 | The Royall Master |  |
Vpon Mr. James Shirley his Comedy, cal'd The Royall Master.
VVhen
Spencer reign'd sole Prince of Poets here,
As by his Fairy Queene doth well appeare
There was not one so blind, so bold a Bard,
So ignorantly proud or foolish-hard
To encounter his sweete Muse; for Phœbus vow'd
A sharpe revenge on him should be so proud;
And when my Shirley from the Albion shore
Comes laden with the Muses, all their store
Transferres to Dublin, full Parnassus brings,
And all the riches of Castalian Springs;
Shall we not welcome him with our just votes?
And shall we doo't with harsh and envious notes?
No no, Thalia, Envy shall not sit
So high above our judgement, and our wit,
As not to give just merit his due praise,
And crowne thy Poet with deserved Bayes,
As by his Fairy Queene doth well appeare
There was not one so blind, so bold a Bard,
So ignorantly proud or foolish-hard
To encounter his sweete Muse; for Phœbus vow'd
A sharpe revenge on him should be so proud;
And when my Shirley from the Albion shore
Comes laden with the Muses, all their store
Transferres to Dublin, full Parnassus brings,
And all the riches of Castalian Springs;
Shall we not welcome him with our just votes?
And shall we doo't with harsh and envious notes?
No no, Thalia, Envy shall not sit
So high above our judgement, and our wit,
As not to give just merit his due praise,
And crowne thy Poet with deserved Bayes,
Shirley stand forth, and put thy Lawrell on,
Phœbus next heire, now Ben is dead and gone,
Truly legitimate, Ireland is so just
To say, you rise the Phenix of his dust,
And since thy Royall Master won so much
On each Iudicious, and hath stood the touch,
Tis fit he should be more then private, when
He weares two Crownes, their votes, and thy smooth penne.
Phœbus next heire, now Ben is dead and gone,
Truly legitimate, Ireland is so just
To say, you rise the Phenix of his dust,
And since thy Royall Master won so much
On each Iudicious, and hath stood the touch,
He weares two Crownes, their votes, and thy smooth penne.
Drv. Cooper.
| The Royall Master | |