University of Virginia Library

To his faithful ingenuous friend and old acquaintance, J. T. Gent.

Friend (in that firtil title, I dispence
To thee (at once) both love and reverence)
I do salute thee, what I now hold forth,
Is a pale prospect of thy pregnant worth,
Trick'd with a pensil of less worth then will,
And drawn by one who hath more love then skill:
The Sun hath twenty Summers strew'd the earth
With flowers, since our Acquaintance first took birth:
It vvas a season vvhen our Drums and Flutes
Did give precedency to Love and Lutes:
When men by Piety vvere so restrain'd,
They durst not think a K. could be Arraign'd:
Plays vvere in fashion too, they did not fear,
To have their plots brought to the Theater:
The big-look'd Hector-like Bravado's then
(That liv'd on Whores, and Country Gentlemen)
Were call'd the Blades, great Colonels did use
To vvear blevv Frocks, and cobble Porters shoes:
Ere Austin vvas put dovvn, and Burton Sainted,
(Thanks to my destiny) vve vvere acquainted;
Since then (I have observ'd) this annual Race
Hath put no vvrinkles on thy soul or face:
Thy look, thy language, and thy mind are svveet
Correlatives, and in one Consort meet;
Thy active spirit, and thy form complies,
To captivate mens hearts, and womens eyes:
Thy face speaks Rhetorick, and no persvvasion
Wins credit vvhere thy person makes invasion:
Thy Pen and Languages could not miscarry,
Wer't thou the greatest Princes Secretary:
Thy Poetry vvould make great Orpheus leese
His Lyre, and dance a part vvith his ovvn trees;
That thou art valiant, he doth better knovv,
Whom his ill destiny hath made thy foe:
I should inlarge my self in this Narration,
But that I find great volums out of fashion;
Besides, vvhen I conceive I have sum'd all,
I may omit some main material;
Yet hovvsoe're these rugged lines are pen'd,
No man is more your servant, then