Dia Poemata Poetick Feet Standing Upon Holy Ground: Or, Verses on certain Texts of Scripture. With Epigrams, &c. By E. E. [i.e. Edmund Elys] |
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To the Laurell worthy Mr. E. E. on his Excellent Poems.
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To the Laurell worthy Mr. E. E. on his Excellent Poems.
Ingenious Friend, I doe presume to blowA Trumpet here, before thy rarer Show;
But be a Gentleman Usher who can chuse,
To Wait on such a beauteous Lady Muse?
Since Love which to the Muses i doe beare
And Thee, makes me a Prologue now appeare;
Though Wit as precious every Scene doth hold,
As Shakespeare's Lease, or Johnson's Massy Gold,
Though thou with swelling Canvas sail beyond
Hercules Pillars, Fletcher and Beamont,
And though Thou art (what ever Fooles repute)
A Poet in all Numbers Absolute;
Yet will I not wrong Thee so much (my Friend)
As to bespeake the Reader to Commend,
Thy Ware is not of that same baser Sort
That sells not, 'lesse a good Word's spoken for't:
Let not thy Sack, but Foggy Ale goe pray
To Customers to come and help't away;
'Tis only for the Poore in Poetry
Basely to beg the Readers Charity;
Let Subtle have a Captaine Face who tells
That he can work (Lord knowes what) miracles;
Thy Muses Beauty needeth not to Catch
After a Spokesman, to make up the Match:
Therefore Ben; Apophthegme I'le only say,
In troth 'tis good, and if you lik't you May.
John Tomkins.
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