Page images
PDF
EPUB

In foul and body, and instill

All future good and future ill;
Which in their dark fatalities lurking,
At destin❜d periods fall a working,
And break out, like the hidden feeds
Of long diseases, into deeds,

In friendships, enmities, and ftrife,
And all th' emergencies of life :

945

950

No fooner does he peep into

The world, but he has done his do,
Catch'd all diseases, took all phyfick,

That cures or kills a man that is fick;
Marry'd his punctual dofe of wives,

955

Is cuckolded, and breaks, or thrives.

There's but the twinkling of a star

Between a man of peace and war;
A thief and justice, fool and knave,
A huffing off'cer and a slave;

960

A crafty lawyer and pickpocket,

A great philosopher and a blockhead;
A formal preacher and a player,
A learn'd physician and man-slayer:
As if men from the stars did fuck
Old

age, diseases, and ill luck,

Wit, folly, honour, virtue, vice,

Trade, travel, women, claps, and dice ;
And draw, with the first air they breathe,

Battle, and murder, fudden death.

Are not these fine commodities

To be imported from the skies,
And vended here among the rabble,
For staple goods, and warrantable ?
Like money by the Druids borrow'd,
In th' other world to be restor❜d.

965

970

975

Quoth Sidrophel, to let you know
You wrong the art and artists too:
Since arguments are loft on those
That do our principles oppose ;
I will, altho' I've don't before,
Demonstrate to your sense once more,
And draw a figure that shall tell you
What you, perhaps, forget befel you ;
By way of horary inspection,

980

985

Which fome account our worst erection.
With that, he circles draws, and fquares,

With cyphers, astral characters,

Then looks 'em o'er to understand 'em,

Altho' fet down habnab at random.

Quoth he, this scheme of th' heavens set,

Discovers how in fight you met,

At Kingston, with a may-pole idol,

990

And that y'were bang'd both back and side well;

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »