Comedies, Tragi-comedies, With other Poems by Mr William Cartwright ... The Ayres and Songs set by Mr Henry Lawes |
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On Mr Stokes his Book on the Art of Vaulting.
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 | Comedies, Tragi-comedies, With other Poems |  |
On Mr Stokes his Book on the Art of Vaulting.
OR, In librum vere Cabalisticum de Ascensu Corporum gravium h. e. in Tractatu de Arte Saliendi editum à Guil. Stokes Almæ Academiæ Hipparcho, & solo temporum horum Ephialte, Carmen de sultorium.
Reader, here is such a Book,
VVill make you leap before you look,
And shift, without being thought a Rook.
VVill make you leap before you look,
And shift, without being thought a Rook.
The Author's Airy, light, and thin;
VVhom no man saw e'r break a Shin,
Or ever yet leap out of's Skin.
VVhom no man saw e'r break a Shin,
Or ever yet leap out of's Skin.
210
When e'r he strain'd at Horse, or Bell,
Tom Charles himself who came to smell
His faults, still swore 'twas clean and well.
Tom Charles himself who came to smell
His faults, still swore 'twas clean and well.
His tricks are here in figures dim,
Each line is heavier than his Limb,
And Shadows weighty are to him.
Each line is heavier than his Limb,
And Shadows weighty are to him.
Were Dee alive, or Billingsly,
We shortly should each passage see
Demonstrated by A.B.C.
We shortly should each passage see
Demonstrated by A.B.C.
How would they vex their Mathematicks,
Their Ponderations, and their Staticks,
To shew the Art of these Volaticks?
Their Ponderations, and their Staticks,
To shew the Art of these Volaticks?
Be A the Horse, and the Man B.
Parts from the girdle upwards C,
And from the girdle downward D.
Parts from the girdle upwards C,
And from the girdle downward D.
If the parts D. proportion'd weigh
To the parts C. neither will sway,
But B lye equall upon A.
To the parts C. neither will sway,
But B lye equall upon A.
Thus would his Horse and all his vectures,
Reduc'd to figures, and to sectures,
Produce new Diagrams and Lectures.
Reduc'd to figures, and to sectures,
Produce new Diagrams and Lectures.
And justly too, for the Pomado,
And the most intricate Strapado,
He'l do for naught in a Bravado.
And the most intricate Strapado,
He'l do for naught in a Bravado.
211
The Herculean Leap he can with slight,
And that twice fifty times a night,
To please the Ladies: Will is right.
And that twice fifty times a night,
To please the Ladies: Will is right.
The Angelica ne'r put him too't,
Then for the Pegasus, he'l do't
And strike a Fountain with his foot.
Then for the Pegasus, he'l do't
And strike a Fountain with his foot.
When he the Stag-Leap does, you'd swear
The Stag himself, if he were there,
Would like the unwieldy Oxe appear.
The Stag himself, if he were there,
Would like the unwieldy Oxe appear.
He'l fit his strength, if you desire,
Just as his Horse, Lower or Higher,
And twist his Limbs like nealed wyer.
Just as his Horse, Lower or Higher,
And twist his Limbs like nealed wyer.
Had you, as I, but seen him once,
You'd swear that Nature for the nonce,
Had made his Body without Bones.
You'd swear that Nature for the nonce,
Had made his Body without Bones.
For Arms, sometimes hee'l lye on one,
Sometimes on both, sometimes on none,
And like a Meteor hang alone.
Sometimes on both, sometimes on none,
And like a Meteor hang alone.
Let none henceforth our Eares abuse,
How Dædalus scap'd the twining Stewes,
Alas that is but flying news.
How Dædalus scap'd the twining Stewes,
Alas that is but flying news.
He us'd wax plumes, as Ovid sings,
Will scorns to tamper with such things,
He is a Dædalus without Wings.
Will scorns to tamper with such things,
He is a Dædalus without Wings.
212
Good faith, the Mewes had best look to't,
Lest they go down, and Sheen to boot,
Will and his wooden Horse will do't.
Lest they go down, and Sheen to boot,
Will and his wooden Horse will do't.
The Troian Steed let Souldiers scan,
And praise th' Invention you that can,
Will puts 'em down both Horse and Man.
And praise th' Invention you that can,
Will puts 'em down both Horse and Man.
At once six Horses Theutobocchus
Leap'd o'r, if Florus do not mock us,
'Twas well, but let him not provoke us;
Leap'd o'r, if Florus do not mock us,
'Twas well, but let him not provoke us;
For were the matter to be tri'd,
'Twere Gold to Silver, on Will's side,
He'd quell that Theutobocchus Pride.
'Twere Gold to Silver, on Will's side,
He'd quell that Theutobocchus Pride.
I'l say, but this to end the brawle,
Let Theutobocchus in the fall
Cut Will's Cross Caper, and take all.
Let Theutobocchus in the fall
Cut Will's Cross Caper, and take all.
Then go thy ways, Brave Will, for one,
By Jove 'tis thou must Leap, or none,
To pull bright honour from the Moon.
By Jove 'tis thou must Leap, or none,
To pull bright honour from the Moon.
Philippus Stoicus e Societate Portæ Borealis Oxon.
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