Classic Poem

IDYL: 4

Nor WONDER , if the loud Praerogative
Scatter our Dust, & licke our Sweat, to Live
With the same Innocence, as Fishes Mudde;
Land Cormorants may Challeng them for food;
Who grasse to Lions? or Slaine Bullocks flings
To Camells? the whole world, through severall Things
Eats her selfe up; the Estrich, may digest
A Broken Rocke, & on a Plough Share feast;
Some Eate the fruits, & some the Juice of Earth
Whose quicke returnes bring second Fodders forth,
Fatted, to feed themselves. Arabia yeilds
Noe wonder in her Bird, (if true) which builds
Her funerall Pile, her Cradle; the world, weake,
Reveiwes her Selfe, & what the Ancients Speake
From the first Symbole, Traditorie Truth
Is soe indeed. If wee observe the Growth,
And decay of Things, the world is All
One Phaenix; & makes new originall
From her owne Ashes; as she one Day must
Start, from one flame, new & refined Dust,
She, now in parcells, Dictates, to her Earth
The Transmigration of an Entire Birth;
Therfore I must Correct myselfe; to know
Man, but a Feather; if he fall or grow,
Tis but observed, till another Coat
Gives a new Wing; & weare the Eye sore out.
Tis but a mewing Time; what matter if
Cold Gorges, crampe the feet? Our Eyeass Life
Complaines unpittied; we're indeed soe Dull
In the Nest Gutt, wee Crye fasting & full.
Though Tyrranny (big Swolne in all formes,
Vulture, or Moll) doe Swoop or hunt out wormes,
Men borne for bondage; 'tis not in our Choice
How wee shall Bleed, if Blood be made the Price.
And 'tis as easie Smart, to give that Breath
In Ayre, as Earth; resolvd a certaine Death,
For Kings act open-fac'd, but what of late
Wee see pursued, under the Masque of State;
Where fatted fellow creepers Dig new Seams
And catch it, warme layd; delvinge the extreams
Of the darke Centre, with an Eager Foot;
And wee are strangled, ere our neighbors know't.
This yet, I'de rather Shun, might I but creepe
To breath in Royall Ayre, then Dye soe Deepe.
But nothing bootes my fancy; when I span
My selfe to Judgment in the Circle Man;
(And overtoild Affections, wounded Send
To Reason, at his need, my nearest freind)
I boldly looke on Either, and refuse
Neither; but comply to the Genius
Directs all forme. I can as well keep bare
To a Cotton Bench, as to a velvet Chaire;
'Tis all one to my Ease, to all the Right
I claime in Man; to all the Benefitt
Of Fortune, (if my former Errors, had
Not lodg'd mee (they, malignant say, I) Madd,
For Sideing is a madnes, where the Hand
Acts to a Somewhat, we but understand
In the Relations) if the Essence be
Resolved through, in the necessitie.
I know noe Argument in Reason Springs
T'oppose the forme, by Commonwealths, or Kings;
Nor is't a Sickly bending in the Blood,
But a firme Truth, to what I've understood
From the whole question; which ill stated, Swaies
Us to our owne Affections Severall Waies;
But to the Eye of Reason, (if wee must
Live under Power) all Power is equall Just.
Man is a kind of Sea-weed (if we may
Run to the Simile, the world, a Sea).
Wee lye weake Spriggs which upon water floate,
Osyers in Ayre, but Corrall at the Root,
Empire low firm'd, a Plant congeal'd, a Rocke
Torne up, a Babble, or a whistle Stalke;
The large Amphibion, now resolv'd, is hung.
To make proud females was our wonder long.
Empire & State, the formes of Government,
The originall of Power, & the Discent
Are now but Easie Problemes; a Discourse
For unconcerned Women; or what's worse,
Taught Children quarrell Crown's: & can declaime
Power, with their Spoone-meat, under any Name;
Can tumble Junius Brutus, & conferre
The Phillipicks, with all our moderne Stirre;
And can name Oligarchy, with more Ease
Then a Loome flitter can Church Hierarchies;
Such Definitions, with their Milke; & prove
Authority, to what their Mothers Love;
And see the Reason, ere they well can prate.
Who Rules the House, to Them, governs the State.
For my owne part, I love a Woeman Witt
As a Tam'd Hare, that strikes a Drumming fitt;
Or the Cag'd Squirrell, with a jing of Bells;
Machanicke Entertaine! & the face Sells
Sometimes at better Rate, where they can top
The commers, with the Tangle of the Shop.
But whither Toothed, run I, in mistake?
May the Sex live long flatterd, for his Sake;
Who put the Witt upon em for a Boast,
And got his End, Such Labour, never Lost.
Draw out the Scheme; take the Ascendent right,
Jupiter; Venus lost, unto our Sight;
And then read on; wee've whirl'd the Pin of State,
Fraile Axis; & see Power, not Constellate;
Caesar, (noe starre within our Region knowne
Trust in a knott of Tullies Mourning gowne)
Is but a Wild fire, to wast Senate Raggs,
And Silence Cato, whose too bitter braggs
Of Libertie, Chain'd others in the Quest
And lost his owne, by a new Power opprest.
The Slumbers of our Age, (if we could tell
Them out, broad-wakeing) ancient Dreams reveale;
If Life be little more, tis fond expence
To hang up State, fring'd with a Reverence
For better Curtains; & wrought Pillow's bring
Pownc'd Law, stitched Common-Wealth, & purled King.
More trouble to our Rest, lye downe & Sleepe
The Folly out, which others Laugh or Weepe.