On Sanazar's being honoured with six hundred Duckets by the Clarissimi of Venice, for composing an Eligiack Hexastick of The City.

T' Was a blith Prince e…hang'd five hundred Crowns
For a fair Turnip; Dig, Dig on, O Clowns!
But how this comes about, Fates can you tell,
This more then Maid of Meurs, this miracle?
Let me not live, if I think not St. Mark
Has all the Oar, as well as Beasts in's Ark;
No wonder 'tis he marries the rich Sea,
But to betro…h him to nak'd Poesie,
And with a bankrupt Muse to merchandise,
His treasures beams sure have put out his eyes.
His Conquest at Lepanto I'l let pass,
When the sick Sea with Turbants Night-cap'd was:
And now at Candie his full Courage shown,
That wain'd to a wan line the half-half Moon;
This is a wreath, this is a Victorie,
Caesar himself would have look'd pale to see,
And in the height of all his Triumphs, feel
Himself but chain'd to such a mighty wheel.
And now me thinks we ape Augustus state,
So ugly we his high worth imitate,
Monkey his Godlike glories; so that we
Keep light and form, with such deformi…ie,
As I have seen an arrogant Baboo…
With a small piece of Glasse Z…ny the Sun.
Rome to her Bard, who did her battails …,
Indifferent gave to Poet and to King;
VVith the same Lawrells were his Temples … ▪
VVho best had written, and who best had fought▪
The Self same fame they equal…y did feel,
One's style ador'd as much a… th' other's Steel.
A chain or fasces she could then afford
The Sons of Phoebus, we an Ax…, or … ▪
Sometimes a Coroner was her renown,
And ours the dear preroga… of a Crown.
In marble statu'd walks great Lucan lay.
And now we walk our own pale Sta…a:
They the whole yee… with roses crownd woul… din▪
And we in all December know no wine▪
Disciplin'd, dieted, sure there hath bin
Ods 'twixt a Poet and a Capuchin.
Of Princes, Women, VVine, to sing I see
Is no Apocrypha, for to rise high
Commend this Olio of this Lord 'tis …it,
Nay ten to one but you have part of it;
There is that justice left, since you maintain
His table, he should coun…-….
Then write how well he …
Straight there'… a Bo…le to you… … roll'd.
Or with embroidered wo…ds … French Suit,
Month hence 'tis yours, with his … boot;
Or but appla…d his … to non…,
But he most nobly doth give …
Or spin an Elegie on his …
'Tis well he cries, but living hair is dear;
Yet say that out of order ther's one curl,
And all the hopes of your reward you … ▪
VVrite a deep epick Po…m, and you may
As soon delight them as the Opera,
VVhere they Diogenes thou… in his Tub,
Never so sowre did look, so sweet? club.
You that do suck for thirst you… bl…ck quil's blood,
And chaw your labour'd papers for your …ood,
I will inform you how and what to praise,
Then skiny' in Satin as young Lovelace plaies.
Beware, as you would your fie…ce gaests, your lice,
To strip the cloath of Gold from c…erish'd vice;
Rather stand off with awe and reverend fear,
Hang a poetick pendant in her …
Court her as her Adore… do …,
Though that as much of a … has,
VVhilst all the gall from your wild ink you drain,
The beauteous Sweets of Vertues Cheeks to slain;
And in your Livery let her be known,
As poor and tattered as in her own.
Nor write, nor speak you more of sacred writ,
But what shall force up your arrested wit.
Be chast Religion, and her Priests your scorn,
VVhilst the vain Fanes of Iditos you adorn,
It is a mortal errour you must know,
O… any to speak good, if he be so.
Ray I till your edged breath flea your raw throat▪
And burn all marks on all of g…n'rous note;
Each verse be an inditement▪ …, not free,
Sanctity 't self from thy Scurrility.
Libel your Father, and your Dam …
The Noblest Matrons of the Isle L…poon,
VVhilst Aretine and's bodies you dispute,
And in your sheets your Sister prostitute.
Yet there belongs a Sweetnesse, softnesse too,
VVhich you must pay, but first pray know to who▪
There is a Creature, (if I may so call
That unto a which they do all prostrate fall)
Term'd Mistress, when they'r angry, but pleas'd …
It is a Princesse, Saint, Divinity.
To this they sacrifice the whole days light,
Then lye with their Devotion all night;
For this you are to dive to the Abysse,
And rob for Pearl the Closet of some Fish.
Arabia and Sabaea you must strip
Of all their Sweets, for to supply her Lip▪
And steal new fire from Heav'n for to repair
Her unfledg'd Scalp with Berenice's hair;
Then seat her in Cassiopeia's Chair,
As now you're in your Coach. Save you bright Sir
(O spare your thanks) is not this finer far
Then walk un-hided, when that every Stone
Has knock'd acquaintance with your Anckle bone?
VVhen your wing'd papers, like the last dove, nere
Return'd to quit you of your hope or fear,
But left you to the mercy of your Host,
And your days fare, a fortified Toast.
How many battels sung in Epick strain,
Would have procur'd your head thatch from the rain?
Not all the arms of Thebes and Troy would get
One knife but to anatomize your meat,
A funeral Elegy with a sad boon
Might make you (hei) sip wine like Maccaroon;
But if perchance there did a Riband come,
Not the Train-band so fierce with all its drum;
Yet with your torch you homeward would retire▪
And heart'ly wish your bed your fun'ral Pyre.
With what a fury have I known you feed,
Upon a Contract, and the hopes't might speed;
Not the fair Bride, impatient of delay,
Doth wish like you the Beauties of that day;
Hotter than all the rosted Cooks you sat
To dresse the fricace of your Alphabet,
Which sometimes would be drawn dough Anagrame,
Sometimes Acrostick parched in the Flame;
Then Pos…es stew'd with Sippets, motto's by,
Of minced Verse a miserable Pye.
How many knots slip'd ere you twist their name,
With th'old device, as both their Heart's the same:
Whilst like to drills the Feast in your false …aw,
You would transmit at leasure to your Maw;
Then after all your fooling, fat, and wine,
Glutton'd at last, return at home to pine.
Tell me, O Sun, since first your beams did play
To Night, and did awake the sleepi…g day;
Since first your steeds of Light their race did start,
Did you ere blush as now? Oh thou that art
The common Father to the base Pissmire,
As well as great Alcide…, did the fire,
From thine owne Altar which the gods adore,
Kindle the Souls of Gnats and Wasps before?
Who would delight in his chast eyes to see,
Dormise to strike … Lights of Poesie?
Faction and Envy now is downright Rage,
Once a five knotted whip there was, the Stage,
The Beadle and the …xec…tioner,
To whip small Errors, and the great ones tear.
Now as er'e Nimrod the first King, he w…i…es,
That's strongest, th'ablest deepest bites.
The Muses weeping fly their Hill, to see
Their noblest Sons of peace in Mutinie.
Could there nought else this civil war compleat,
But Poets raging with Poetick heat,
Tearing themselves and th endl…sse wrea…h, as though
Immortal they, their wrath should be so too;
And doubly fir'd Apollo burns to see
In silent Helicon a Naumachie.
Parnassus hears these as his first alarms,
Never till now Minerva was in arms.
O more then Conqu'ror of the World great Rome!
Thy Hero's did with gentleness or'e come
Thy Foes themselves, but one another first,
Whilst Envy stript, alone was left, and burst.
The learn'd Decemviri, 'tis true did strive,
But to add flames to keep their fame alive;
Whilst the eternal Lawrel hung ith' Air;
Nor of these ten Sons was there found one Heir,
Like to the golden Tripod it did pass,
From this to this, till't came to him whose 'twas:
Caesar to Gallus trundled it, and he
To Maro, Maro, Naso, unto thee;
Naso to his Tibullus flung the wreath,
He to Catullus thus did each bequeath,
This glorious Circle to another round,
At last the Temples of their God it bound.
I might believe, at least, that each might have
A quiet fame contented in his Grave,
Envy the living not the dead, doth bite,
For after death all men receave their right.
If it be Sacriledge for to profane
Their Holy Ashes, what is't then their Flame?
He does that wrong unwee…ing or in Ire,
As if one should put out the Vestal fire.
Let Earths four quarters speak, and thou Sun bear
Now witnesse for thy Fellow-Traveller,
I was ally'd dear Vncle unto thee
In blood, but thou alas not unto me;
Your vertues, pow'rs, and mine differ'd at best,
As they whose Springs you saw, the East and West:
Let me a while be twisted in thy Shine,
And pay my due devotions at thy Shrine.
Might learned Waynman rise, who went with thee
In thy Heav'ns work beside Divinity,
I should sit still; or might… Fal…land stand,
To justifie with breath his pow'rful hand;
The glory that doth circle your pa…'Urn
Might hallow'd still and undefiled …urn;
But I forbear; Flames that ate wildl thrown
At sacred heads, …urie back u…on their own;
Sleep heav'nly Sands, whilst … they do or write,
Is to give God himself and you your right.
There is not in my mind one sullen Fate
Of old, but is concentred in our state.
Vandall ore-runners, Goths in Literature,
Ploughmen that would Parnassus n…w manure:
Ringers of Verse that All-in chime,
And toll the changes upon ever… Rhime.
A Mercer now by th'yard does measure ore
An Ode which was but by the foot before;
De…ls you an Ell of Epigram, and swears
It is the strongest and the finest Wears.
No wonder if a Drawer Verses Rack,
If 'tis not his 't may be the Spir't of Sack,
Whilst the Fair Bar-maid stroaks the Muses teat,
For milk to make the Posset up complea….
Arise thou rev'rend shade, great Iohnson rise!
Break through thy marble natural disguise;
Behold a mist of Insects, whose meer Breath,
Will melt thy hallow'd lead…n house of Death.
What was Crispinus that you should defie
The Age for him, he durst not look so high
As your immortal Rod, He still did stand
Honour'd, and held his forehead to thy brand.
These Scorpions with which we have to do,
Are Fiends, not only small but deadly too.
Well mightst thou rive thy Quill up to the Back
And scrue thy Lyre's grave chords untill they crack.
For though once Hell resented Musick, these
Divels will not, but are in worse disease.
How would thy masc'line Spirit, Father Ben,
Sweat to behold basely deposed men,
Justled from the Prerog'tive of their Bed,
Whilst wives are pe…'vig'd with their husbands head.
Each snatches the male quill from his faint hand
And must both nobler write and understand,
He to her fury the soft plume doth bow,
OPen, nere truely justly slit till now!
Now as her self a Poem she doth dresse,
And curls a Line as she would do a tresse;
Powders a Sonnet as she does her hair,
Then prostitutes them both to publick Aire
Nor is't enough that they their faces blind
With a false dye, but they must paint their mind;
In meeter scold, and in scann'd order brawl,
Yet there's one Sapho left may s…ve them all.
But now let me …ecal my passion,
Oh (from a noble Father, nobler Son!)
You that alone are the Clarissimi,
And the whole gen'rous state of Venice be,
It shall not be recorded Sanazar
Shall boa…t inthron'd alone this new made star;
You whose correcting Sweetnesse hath sorbad
Shame to the good▪ and glory to the bad,
Whose honour hath … into … tam'd,
These Swarms that now so angerly I nam'd.
Forgive what thus distemper'd Iindite,
For it is hard a Satyre not to write.
Yet as a Virgin that heats all her blood,
At the first motion of bad understood
Then at meer thought of fai… chastity,
Straight cools again the Tempests of her Sea;
So when to you I my devotions raise,
All wrath and storms do end in calms and praise.