He by
extortion
brings in three times more:
Say, who's the worst, th' exactor or the whore?
Say, who's the worst, th' exactor or the whore?
Robert Herrick
EPIG.
Glass, out of deep, and out of desp'rate want,
Turn'd from a Papist here a Predicant.
A vicarage at last Tom Glass got here,
Just upon five and thirty pounds a year.
Add to that thirty-five but five pounds more,
He'll turn a Papist, ranker than before.
398. UPON EELES. EPIG.
Eeles winds and turns, and cheats and steals; yet Eeles
Driving these sharking trades, is out at heels.
400. UPON RASP. EPIG.
Rasp plays at nine-holes; and 'tis known he gets
Many a tester by his game and bets:
But of his gettings there's but little sign;
When one hole wastes more than he gets by nine.
401. UPON CENTER, A SPECTACLE-MAKER WITH A FLAT NOSE.
Center is known weak-sighted, and he sells
To others store of helpful spectacles.
Why wears he none? Because we may suppose,
Where leaven wants, there level lies the nose.
410. UPON SKINNS. EPIG.
Skinns, he dined well to-day: how do you think?
His nails they were his meat, his rheum the drink.
411. UPON PIEVISH. EPIG.
Pievish doth boast that he's the very first
Of English poets, and 'tis thought the worst.
412. UPON JOLLY AND JILLY. EPIG.
Jolly and Jilly bite and scratch all day,
But yet get children (as the neighbours say).
The reason is: though all the day they fight,
They cling and close some minutes of the night.
419. UPON PATRICK, A FOOTMAN. EPIG.
Now Patrick with his footmanship has done,
His eyes and ears strive which should fastest run.
420. UPON BRIDGET. EPIG.
Of four teeth only Bridget was possest;
Two she spat out, a cough forced out the rest.
424. UPON FLIMSEY. EPIG.
Why walks Nick Flimsey like a malcontent!
Is it because his money all is spent?
No, but because the dingthrift now is poor,
And knows not where i' th' world to borrow more.
425. UPON SHEWBREAD. EPIG.
Last night thou didst invite me home to eat;
And showed me there much plate, but little meat.
Prithee, when next thou do'st invite, bar state,
And give me meat, or give me else thy plate.
428. UPON ROOTS. EPIG.
Roots had no money; yet he went o' the score,
For a wrought purse; can any tell wherefore?
Say, what should Roots do with a purse in print,
That had not gold nor silver to put in't?
429. UPON CRAW.
Craw cracks in sirrop; and does stinking say,
Who can hold that, my friends, that will away?
430. OBSERVATION.
Who to the north, or south, doth set
His bed, male children shall beget.
433. PUTREFACTION.
Putrefaction is the end
Of all that nature doth intend.
434. PASSION.
Were there not a matter known,
There would be no passion.
435. JACK AND JILL.
Since Jack and Jill both wicked be;
It seems a wonder unto me,
That they, no better do agree.
436. UPON PARSON BEANES.
Old Parson Beanes hunts six days of the week,
And on the seventh, he has his notes to seek.
Six days he hollows so much breath away,
That on the seventh, he can nor preach or pray.
438. SHORT AND LONG BOTH LIKES.
This lady's short, that mistress she is tall;
But long or short, I'm well content with all.
440. UPON ROOK. EPIG.
Rook he sells feathers, yet he still doth cry
Fie on this pride, this female vanity.
Thus, though the Rook does rail against the sin,
He loves the gain that vanity brings in.
456. UPON SPUNGE. EPIG.
Spunge makes his boasts that he's the only man
Can hold of beer and ale an ocean;
Is this his glory? then his triumph's poor;
I know the tun of Heidleberg holds more.
464. UPON ONE WHO SAID SHE WAS ALWAYS YOUNG.
You say you're young; but when your teeth are told
To be but three, black-ey'd, we'll think you old.
465. UPON HUNCKS. EPIG.
Huncks has no money, he does swear or say,
About him, when the tavern's shot's to pay.
If he has none in 's pockets, trust me, Huncks
Has none at home in coffers, desks, or trunks.
476. UPON A CHEAP LAUNDRESS. EPIG.
Feacie, some say, doth wash her clothes i' th' lie
That sharply trickles from her either eye.
The laundresses, they envy her good-luck,
Who can with so small charges drive the buck.
What needs she fire and ashes to consume,
Who can scour linens with her own salt rheum?
_Drive the buck_, wash clothes.
482. UPON SKURF.
Skurf by his nine-bones swears, and well he may:
All know a fellon eat the tenth away.
_Fellon_, whitlow.
500. UPON JACK AND JILL. EPIG.
When Jill complains to Jack for want of meat,
Jack kisses Jill and bids her freely eat:
Jill says, Of what? says Jack, On that sweet kiss,
Which full of nectar and ambrosia is,
The food of poets. So I thought, says Jill,
That makes them look so lank, so ghost-like still.
Let poets feed on air, or what they will;
Let me feed full, till that I fart, says Jill.
503. UPON PARRAT.
Parrat protests 'tis he, and only he
Can teach a man the art of memory:
Believe him not; for he forgot it quite,
Being drunk, who 'twas that can'd his ribs last night.
514. KISSING AND BUSSING.
Kissing and bussing differ both in this;
We buss our wantons, but our wives we kiss.
520. UPON MAGGOT, A FREQUENTER OF ORDINARIES.
Maggot frequents those houses of good-cheer,
Talks most, eats most, of all the feeders there.
He raves through lean, he rages through the fat,
(What gets the master of the meal by that? )
He who with talking can devour so much,
How would he eat, were not his hindrance such?
533. ON JOAN.
Joan would go tell her hairs; and well she might,
Having but seven in all: three black, four white.
534. UPON LETCHER. EPIG.
Letcher was carted first about the streets,
For false position in his neighbour's sheets:
Next, hanged for thieving: now the people say,
His carting was the prologue to this play.
535. UPON DUNDRIGE.
Dundrige his issue hath; but is not styl'd,
For all his issue, father of one child.
553. WAY IN A CROWD.
Once on a Lord Mayor's Day, in Cheapside, when
Skulls could not well pass through that scum of men,
For quick despatch Skulls made no longer stay
Than but to breathe, and everyone gave way;
For, as he breathed, the people swore from thence
A fart flew out, or a sir-reverence.
_Sir-reverence_, "save-reverence," the word of apology used for the
indecency itself.
557. UPON ONE-EY'D BROOMSTED. EPIG.
Broomsted a lameness got by cold and beer:
And to the bath went, to be cured there:
His feet were helped, and left his crutch behind;
But home returned, as he went forth, half blind.
563. UPON SIBILLA.
With paste of almonds, Syb her hands doth scour;
Then gives it to the children to devour.
In cream she bathes her thighs, more soft than silk;
Then to the poor she freely gives the milk.
570. UPON TOOLY.
The eggs of pheasants wry-nosed Tooly sells,
But ne'er so much as licks the speckled shells:
Only, if one prove addled, that he eats
With superstition, as the cream of meats.
The cock and hen he feeds; but not a bone
He ever picked, as yet, of anyone.
_Superstition_, reverence.
573. UPON BLANCH. EPIG.
I have seen many maidens to have hair,
Both for their comely need and some to spare;
But Blanch has not so much upon her head
As to bind up her chaps when she is dead.
574. UPON UMBER.
Umber was painting of a lion fierce,
And, working it, by chance from Umber's erse
Flew out a crack, so mighty, that the fart,
As Umber states, did make his lion start.
579. UPON URLES.
Urles had the gout so, that he could not stand;
Then from his feet it shifted to his hand:
When 'twas in's feet, his charity was small;
Now 'tis in's hand, he gives no alms at all.
580. UPON FRANCK.
Franck ne'er wore silk she swears; but I reply,
She now wears silk to hide her blood-shot eye.
590. UPON A FREE MAID, WITH A FOUL BREATH.
You say you'll kiss me, and I thank you for it;
But stinking breath, I do as hell abhor it.
591. UPON COONE. EPIG.
What is the reason Coone so dully smells?
His nose is over-cool'd with icicles.
596. UPON SPALT.
Of pushes Spalt has such a knotty race,
He needs a tucker for to burl his face.
_Pushes_, pimples.
_Tucker_, a fuller.
_Burl_, to remove knots from cloth.
597. OF HORNE, A COMBMAKER.
Horne sells to others teeth; but has not one
To grace his own gums, or of box, or bone.
600. UPON A SOUR-BREATH LADY. EPIG.
Fie, quoth my lady, what a stink is here?
When 'twas her breath that was the carrionere.
_Carrionere_, carrion-carrier.
612. UPON COCK.
Cock calls his wife his Hen: when Cock goes to't,
Cock treads his Hen, but treads her underfoot.
632. UPON BRAN. EPIG.
What made that mirth last night? the neighbours say,
That Bran the baker did his breech beray:
I rather think, though they may speak the worst,
'Twas to his batch, but leaven laid there first.
_Beray_, befoul.
633. UPON SNARE, AN USURER.
Snare, ten i' th' hundred calls his wife; and why?
She brings in much by carnal usury.
He by extortion brings in three times more:
Say, who's the worst, th' exactor or the whore?
634. UPON GRUDGINGS.
Grudgings turns bread to stones, when to the poor
He gives an alms, and chides them from his door.
638. UPON GANDER. EPIG.
Since Gander did his pretty youngling wed,
Gander, they say, doth each night piss a-bed:
What is the cause? Why, Gander will reply,
No goose lays good eggs that is trodden dry.
639. UPON LUNGS. EPIG.
Lungs, as some say, ne'er sets him down to eat
But that his breath does fly-blow all the meat.
650. UPON COB. EPIG.
Cob clouts his shoes, and, as the story tells,
His thumb nails par'd afford him sparrables.
_Sparrables_, "sparrow-bills," headless nails.
652. UPON SKOLES. EPIG.
Skoles stinks so deadly, that his breeches loath
His dampish buttocks furthermore to clothe;
Cloy'd they are up with arse; but hope, one blast
Will whirl about, and blow them thence at last.
661. UPON JONE AND JANE.
Jone is a wench that's painted;
Jone is a girl that's tainted;
Yet Jone she goes
Like one of those
Whom purity had sainted.
Jane is a girl that's pretty;
Jane is a wench that's witty;
Yet who would think,
Her breath does stink,
As so it doth? that's pity.
668. UPON ZELOT.
Is Zelot pure? he is: yet! see he wears
The sign of circumcision in his ears.
670. UPON MADAM URSLY. EPIG.
For ropes of pearl, first Madam Ursly shows
A chain of corns picked from her ears and toes;
Then, next, to match Tradescant's curious shells,
Nails from her fingers mew'd she shows: what else?
Why then, forsooth, a carcanet is shown
Of teeth, as deaf as nuts, and all her own.
_Tradescant_, a collector of curiosities. See Note.
_Mew'd_, moulted.
_Deaf as nuts. _ _Cf. _ De Quincey, "a deaf nut offering no kernel. "
705. UPON TRIGG. EPIG.
Trigg having turn'd his suit, he struts in state,
And tells the world he's now regenerate.
706. UPON SMEATON.
How could Luke Smeaton wear a shoe, or boot,
Who two-and-thirty corns had on a foot.
714. LAXARE FIBULAM.
To loose the button is no less,
Than to cast off all bashfulness.
730. UPON FRANCK.
Franck would go scour her teeth; and setting to 't
Twice two fell out, all rotten at the root.
733. UPON PAUL. EPIG.
Paul's hands do give; what give they, bread or meat,
Or money? no, but only dew and sweat.
As stones and salt gloves use to give, even so
Paul's hands do give, nought else for ought we know.
734. UPON SIBB. EPIG.
Sibb, when she saw her face how hard it was,
For anger spat on thee, her looking-glass:
But weep not, crystal; for the same was meant
Not unto thee, but that thou didst present.
755. UPON SLOUCH.
Slouch he packs up, and goes to several fairs,
And weekly markets for to sell his wares:
Meantime that he from place to place does roam,
His wife her own ware sells as fast at home.
797. UPON BICE.
Bice laughs, when no man speaks; and doth protest.
It is his own breech there that breaks the jest.
798. UPON TRENCHERMAN.
Tom shifts the trenchers; yet he never can
Endure that lukewarm name of serving-man:
Serve or not serve, let Tom do what he can,
He is a serving, who's a trencher-man.
801. UPON COMELY, A GOOD SPEAKER BUT AN ILL SINGER. EPIG.
Comely acts well; and when he speaks his part,
He doth it with the sweetest tones of art:
But when he sings a psalm, there's none can be
More curs'd for singing out of tune than he.
802. ANY WAY FOR WEALTH.
E'en all religious courses to be rich
Hath been rehers'd by Joel Michelditch:
But now perceiving that it still does please
The sterner fates, to cross his purposes;
He tacks about, and now he doth profess
Rich he will be by all unrighteousness;
Thus if our ship fails of her anchor hold
We'll love the divel, so he lands the gold.
803. UPON AN OLD WOMAN.
Old Widow Prouse, to do her neighbours evil,
Would give, some say, her soul unto the devil.
Well, when she's kill'd that pig, goose, cock, or hen,
What would she give to get that soul again?
804. UPON PEARCH. EPIG.
Thou writes in prose how sweet all virgins be;
But there's not one, doth praise the smell of thee.
818. UPON LOACH.
Seal'd up with night-gum, Loach each morning lies,
Till his wife licking, so unglues his eyes.
No question then, but such a lick is sweet,
When a warm tongue does with such ambers meet.
824. UPON NODES.
Wherever Nodes does in the summer come,
He prays his harvest may be well brought home.
What store of corn has careful Nodes, think you,
Whose field his foot is, and whose barn his shoe?
831. UPON TAP.
Tap, better known than trusted, as we hear,
Sold his old mother's spectacles for beer:
And not unlikely; rather too than fail,
He'll sell her eyes, and nose, for beer and ale.
834. UPON PUNCHIN. EPIG.
Give me a reason why men call
Punchin a dry plant-animal.
Because as plants by water grow,
Punchin by beer and ale spreads so.
836. UPON BLINKS. EPIG.
Tom Blinks his nose is full of weals, and these
Tom calls not pimples, but pimpleides;
Sometimes, in mirth, he says each whelk's a spark,
When drunk with beer, to light him home i' th' dark.
837. UPON ADAM PEAPES. EPIG.
Peapes he does strut, and pick his teeth, as if
His jaws had tir'd on some large chine of beef.
But nothing so: the dinner Adam had,
Was cheese full ripe with tears, with bread as sad.
_Sad_, heavy: "watery cheese and ill-baked bread".
844. HANCH, A SCHOOLMASTER. EPIG.
Hanch, since he lately did inter his wife,
He weeps and sighs, as weary of his life.
Say, is't for real grief he mourns? not so;
Tears have their springs from joy, as well as woe.
845. UPON PEASON. EPIG.
Long locks of late our zealot Peason wears,
Not for to hide his high and mighty ears;
No, but because he would not have it seen
That stubble stands where once large ears have been.
880. KISSES LOATHSOME.
I abhor the slimy kiss,
Which to me most loathsome is.
Those lips please me which are placed
Close, but not too strictly laced:
Yielding I would have them; yet
Not a wimbling tongue admit:
What should poking-sticks make there,
When the ruffe is set elswhere?
881. UPON REAPE.
Reape's eyes so raw are that, it seems, the flies
Mistake the flesh, and fly-blow both his eyes;
So that an angler, for a day's expense,
May bait his hook with maggots taken thence.
882. UPON TEAGE.
Teage has told lies so long that when Teage tells
Truth, yet Teage's truths are untruths, nothing else.
884. UPON TRUGGIN.
Truggin a footman was; but now, grown lame,
Truggin now lives but to belie his name.
886. UPON SPENKE.
Spenke has a strong breath, yet short prayers saith;
Not out of want of breath, but want of faith.
888. UPON LULLS.
Lulls swears he is all heart; but you'll suppose
By his proboscis that he is all nose.
897. SURFEITS.
Bad are all surfeits; but physicians call
That surfeit took by bread the worst of all.
898. UPON NIS.
Nis he makes verses; but the lines he writes
Serve but for matter to make paper kites.
905. UPON PRICKLES. EPIG.
Prickles is waspish, and puts forth his sting
For bread, drink, butter, cheese; for everything
That Prickles buys puts Prickles out of frame;
How well his nature's fitted to his name!
945. UPON BLISSE.
Blisse, last night drunk, did kiss his mother's knee;
Where will he kiss, next drunk, conjecture ye.
946. UPON BURR.
Burr is a smell-feast, and a man alone,
That, where meat is, will be a hanger on.
947. UPON MEG.
Meg yesterday was troubled with a pose,
Which, this night harden'd, sodders up her nose.
_Pose_, rheum, cold in the head.
961. UPON RALPH.
Ralph pares his nails, his warts, his corns, and Ralph
In sev'rall tills and boxes, keeps 'em safe;
Instead of hartshorn, if he speaks the troth,
To make a lusty-jelly for his broth.
966. UPON VINEGAR.
Vinegar is no other, I define,
Than the dead corps, or carcase of the wine.
967. UPON MUDGE.
Mudge every morning to the postern comes,
His teeth all out, to rinse and wash his gums.
971. UPON LUPES.
Lupes for the outside of his suit has paid;
But for his heart, he cannot have it made;
The reason is, his credit cannot get
The inward garbage for his clothes as yet.
972. RAGS.
What are our patches, tatters, rags, and rents,
But the base dregs and lees of vestiments?
974. UPON TUBBS.
For thirty years Tubbs has been proud and poor;
'Tis now his habit, which he can't give o'er.
984. UPON SPOKES.
Spokes, when he sees a roasted pig, he swears
Nothing he loves on't but the chaps and ears:
But carve to him the fat flanks, and he shall
Rid these, and those, and part by part eat all.
988. UPON FAUNUS.
We read how Faunus, he the shepherds' god,
His wife to death whipped with a myrtle rod.
The rod, perhaps, was better'd by the name;
But had it been of birch, the death's the same.
989. THE QUINTELL.
Up with the quintell, that the rout,
May fart for joy, as well as shout:
Either's welcome, stink or civit,
If we take it, as they give it.
999. UPON PENNY.
Brown bread Tom Penny eats, and must of right,
Because his stock will not hold out for white.
1013. UPON BUGGINS.
Buggins is drunk all night, all day he sleeps;
This is the level-coil that Buggins keeps.
1027.
Glass, out of deep, and out of desp'rate want,
Turn'd from a Papist here a Predicant.
A vicarage at last Tom Glass got here,
Just upon five and thirty pounds a year.
Add to that thirty-five but five pounds more,
He'll turn a Papist, ranker than before.
398. UPON EELES. EPIG.
Eeles winds and turns, and cheats and steals; yet Eeles
Driving these sharking trades, is out at heels.
400. UPON RASP. EPIG.
Rasp plays at nine-holes; and 'tis known he gets
Many a tester by his game and bets:
But of his gettings there's but little sign;
When one hole wastes more than he gets by nine.
401. UPON CENTER, A SPECTACLE-MAKER WITH A FLAT NOSE.
Center is known weak-sighted, and he sells
To others store of helpful spectacles.
Why wears he none? Because we may suppose,
Where leaven wants, there level lies the nose.
410. UPON SKINNS. EPIG.
Skinns, he dined well to-day: how do you think?
His nails they were his meat, his rheum the drink.
411. UPON PIEVISH. EPIG.
Pievish doth boast that he's the very first
Of English poets, and 'tis thought the worst.
412. UPON JOLLY AND JILLY. EPIG.
Jolly and Jilly bite and scratch all day,
But yet get children (as the neighbours say).
The reason is: though all the day they fight,
They cling and close some minutes of the night.
419. UPON PATRICK, A FOOTMAN. EPIG.
Now Patrick with his footmanship has done,
His eyes and ears strive which should fastest run.
420. UPON BRIDGET. EPIG.
Of four teeth only Bridget was possest;
Two she spat out, a cough forced out the rest.
424. UPON FLIMSEY. EPIG.
Why walks Nick Flimsey like a malcontent!
Is it because his money all is spent?
No, but because the dingthrift now is poor,
And knows not where i' th' world to borrow more.
425. UPON SHEWBREAD. EPIG.
Last night thou didst invite me home to eat;
And showed me there much plate, but little meat.
Prithee, when next thou do'st invite, bar state,
And give me meat, or give me else thy plate.
428. UPON ROOTS. EPIG.
Roots had no money; yet he went o' the score,
For a wrought purse; can any tell wherefore?
Say, what should Roots do with a purse in print,
That had not gold nor silver to put in't?
429. UPON CRAW.
Craw cracks in sirrop; and does stinking say,
Who can hold that, my friends, that will away?
430. OBSERVATION.
Who to the north, or south, doth set
His bed, male children shall beget.
433. PUTREFACTION.
Putrefaction is the end
Of all that nature doth intend.
434. PASSION.
Were there not a matter known,
There would be no passion.
435. JACK AND JILL.
Since Jack and Jill both wicked be;
It seems a wonder unto me,
That they, no better do agree.
436. UPON PARSON BEANES.
Old Parson Beanes hunts six days of the week,
And on the seventh, he has his notes to seek.
Six days he hollows so much breath away,
That on the seventh, he can nor preach or pray.
438. SHORT AND LONG BOTH LIKES.
This lady's short, that mistress she is tall;
But long or short, I'm well content with all.
440. UPON ROOK. EPIG.
Rook he sells feathers, yet he still doth cry
Fie on this pride, this female vanity.
Thus, though the Rook does rail against the sin,
He loves the gain that vanity brings in.
456. UPON SPUNGE. EPIG.
Spunge makes his boasts that he's the only man
Can hold of beer and ale an ocean;
Is this his glory? then his triumph's poor;
I know the tun of Heidleberg holds more.
464. UPON ONE WHO SAID SHE WAS ALWAYS YOUNG.
You say you're young; but when your teeth are told
To be but three, black-ey'd, we'll think you old.
465. UPON HUNCKS. EPIG.
Huncks has no money, he does swear or say,
About him, when the tavern's shot's to pay.
If he has none in 's pockets, trust me, Huncks
Has none at home in coffers, desks, or trunks.
476. UPON A CHEAP LAUNDRESS. EPIG.
Feacie, some say, doth wash her clothes i' th' lie
That sharply trickles from her either eye.
The laundresses, they envy her good-luck,
Who can with so small charges drive the buck.
What needs she fire and ashes to consume,
Who can scour linens with her own salt rheum?
_Drive the buck_, wash clothes.
482. UPON SKURF.
Skurf by his nine-bones swears, and well he may:
All know a fellon eat the tenth away.
_Fellon_, whitlow.
500. UPON JACK AND JILL. EPIG.
When Jill complains to Jack for want of meat,
Jack kisses Jill and bids her freely eat:
Jill says, Of what? says Jack, On that sweet kiss,
Which full of nectar and ambrosia is,
The food of poets. So I thought, says Jill,
That makes them look so lank, so ghost-like still.
Let poets feed on air, or what they will;
Let me feed full, till that I fart, says Jill.
503. UPON PARRAT.
Parrat protests 'tis he, and only he
Can teach a man the art of memory:
Believe him not; for he forgot it quite,
Being drunk, who 'twas that can'd his ribs last night.
514. KISSING AND BUSSING.
Kissing and bussing differ both in this;
We buss our wantons, but our wives we kiss.
520. UPON MAGGOT, A FREQUENTER OF ORDINARIES.
Maggot frequents those houses of good-cheer,
Talks most, eats most, of all the feeders there.
He raves through lean, he rages through the fat,
(What gets the master of the meal by that? )
He who with talking can devour so much,
How would he eat, were not his hindrance such?
533. ON JOAN.
Joan would go tell her hairs; and well she might,
Having but seven in all: three black, four white.
534. UPON LETCHER. EPIG.
Letcher was carted first about the streets,
For false position in his neighbour's sheets:
Next, hanged for thieving: now the people say,
His carting was the prologue to this play.
535. UPON DUNDRIGE.
Dundrige his issue hath; but is not styl'd,
For all his issue, father of one child.
553. WAY IN A CROWD.
Once on a Lord Mayor's Day, in Cheapside, when
Skulls could not well pass through that scum of men,
For quick despatch Skulls made no longer stay
Than but to breathe, and everyone gave way;
For, as he breathed, the people swore from thence
A fart flew out, or a sir-reverence.
_Sir-reverence_, "save-reverence," the word of apology used for the
indecency itself.
557. UPON ONE-EY'D BROOMSTED. EPIG.
Broomsted a lameness got by cold and beer:
And to the bath went, to be cured there:
His feet were helped, and left his crutch behind;
But home returned, as he went forth, half blind.
563. UPON SIBILLA.
With paste of almonds, Syb her hands doth scour;
Then gives it to the children to devour.
In cream she bathes her thighs, more soft than silk;
Then to the poor she freely gives the milk.
570. UPON TOOLY.
The eggs of pheasants wry-nosed Tooly sells,
But ne'er so much as licks the speckled shells:
Only, if one prove addled, that he eats
With superstition, as the cream of meats.
The cock and hen he feeds; but not a bone
He ever picked, as yet, of anyone.
_Superstition_, reverence.
573. UPON BLANCH. EPIG.
I have seen many maidens to have hair,
Both for their comely need and some to spare;
But Blanch has not so much upon her head
As to bind up her chaps when she is dead.
574. UPON UMBER.
Umber was painting of a lion fierce,
And, working it, by chance from Umber's erse
Flew out a crack, so mighty, that the fart,
As Umber states, did make his lion start.
579. UPON URLES.
Urles had the gout so, that he could not stand;
Then from his feet it shifted to his hand:
When 'twas in's feet, his charity was small;
Now 'tis in's hand, he gives no alms at all.
580. UPON FRANCK.
Franck ne'er wore silk she swears; but I reply,
She now wears silk to hide her blood-shot eye.
590. UPON A FREE MAID, WITH A FOUL BREATH.
You say you'll kiss me, and I thank you for it;
But stinking breath, I do as hell abhor it.
591. UPON COONE. EPIG.
What is the reason Coone so dully smells?
His nose is over-cool'd with icicles.
596. UPON SPALT.
Of pushes Spalt has such a knotty race,
He needs a tucker for to burl his face.
_Pushes_, pimples.
_Tucker_, a fuller.
_Burl_, to remove knots from cloth.
597. OF HORNE, A COMBMAKER.
Horne sells to others teeth; but has not one
To grace his own gums, or of box, or bone.
600. UPON A SOUR-BREATH LADY. EPIG.
Fie, quoth my lady, what a stink is here?
When 'twas her breath that was the carrionere.
_Carrionere_, carrion-carrier.
612. UPON COCK.
Cock calls his wife his Hen: when Cock goes to't,
Cock treads his Hen, but treads her underfoot.
632. UPON BRAN. EPIG.
What made that mirth last night? the neighbours say,
That Bran the baker did his breech beray:
I rather think, though they may speak the worst,
'Twas to his batch, but leaven laid there first.
_Beray_, befoul.
633. UPON SNARE, AN USURER.
Snare, ten i' th' hundred calls his wife; and why?
She brings in much by carnal usury.
He by extortion brings in three times more:
Say, who's the worst, th' exactor or the whore?
634. UPON GRUDGINGS.
Grudgings turns bread to stones, when to the poor
He gives an alms, and chides them from his door.
638. UPON GANDER. EPIG.
Since Gander did his pretty youngling wed,
Gander, they say, doth each night piss a-bed:
What is the cause? Why, Gander will reply,
No goose lays good eggs that is trodden dry.
639. UPON LUNGS. EPIG.
Lungs, as some say, ne'er sets him down to eat
But that his breath does fly-blow all the meat.
650. UPON COB. EPIG.
Cob clouts his shoes, and, as the story tells,
His thumb nails par'd afford him sparrables.
_Sparrables_, "sparrow-bills," headless nails.
652. UPON SKOLES. EPIG.
Skoles stinks so deadly, that his breeches loath
His dampish buttocks furthermore to clothe;
Cloy'd they are up with arse; but hope, one blast
Will whirl about, and blow them thence at last.
661. UPON JONE AND JANE.
Jone is a wench that's painted;
Jone is a girl that's tainted;
Yet Jone she goes
Like one of those
Whom purity had sainted.
Jane is a girl that's pretty;
Jane is a wench that's witty;
Yet who would think,
Her breath does stink,
As so it doth? that's pity.
668. UPON ZELOT.
Is Zelot pure? he is: yet! see he wears
The sign of circumcision in his ears.
670. UPON MADAM URSLY. EPIG.
For ropes of pearl, first Madam Ursly shows
A chain of corns picked from her ears and toes;
Then, next, to match Tradescant's curious shells,
Nails from her fingers mew'd she shows: what else?
Why then, forsooth, a carcanet is shown
Of teeth, as deaf as nuts, and all her own.
_Tradescant_, a collector of curiosities. See Note.
_Mew'd_, moulted.
_Deaf as nuts. _ _Cf. _ De Quincey, "a deaf nut offering no kernel. "
705. UPON TRIGG. EPIG.
Trigg having turn'd his suit, he struts in state,
And tells the world he's now regenerate.
706. UPON SMEATON.
How could Luke Smeaton wear a shoe, or boot,
Who two-and-thirty corns had on a foot.
714. LAXARE FIBULAM.
To loose the button is no less,
Than to cast off all bashfulness.
730. UPON FRANCK.
Franck would go scour her teeth; and setting to 't
Twice two fell out, all rotten at the root.
733. UPON PAUL. EPIG.
Paul's hands do give; what give they, bread or meat,
Or money? no, but only dew and sweat.
As stones and salt gloves use to give, even so
Paul's hands do give, nought else for ought we know.
734. UPON SIBB. EPIG.
Sibb, when she saw her face how hard it was,
For anger spat on thee, her looking-glass:
But weep not, crystal; for the same was meant
Not unto thee, but that thou didst present.
755. UPON SLOUCH.
Slouch he packs up, and goes to several fairs,
And weekly markets for to sell his wares:
Meantime that he from place to place does roam,
His wife her own ware sells as fast at home.
797. UPON BICE.
Bice laughs, when no man speaks; and doth protest.
It is his own breech there that breaks the jest.
798. UPON TRENCHERMAN.
Tom shifts the trenchers; yet he never can
Endure that lukewarm name of serving-man:
Serve or not serve, let Tom do what he can,
He is a serving, who's a trencher-man.
801. UPON COMELY, A GOOD SPEAKER BUT AN ILL SINGER. EPIG.
Comely acts well; and when he speaks his part,
He doth it with the sweetest tones of art:
But when he sings a psalm, there's none can be
More curs'd for singing out of tune than he.
802. ANY WAY FOR WEALTH.
E'en all religious courses to be rich
Hath been rehers'd by Joel Michelditch:
But now perceiving that it still does please
The sterner fates, to cross his purposes;
He tacks about, and now he doth profess
Rich he will be by all unrighteousness;
Thus if our ship fails of her anchor hold
We'll love the divel, so he lands the gold.
803. UPON AN OLD WOMAN.
Old Widow Prouse, to do her neighbours evil,
Would give, some say, her soul unto the devil.
Well, when she's kill'd that pig, goose, cock, or hen,
What would she give to get that soul again?
804. UPON PEARCH. EPIG.
Thou writes in prose how sweet all virgins be;
But there's not one, doth praise the smell of thee.
818. UPON LOACH.
Seal'd up with night-gum, Loach each morning lies,
Till his wife licking, so unglues his eyes.
No question then, but such a lick is sweet,
When a warm tongue does with such ambers meet.
824. UPON NODES.
Wherever Nodes does in the summer come,
He prays his harvest may be well brought home.
What store of corn has careful Nodes, think you,
Whose field his foot is, and whose barn his shoe?
831. UPON TAP.
Tap, better known than trusted, as we hear,
Sold his old mother's spectacles for beer:
And not unlikely; rather too than fail,
He'll sell her eyes, and nose, for beer and ale.
834. UPON PUNCHIN. EPIG.
Give me a reason why men call
Punchin a dry plant-animal.
Because as plants by water grow,
Punchin by beer and ale spreads so.
836. UPON BLINKS. EPIG.
Tom Blinks his nose is full of weals, and these
Tom calls not pimples, but pimpleides;
Sometimes, in mirth, he says each whelk's a spark,
When drunk with beer, to light him home i' th' dark.
837. UPON ADAM PEAPES. EPIG.
Peapes he does strut, and pick his teeth, as if
His jaws had tir'd on some large chine of beef.
But nothing so: the dinner Adam had,
Was cheese full ripe with tears, with bread as sad.
_Sad_, heavy: "watery cheese and ill-baked bread".
844. HANCH, A SCHOOLMASTER. EPIG.
Hanch, since he lately did inter his wife,
He weeps and sighs, as weary of his life.
Say, is't for real grief he mourns? not so;
Tears have their springs from joy, as well as woe.
845. UPON PEASON. EPIG.
Long locks of late our zealot Peason wears,
Not for to hide his high and mighty ears;
No, but because he would not have it seen
That stubble stands where once large ears have been.
880. KISSES LOATHSOME.
I abhor the slimy kiss,
Which to me most loathsome is.
Those lips please me which are placed
Close, but not too strictly laced:
Yielding I would have them; yet
Not a wimbling tongue admit:
What should poking-sticks make there,
When the ruffe is set elswhere?
881. UPON REAPE.
Reape's eyes so raw are that, it seems, the flies
Mistake the flesh, and fly-blow both his eyes;
So that an angler, for a day's expense,
May bait his hook with maggots taken thence.
882. UPON TEAGE.
Teage has told lies so long that when Teage tells
Truth, yet Teage's truths are untruths, nothing else.
884. UPON TRUGGIN.
Truggin a footman was; but now, grown lame,
Truggin now lives but to belie his name.
886. UPON SPENKE.
Spenke has a strong breath, yet short prayers saith;
Not out of want of breath, but want of faith.
888. UPON LULLS.
Lulls swears he is all heart; but you'll suppose
By his proboscis that he is all nose.
897. SURFEITS.
Bad are all surfeits; but physicians call
That surfeit took by bread the worst of all.
898. UPON NIS.
Nis he makes verses; but the lines he writes
Serve but for matter to make paper kites.
905. UPON PRICKLES. EPIG.
Prickles is waspish, and puts forth his sting
For bread, drink, butter, cheese; for everything
That Prickles buys puts Prickles out of frame;
How well his nature's fitted to his name!
945. UPON BLISSE.
Blisse, last night drunk, did kiss his mother's knee;
Where will he kiss, next drunk, conjecture ye.
946. UPON BURR.
Burr is a smell-feast, and a man alone,
That, where meat is, will be a hanger on.
947. UPON MEG.
Meg yesterday was troubled with a pose,
Which, this night harden'd, sodders up her nose.
_Pose_, rheum, cold in the head.
961. UPON RALPH.
Ralph pares his nails, his warts, his corns, and Ralph
In sev'rall tills and boxes, keeps 'em safe;
Instead of hartshorn, if he speaks the troth,
To make a lusty-jelly for his broth.
966. UPON VINEGAR.
Vinegar is no other, I define,
Than the dead corps, or carcase of the wine.
967. UPON MUDGE.
Mudge every morning to the postern comes,
His teeth all out, to rinse and wash his gums.
971. UPON LUPES.
Lupes for the outside of his suit has paid;
But for his heart, he cannot have it made;
The reason is, his credit cannot get
The inward garbage for his clothes as yet.
972. RAGS.
What are our patches, tatters, rags, and rents,
But the base dregs and lees of vestiments?
974. UPON TUBBS.
For thirty years Tubbs has been proud and poor;
'Tis now his habit, which he can't give o'er.
984. UPON SPOKES.
Spokes, when he sees a roasted pig, he swears
Nothing he loves on't but the chaps and ears:
But carve to him the fat flanks, and he shall
Rid these, and those, and part by part eat all.
988. UPON FAUNUS.
We read how Faunus, he the shepherds' god,
His wife to death whipped with a myrtle rod.
The rod, perhaps, was better'd by the name;
But had it been of birch, the death's the same.
989. THE QUINTELL.
Up with the quintell, that the rout,
May fart for joy, as well as shout:
Either's welcome, stink or civit,
If we take it, as they give it.
999. UPON PENNY.
Brown bread Tom Penny eats, and must of right,
Because his stock will not hold out for white.
1013. UPON BUGGINS.
Buggins is drunk all night, all day he sleeps;
This is the level-coil that Buggins keeps.
1027.
