Thus by their arts kings awe the world, while they
Religion, as their mistress, seem t'obey;
Yet as their flave command her; while they seem
To rife to heav'n, they make heav'n stoop to them.
2. Nor is this all, where feign'd devotion bends
The highest things, to ferve the lowest ends:
For if the many-headed beaft hath broke,
Or fhaken from his neck the royal yoke,
With pop'lar rage, religion doth confpire,
Flows into that, and fwells the torrent higher :
Then power's first pedigree from force derives,
And calls to mind the old prerogatives
Of free-born man; and with a fawcy eye
Searches the heart and foul of majesty:
Then to a ftrict account, and cenfure brings
The actions, errors, and the ends of kings;
'Treads on authority, and facred laws;
Yet all for God, and his pretended cause,
Acting fuch things for him, which he in them,
And which themselves, in others, will condemn ;
And thus engag'd, nor fafely can retire,
Nor fafely ftand, but blindly bold afpire,
Forcing their hopes, ev'n through defpair, to climb
To new attempts; difdain the present time,
Grow from difdain to threats, from threats to arms;
While they, though fons of peace, ftill found th'alarms.
Thus whether kings or people feek extreams,
Still conscience and religion are their themes;
And whatsoever change the ftate invades,
The pulpit either forces, or perfuades :
Others may give the fuel, or the fire;
But they the breath that makes the flame, inspire.
An orator of rude, but ready tongue :
Who at the temple-gate thus pleads aloud!
We know, though priests are penfioners of heav'n, Your flock which yields beft rent, is this dull crowd; The learn'd examine why their fleece is giv❜n.
Though by the rich firft fhorn, to you they bear
A fecond tribute, and by zeal fupport
Temples, which kings for glory raise, and where
The rich for fame, the learn'd as fpies refort.
Temples are your's, not God's lov'd palaces;
Where off'rings make not his, but your own feafts;
Where you moft wifely live, because at ease,
And entertain your founders as your guests:
With ease you take, what we provide with care;
And we, who your legation must maintain,
Find all your tribe in the commission are ;
And none but heav'n could send so large a train.
But being all ambaffadors from thence,
The growing charge will foon exceed our rent, Unless you please to treat at his expence
Who fent you; not at ours, where you are sent.
The ancient laws liv'd in the people's voice;
Rites you from custom, not from canon draw;
They are but fashions of a graver choice,
Which yields to laws, and now our voice is law.
Sir W. Davenant's Gondibert.
My trade is a fine, eafy, gainful cheat:
How eafy 'tis, faintfhip to counterfeit,
And pleafing fables to invent and spread;
And fools ne'er find the cheat, till they are dead?
Crown's English Frier
CIRCUMVENTION.
They must sweep my way,
And marshal me to knavery: Let it work
For 'tis the fport, to have the engineer
Hoift with his own petar: And't shall go hard,
But I will delve one yard below their mines,
And blow them at the moon. O, 'tis most sweet,
When in one line two crafts directly meet!
With advice it must be managed,
Not with a head-long rage as thou intend❜ft;
Nor in a moment can it be perform'd:
This work requires long time, diffembling looks
Commixt with undermining actions,
Watching advantages to execute.
Our foes are mighty, and their number great,
It therefore follows that our ftratagems
Must branch forth into manifold deceits,
Endless devices, bottomlefs conclufions.
We fee that undermining more prevails
Than doth the cannon. Bear your wrongs conceal'd,
And patient as the tortoise; let this camel
Stalk o'er your back unbruis'd: Sleep with the lion,
And let this brood of fecure foolish mice
Play with your noftrils, till the time be ripe
For th' bloody audit, and the fatal gripe:
Aim like a cunning fowler, close one eye,
That you the better may your game espy.
My pleasure gave thee life, and it refumes
That life again, because it kills my pleasure :
Thou art like ivy nourish'd at the root
Of fome proud oak, that, not content to creep,
And feed upon the fap, but ftretching up,
Proudly prefum'ft to overlook the top;
So that the verdure of th' ambitious imp,
Detains all admiration: The oak wants grace,
Only because the ivy is in place.
But I'll difplant thee, for no weed shall grow
So near the root from whence my lap doth flow..
He with his train effay'd
His follow'rs and dependants: they that would
Blow up a castle, will begin the mine.
Some distance from the place which they defign..
With your good patience, to hedge in the manor.
Of your neighbour, mafter Frugal? As 'tis faid,
He will not fell, nor borrow, nor exchange,
And his land lying in the midst of your
Many lordships, is a foul blemish.
2. I have thought on't, Marrall,
And it fhall take. I must have all men fellers,
And I the only purchaser.
2. I'll therefore buy fome cottage near his manor, Which done, I'll make my men break ope his fences; Ride o'er his ftanding corn, and in the night
Set fire on his barns; or break his cattle's legs.
These trefpaffes draw on fuits, and fuits expences,
Which I can spare, but will foon beggar him.
When I have hurry'd him thus, two or three years,
'I ho' he fue in forma pauperis, in fpite
Of all his thrift, and care, he'll grow behind-hand.
Then with the favour of my man of law,
I will pretend fome title: Want will force him
To put it to arbitrament: Then if he fell
For half the value, he shall have ready money,
And I poffefs his land.
Mafinger's Nerv Way to pay Old Debts.
CITIZENS.
These base mechanicks never keep their words
In any thing they promife. 'Tis their trade
To fwear and break; they all grow rich by breaking
More than their words; their honefties and credits,
Are ftill the first commodities they put off.
Johnfon's New Inn.
1. A broke-wing'd fhop-keeper! I nofe him ftraight!
He had no father, I warrant him, that durft own him :
Some foundling in a stall, or the church-porch;
Brought up in an hofpital, and fo bound 'prentice;
Then mafter of a fhop; then one of th’inqueft;
Then breaks out bankrupt, or ftarts alderman:
The original of both is a church-porch..
2. Of tome, my colonel.
1. Good faith, of most
O' your shop-citizens, they're rude animals,
And let them get but ten mile out of town,
They'll out-fwagger all the wapentake!
We're fet here to please all cuftomers,
Their humours, and their fancies; offend none :
We get by many, if we lofe by one:
May be his mind stood to no more than that.-
A pen'worth ferves him; and 'mongst trades 'tis found,
Deny a pen'worth, it may cross a pound.
Oh, he that means to thrive, with patient eye
Must please the devil, if he come to buy.
Dekker's Firft Part of the Honeft Whore.
I will turn citizen, a beauteous wife
'S th' horn-book to the richest tradefman's life.
Beaumont and Fletcher's Honeft Man's Fortune.
This fame honour with us citizens,
Is a thing we are mainly fond of, especially
When it comes without money, which is very feldom. Webfler's Devil's Law Cafe.
You have certain rich city chuffs,
That when they have no acres of their own,
Do plough up fools, and turn them to excellent meadow; Befides fome inclosures,for the first cherries in the spring, And apricocks, to pleasure a friend at court with.
Webster's Devil's Law Cafe. Indeed all our chief living, is by fools
And knaves; we could not keep open fhop elfe:
Fools that enter into bands, and knaves bind them.
I fmile to myself, to hear
Our knights and gallants fay, how they gull us
Citizens, when indeed we gull them; or
Rather they gull themfelves: Here they come,. in
Term-time, hire chambers, and, perhaps, kiss
Our wives: Well, what lose I by that
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