
5
VVe eat of the best, and we drink of as good,
A dish of Ambrosia each day is prepared;
And also to nourish our hearts and our blood,
Nepenthe and Nectar is liberally shared.
Our Tenches and Sammons,
Our VVenches and Gammons,
Canary our Cod-pieces bleed.
Then are we all Gentlemen Drawers indeed.
6
Our Rent is prepar'd, our Taxes are paid,
No secular action doth cause us to alter,
And he that is bent to repine at our Trade,
As well when he's hanged may rail at his halter.
Let no man upbraid us,
Since heaven hath made us
Mechanick to rule and exceed.
For we are all, &c.
7
Then let the dumb Stoick do all that he can,
VVe live by our Melody, he by his mettle.
A fig for the Rechabite, and Puritan,
VVhose head is as round and as dull as a Beetle:
I ever will follow
The drink of Apollo,
Ejecting the juyce of the weed.
And we are all Gentlemen Drawers indeed.
