As, with the safety and honor of the laws, You favor truth, and me, in this man's cause!

ANOTHER TO THE SAME.

The judge his favor timely then extends,
When a good cause is destitute of friends,
Without the pomp of counsel, or more aid,
Than to make falsehood blush, and fraud afraid;
When those good few, that her defenders be,
Are there for charity, and not for fee.

Such shall you hear to-day, and find great foes
Both armed with wealth and slander to oppose,
Who, thus long safe, would gain upon the times
A right by the prosperity of their crimes;
Who, though their guilt and perjury they know,
Think, yea, and boast, that they have done it so,
As, though the court pursues them on the scent,
They will come off, and 'scape the punishment.
When this appears, just lord, to your sharp
sight,

He does you wrong, that craves you to do right.

AN EPIGRAM

TO THE COUNSELLOR THAT PLEADED, AND CARRIED THE CAUSE.

That I hereafter do not think the bar,

The seat made of a more than civil war;

Or the great hall of Westminster, the field

Where mutual frauds are fought, and no side

yield;

That henceforth I believe nor books, nor men,

-;

41

Who,'gainst the law weave calumnies, my.
But when I read or hear the names so rife
Of hirelings, wranglers, stitchers-to of strife,
Hook-handed harpies, gownèd vultures, put
Upon the reverend pleaders, do now shut
All mouths that dare entitle them, from hence,
To the wolf's study, or dog's eloquence;
Thou art my cause whose manners, since I knew,
Have made me to conceive a lawyer new.
So dost thou study matter, men, and times,
Mak'st it religion to grow rich by crimes;
Dar'st not abuse thy wisdom in the laws,
Or skill to carry out an evil cause,

But first dost vex, and search it; if not sound,
Thou prov'st the gentler ways to cleanse the

wound,

And make the scar fair; if that will not be,
Thou hast the brave scorn to put back the fee!
But in a business that will bide the touch,
What use, what strength of reason, and how
much

Of books, of precedents, hast thou at hand!
As if the general store thou didst command
Of argument, still drawing forth the best,

41 This blank, I imagine, was to have been filled with the name of the counsellor who pleaded in the cause: it must be a word of one syllable, and answer in rhyme to men, the close of the preceding verse. From these particulars it is probable the person here meant was Anthony Benn, who succeeded the Solicitor Coventry in the ecordership of London.-W.

And not being borrowed by thee, but pos

sessed.

So com'st thou like a chief into the court
Armed at all pieces, as to keep a fort
Against a multitude; and, with thy style

So brightly brandished, wound'st, defend'st, the while

Thy adversaries fall, as not a word

They had, but were a reed unto thy sword!
Then com'st thou off with victory and palm,
Thy hearer's nectar, and thy client's balm,
The court's just honor, and thy judge's love;
And, which doth all achievements get above,
Thy sincere practice breeds not thee a fame
Alone, but all thy rank a reverend name.

AN EPIGRAM.

TO THE SMALL-POX. 42

Envious and foul Disease, could there not be One beauty in an age, and free from thee? What did she worth thy spite? were there not store

Of those that set by their false faces more Than this did by her true? she never sought Quarrel with nature, or in balance brought

42 The ravages of the small-pox on beautiful women, and persons of quality, supplied a prolific theme for the poets, who for the most part treated the subject in an extravagant spirit of hyperbole. Corbet, Cartwright, and Dryden may be particularly referred to for examples. - B.

43

Art her false servant; nor, for Sir Hugh Plat,"
Was drawn to practise other hue than that
Her own blood gave her: she ne'er had, nor hath
Any belief in Madam Bawdbee's bath,**

Or Turner's oil of talc; not ever got

Spanish receipt to make her teeth to rot. What was the cause then? thought'st thou, in disgrace

Of beauty, so to nullify a face,

That heaven should make no more? or should

amiss

Make all hereafter, hadst thou ruined this?
Ay, that thy aim was; but her fate prevailed,
And, scorned, thou'st shown thy malice, but hast
failed!

AN EPITAPH.

What beauty would have lovely styled,
What manners pretty, nature mild,
What wonder perfect, all were filed
Upon record, in this blest child.

And, till the coming of the soul
To fetch the flesh, we keep the roll.

A SONG.

LOVER.

Come, let us here enjoy the shade,
For love in shadow best is made.

48 A compiler of recipes for making cosmetics, oils, ointments, &c. One of his books is entitled Delights for Ladies to adorn their Persons, &c., 1628. — G.

44 The allusion is to the hot-houses. See ante, p. 8.

Though envy oft his shadow be,

None brooks the sunlight worse than he.

MISTRESS.

Where love doth shine, there needs no sun.
All lights into his one do run,

Without which all the world were dark;
Yet he himself is but a spark.

ARBITER.

A spark to set whole world afire,
Who, more they burn, they more desire,
And have their being, their waste to see;
And waste still, that they still might be.

CHORUS.

Such are his powers, whom time hath styled, Now swift, now slow, now tame, now wild; Now hot, now cold, now fierce, now mild; The eldest god, yet still a child.

AN EPISTLE TO A FRIEND.

Sir, I am thankful, first to heaven for you; Next to yourself, for making your love true: Then to your love and gift. And all's but due.

You have unto my store added a book,
On which with profit I shall never look,
But must confess from whom that gift I took.