Thus
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OMMENDATORY POEMS. 1x1 Thus thy fair Shepherdess, which the bold heap(False to themselves and thee) did prize so cheap.Was found (when understood) fit to be crown'd;At worst 'twas worth two hundred thousand pound. Some blast thy works, lest we should track their vwalk,Wliere they steal all those few gocd things they talk;Wit-burglary must chide those it feeds on.For plvmder'd folks ought to be rail'd upon;But (as stoln goods go off at half theu* worth)Thy strong sense pedis, when they purloin it forth.When didst thou borrow? where's the man e*er readAught begg'd by thee from those alive or dead ?Or from dry goddesses ? as some who, \dienThey stuff their page with gods, write worse than men;Thou wast thine own muse, and hadst such vast odds.Thou out-writ'st him whose verse made all those gods:Surpassing those our dwarfish age up-rears.As much as Greeks, or Latins, thee in years :Thy ocean fancy knew nor banks nor damms;We ebb down dry to pebble-awog^raww;Dead and insipid, aU despairing sit ;Lost to behold this great relapse of wit :What strength remains, is like that (wild and fierce)'Till JonsOn made good poets and right verse. Such boist'rous trifles thy muse would not brook.Save when she'd shew how scurvily they look ;No savage metaphors (things rudely great)Thou dost display, not butcfier a conceit ;Thy nerves have beauty, which invades and charms;Looks like a princess hamess'd in bright arms. Nor art thou loud and cloudy ; those, that doThunder so much, do't without lightning too ;Tearing themselves, and ahnost split their brainTo render harsh what thou speak 'st free and clean ;Such gloomy sense may pass for high and proud.But true-bom wit still flies abm^e the cloud ;Thou knew'st 'twas impotence, what they call height;Who blusters strong i;th' dark, but creeps i'th* light. And as thy dioughts were clear, so, innocent; y Thy fancy gave no unswept language vent ;Slander' st not laws, prophan'st no holy page(As if thy father's crosier aw'd the stage) ;High crimes were still arraign' d; though they made shiftTo prosper out yb^r acts, were plagu*d \\}i^ fifth:All's safe, and wise ; no stiff affected scene, ' Nor swoln, nor flat, a true full natural veui ; ' Thy sense (like well-drest ladies) cloath'd as skinned.Not all unlac'd, nor city-starch'd and pinn'd ?Thou hadst no sloth, no rage, no sullen fit.But strength and mirth; Fletcher's a sanguine wit. Thus, two great cowsz/Z-poets all things sway'd,*Till all was English born or English made :Mitre and coif here into one piece spun,Beaumont's 2l judges, this a prelates son.What strange production is at last display*d.Got by twe fathets, without female aid ! Behold, ^^ .^ .. i: ''.E-MS. '<. •. • « ^ ocherj> -: a mother. J. Bkrkeniiead." . '/--ITCH En, mw at length printed. . . • I * '.'i:o equal stai*'. oa ;irc . . . :■.■■,' u^ divide your wit,^ s'C. who had equal lir«V •-.• uitlv- inspire j . •••'t*. the other write,. . :ho other did indite^. *o matter, th' other dress,v. ui ill' other did express :\ .;> ivtween y^irselves lay, wek, ■>. \ Jii did, but one tliread see j.•i:t . ^o geiuly spun,• • \.uuro ne'er did smoother run.. . . ^ ." '. :\\ my praise then? or what part• iri-rous labours hath desertV ..i.ud than otlier r Shall I say,,x I • »xei- s«) drawn hi your play,V. vvv^.^^ x'lv written, so inflani'd, V X ,* v.xi* c.uag'd, then gently tamM, ■ uwlinj^ have the person scon,\ » . |vn li.ilh part stage and actor been?v-j v^t I I viv, that I ciMi scarv."e ibrbear,;. ». wlien I a * captain do nxet there-^ V ^x-^ix in his «)\vn viiin humour drest,» • » I'^Mhi'lv, and like hinbolt'c.vi/iest. ;v''. sn^uUTn cowards, when they ^aw him play'd, V \^ . M\i>hM, departed, guihy and beU.iy'd ? \ »'u \\ rote all parts right ; whatsoe'er the stageMid ti«»m you, was seen there as in the age,\nd h.id their equal life: vices which wereM.innerH abroad, did grow corrected tliere:riii'v who possest a l)ox and half-crown spentTil learn obscenenes:», return'd innocent,^nd ihank'd you for this coz'nage, whose chaste scener.iu|.',hl loves so noble, so reform'd, so clean,TImi I hey, who brought foul fires, and thiihcr camo'I'll lKi!>i;ain, went tliimce with a holy llame.llr'f III your praise too, that '^ your stock and vein1 Irld both to tragic and to cxniiic strain j * / Ititkiuhntd.] //rrA/w//rrtf/ was first amanuensis to bishop Laud, and follow of All-s»ml# I Ir \\ Mi Jiiillior of the Mcrairius Aulicus, a verj- loyal paper in the time of liic rebel-*n»M ll«' Will iHT irc'iiird nmrh in ( -romwcirs days, and lived bv his wits; afurward> he had.,ii|iil pliii I I innli-i Kiii^". ( 'liarlcK the Second, was member of parriamcnt, and knighted.
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