The Poetical Works of the Ingenious and Learned William Meston ... The Sixth edition |
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INTRODUCTION. |
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 | The Poetical Works of the Ingenious and Learned William Meston |  |
1
INTRODUCTION.
Come on thou Muse, who only dwells,
In heads where there are empty cells,
Who once made Zachariah Boyd,
And other bards of brains as void,
When thou led up the dance, to follow,
Maugre the Nine and God Apollo,
Soaring in high Pindaric Stanzas
Above Gonsales and his Ganzas,
Up to the moon when she was full,
And when they had an empty skull,
Thou rattling, rhiming, raving gypsie,
Inspire me now till I be tipsie,
Not with thy Heliconian water,
But liquor that will make me clatter:
For all our nicest criticks think,
Good rhime's the product of good drink.
Nor can the water of Parnassus,
With wit enliven stupid asses,
Like a full glass of forty-nine,
Which clears the wit and makes it shine,
And is found better ten to one,
Than all the springs of Helicon,
To warm the brain and clear the head,
And make a Poem run with speed.
In heads where there are empty cells,
Who once made Zachariah Boyd,
And other bards of brains as void,
When thou led up the dance, to follow,
Maugre the Nine and God Apollo,
Soaring in high Pindaric Stanzas
Above Gonsales and his Ganzas,
Up to the moon when she was full,
And when they had an empty skull,
Thou rattling, rhiming, raving gypsie,
Inspire me now till I be tipsie,
Not with thy Heliconian water,
But liquor that will make me clatter:
For all our nicest criticks think,
Good rhime's the product of good drink.
Nor can the water of Parnassus,
With wit enliven stupid asses,
Like a full glass of forty-nine,
Which clears the wit and makes it shine,
And is found better ten to one,
Than all the springs of Helicon,
2
And make a Poem run with speed.
Help me to sense and to a crambo;
Thou know'st good Latin still is amho,
Tho' many of our Readers think
The rhime is good if it but clink;
For as a ship, when under sail,
Is manag'd by the helm her tail,
Just so the rudder of a verse,
Is the last syllab in its a---e,
Which makes some for a clink dispense,
With want of thought, and want of sense,
And rather than abuse the metre,
Fall out with truth, and even maltreat her;
And yet it's sure, that rhime and reason
May meet together without treason,
Against Apollo or the Muses;
He wants the last who this refuses.
Tho' like a sister and a brother,
The one oftimes supplies the other,
Yet are they not so near in kin,
But they may marry without sin.
Thou know'st good Latin still is amho,
Tho' many of our Readers think
The rhime is good if it but clink;
For as a ship, when under sail,
Is manag'd by the helm her tail,
Just so the rudder of a verse,
Is the last syllab in its a---e,
Which makes some for a clink dispense,
With want of thought, and want of sense,
And rather than abuse the metre,
Fall out with truth, and even maltreat her;
And yet it's sure, that rhime and reason
May meet together without treason,
Against Apollo or the Muses;
He wants the last who this refuses.
Tho' like a sister and a brother,
The one oftimes supplies the other,
Yet are they not so near in kin,
But they may marry without sin.
But lest thou think me over greedy,
Like supplicants who are most needy,
Put in thy hand in either sacket,
Give rhime or reason I will take it.
Gramercie, madam; now I see,
That you excell in charity,
Of both you've lent me a small share,
Hey! then I'll to Parnassus fare;
For once the rhiming trade I'll try,
Since I must either rhime or dy:
Come buy my Epick, I assure you,
Of spleen and vapours it will cure you,
An epick, say you? That's too vain,
Yea Sir I mock a lower strain.
Like supplicants who are most needy,
Put in thy hand in either sacket,
Give rhime or reason I will take it.
Gramercie, madam; now I see,
That you excell in charity,
Of both you've lent me a small share,
Hey! then I'll to Parnassus fare;
For once the rhiming trade I'll try,
Since I must either rhime or dy:
Come buy my Epick, I assure you,
Of spleen and vapours it will cure you,
An epick, say you? That's too vain,
Yea Sir I mock a lower strain.
| The Poetical Works of the Ingenious and Learned William Meston | |