Une, whom the mob, when next we find or make
A popish plot, shall for a Jesuit take,
And the wise justice starting from his chair
Cry, By your priesthood tell me what you are?'
Such was the wight: the apparel on his back,
Tho' coarse, was reverend, and though bare, was black
The suit, if by the fashion one might guess,
Was velvet in the youth of good que en Bess,
But mere tuff-taffety what now remain'd;
So time, that changes all things, had ordain'd'
Our sons shall see it leisurely decay,
First turn plain rash, then vanish quite away.
This thing has travell'd, speaks each language tco,
And knows what's fit for every state to do;
Of whose best phrase and courtly accent join'd,
He forms one tongue, exotic and refined.
Talkers I've learn'd to bear; Morteux I knew,
Henley himself I've heard, and Budgel too.
The doctor's wormwood style, the hash of tongues
A pedant makes, the storm of Gonson's lungs,
The whole artillery of the terms of war,
And (all those plagues in one) the bawling bar;
When next the 'prentices 'gainst strangers rise;
One, whom the watch at noon scarce lets go by:
One, to whom the examining justice sure would cry
Sir, by your priesthood, tell me what you are?'
His clothes were strange, though coarse, and black,
though bare,
Sleeveless his jerkin was, and had it been
Velvet, but 'twas now, (so much ground was seen)
Become tuff-taffety; and our children shall
See it plain rash a while, then nought at all.
The thing hath travail'd, and faith, speaks all tongues
And only knoweth what to all states belongs,
Made of the accents, and best phrase of all these
He speaks one language. If strange meats dis please,
Art can deceive, or hunger force my taste;
But pedants motly tongue, soldiers bumbast,
Mountebanks drug-tongue, nor the terms of law
Are strong enough preparative to draw
These I could bear; but not a rogue so civil, Whose tongue will compliment you to the devil. A tongue that can cheat widows, cancel scores, Make Scots speak treason, cozen subtlest whores, With royal favourites in flattery vie,
And Oldmixon and Burnet both outlie.
He spies me out; I whisper, 'Gracious God! What sin of mine could merit such a rod? That all the shot of dulness now must be From this thy blunderbuss discharged on me!'
'Permit,' he cries, 'no stranger to your fame To crave your sentiment, if- --'s your name. What speech esteem you most?' 'The king's,' said I 'But the best words ?'-'O, sir, the dictionary.' You miss my aim! I mean the most acute And perfect speaker?'-' Onslow, past dispute.' 'But, sir, of writers?'-'Swift, for closer style, But Hoadly for a period of a mile.'
'Why yes, 'tis granted, these indeed may pass; Good common linguists, and so Panurge was ;'
Me to hear this; yet I must be content
With his tongue, in his tongue call'd complement: In which he can win widows, and pay scores, Make men speak treason, couzen subtlest whores, Outflatter favourites, or outlie either
Jovius, or Surius, or both together.
He names me, and comes to me; I whisper, God, How have I sinn'd that thy wrath's furious rod, This fellow, chooseth me! he saith, 'Sir,
I love your judgment, whom do you prefer
For the best linguist?' and I seelily
Said that I thought Calepine's dictionary.
'Nay, but of men, most sweet sir?' Beza then, Some Jesuits, and two reverend men
Of our two academies I named.
He stopp'd me, and said, 'Nay your apostles were
Good pretty linguists; so Panurgus was,
Yet a poor gentleman; all these may pass
Nay, troth, the apostles (though perhaps too rough)
Had once a pretty gift of tongues enough:
Yet these were all poor gentlemen! I dare
Affirm, 'twas travel made them what they were'
Thus, others' talents having nicely shown.
He came by sure transition to his own:
Till I cried out, You prove yourself so able
Pity! you was not Druggerman at Babel;
For had they found a linguist half so good,
I make no question but the tower had stood.'
'Obliging sir! for courts you sure were made:
Why then for ever buried in the shade?
Spirits like you, should see and should be seen,
The king would smile on you-at least the queen
Ah, gentle sir! your courtiers so cajole us-
But Tully has it, Nunquam minus solus:
And as for courts, forgive me, if I say
No lessons now are taught the Spartan way:
Though in his pictures lust be full display'd,
Few are the converts Aretine has made;
And though the court show vice exceeding clear,
None should, by my advice, learn virtue there.'
At this entranced, he lifts his hands and eyes,
Squeaks like a high-stretch'd lutestring, and replics
Oh, 'tis the sweetest of all earthly things
To gaze on princes, and to talk of kings!'
By travail.' Then, as if he would sold
His tongue, he praised it, and such wonders told,
That I was fain to say, 'If you had lived, sir,
Time enough to have been interpreter
To Babel's bricklayers, sure the tower had stood.'
He adds, 'If of court life you knew the good,
You would leave loneless.' I said, 'Not alone
My loneless is; but Spartanes fashion
To teach by painting drunkards doth not last
Now, Aretine's pictures have made few chaste;
No more can princes courts (though there be few
Better pictures of vice) teach me virtue.'
He like to a high-stretch'd lutestring squeaks, 'O si Tis sweet to talk of kings.' 'At Westminster'
'Then happy man who shows the tombs!' said L
'He dwells amidst the royal family;
He every day from king to king can walk,
Of all our Harrys, all our Edwards talk;
And get, by speaking truth of monarchs dead,
What few can of the living-ease and bread.'
Lord, sir, a mere inechanic! strangely low,
And coarse of phrase,-your English all are so
How elegant your Frenchmen!' 'Mine d'ye mean
I have but one; I hope the fellow's clean.'
O! sir, politely so! nay, let me die,
Your only wearing is your paduasoy.'
'Not, sir, my only, I have better still,
And this you see is but my deshabille-
Wild to get loose, his patience I provoke,
Mistake, confound, object at all he spoke.
But as coarse iron, sharpen'd, mangles more,
And itch most hurts when anger'd to a sore;
So when you plague a fool, 'tis still the curse,
You only make the matter worse and worse.
He pass'd it o'er; affects an easy smile
At all my peevishness, and turns his style.
Said I, 'the man that keeps the Abbey-tombs
And for his price, doth with whoever comes
Of all our Harrys and our Edwards talk,
From king to king, and all their kin can walk :
Your ears shall hear nought but kings; your eyes mee!
Kings only the way to it is King-street.'
He smack'd, and cried, 'He's base, mechanique coarse,
So are all your Englishmen in their discourse
Are not your Frenchmen neat?' 'Mine, as you sec, have but one, sir, look, he follows me.'
Certes they are neatly cloathed. I of this mind am Your only wearing is your grogaram.' 'Not so, sir, I have more.' Under this pitch He would not fly: I chaff'd him but as itch Scratch'd into smart, and as blunt iron ground Into an edge, hurts worse: So, I (fool) found, Crossing hurt me. To fit my sullenness, He to another key his style doth dress.
He asks,' What news?' I tell him of new plays,
New eunuchs, harlequins, and operas.
He hears, and as a still with simples in it,
Between each drop it gives, stays half a minute,
Loath to enrich me with too quick replies,
By little, and by little, drops his lies.
Mere household trash! of birthnights, balls, and shows,
More than ten Hollinsheds, or Halls, or Stowes. When the queen frown'd, or smiled, he knows; and what
A subtle minister may make of that:
Who sins with whom: who got his pension rug,
Or quicken'd a reversion by a drug :
Whose place is quarter'd out, three parts in four,
And whether to a bishop, or a whore :
Who, having lost his credit, pawn'd his rent,
Is therefore fit to have a government:
Who, in the secret, deals in stocks secure,
And cheats the unknowing widow and the poor:
Who makes a trust of charity a job,
And gets an act of parliament to rob:
Why turnpikes rise, and now no cit nor clown
Can gratis see the country, or the town:
And asks what news; I tell him of new playes.
He takes my hand, and as a still, which stayes
A sembrief 'twixt each drop, he niggardly,
As loth to enrich me, so tells many a ly.
More than ten Hollensheds, or Halls, or Stows,
Of trivial household trash, he knows. He knows
When the queen frown'd or smiled! and he knows
what
A subtle statesman may gather of that:
He knows who loves whom : and who by poison
Hastes to an officer's reversion;
Who wastes in meat, in clothes, in horse, he notes;
Who loveth whores * * * * * * *
He knows who hath sold his lands, and now doth beg
A licence, old iron, boots, shoes, and egge-
Shells to transport; *
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