Poems With the Muses Looking-Glasse. Amyntas. Jealous Lovers. Arystippus. By Tho: Randolph ... The fourth Edition enlarged [by Thomas Randolph] |
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To his very worthy friend M. ROB. RANDOLPH
of Chr, Ch. on the publishing of his Brothers Poems.
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To his very worthy friend M. ROB. RANDOLPH of Chr, Ch. on the publishing of his Brothers Poems.
We thank you worthy Sir, that tis our hapTo praise even Randolph now without a clap,
And give our sufferage yet, though not our voice,
To shew the ods betwixt his fame and noyse:
VVhose onely modesty we could applaud,
That seldome durst presume to blush abroad;
And bear his vast report, and setting forth
His vertues, grow a suff'rer of his worth,
Was scarce his own acquaintance, and did use
To hear himself reported but as news,
So distant from himself, that one might dare
To say those two were nere familiar.
Whose polishid phancy hath so smoothly wrought,
That 'tis suspected, and might tempt our thought,
To guesse it spent in every birth, so writ:
Not as the gift Legacy of wit:
Whose unbid brain drops so much flowing worth,
That others are delivered, he brought forth;
That did not course in wit, and beat at least
Ten lines in fallow to put up one Iest;
VVhich still prevents our thought, we need not stay
To th'end, the Epigram is in the way.
The Town might here grow Poet, nay tis se'd
Some Mui'ors could hence as eas'ly rime as read;
VVhose losse we so much weep, we cannot hear
His very Comedyes without a tear:
Leave from our grief to call the work a Play:
VVhere fancy playes with judgement, and so fits
That'ts enough to make a guard of wits;
VVhere lines fulfill themselves, and are so right
That but a combats mention is a fight,
His phrase does bring to passe, and he has lent
Language enough, to give the things Event;
The Lines pronounce themselves, and we may say
The Actors were but Echoes to the Play:
Me thinks the book does Act, and we not doubt
To say it rather enters than comes out:
VVhich even you seem to envy, whose device,
Has made it viler even by its price.
And taught its value, which we count so great
That when we buy it cheapest we but cheat;
And when upon one page we blesse our look,
How ere wee bargain we have gain'd the book:
Fresh-men in this are forc't to have their right,
And tis no purchase though t'were sold in spight.
So do we owe you still, that let us know
He gave the world the Playes, and you the Show.
IOS. HOWE. Trin. Col. Oxon.
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