AD MUSAM. I.
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ly, merry Muse, unto that merry town,Where thou mayst plays, revels, and triumphs see;The house of fame, and theatre of renown,Where all good wits and spirits love to be.Fall in between their hands that praise and love thee,[456]And be to them a laughter and a jest:But as for them which scorning shall reprove[457] thee,Disdain their wits, and think thine own the best.But if thou find any so gross and dull,That thinks I do to private taxing[458] lean, 10Bid him go hang, for he is but a gull,And knows not what an epigram doth[459] mean,Which taxeth,[460] under a particular name,A general vice which merits public blame. FOOTNOTES: [455] Dyce has carefully recorded the readings of a MS. copy (_Harl.MS._ 1836) of the present epigrams. As in most cases the variations areunimportant, I have not thought it necessary to reproduce Dyce'selaborate collation. Where the MS. readings are distinctly preferable Ihave adopted them; but in such cases I have been careful to record thereadings of the printed copies. [456] So Dyce.--Old eds. "loue and praise thee;" MS. "Seeme to lovethee." [457] So Isham copy and MS. Ed. A "approve." [458] Censuring. Dyce compares the Induction to the _Knight of theBurning Pestle_:-- "Fly far from henceAll _private taxes_." [459] So MS.--Old eds. "does." [460] MS. "Which carrieth under a peculiar name."
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