No sooner is a ship at sea surpris'd, But straight he learns the news, and doth disclose it; No sooner hath the Turk a plot devis'd To conquer Christendom, but straight he knows it.* Fair-written in a scroll he hath thet names Of all the widows which the plague hath made; And persons, times, and places, still he frames To every tale, the better to persuade. We call him Fame, for that the wide-mouth slave Will eat as fast as he will utter lies; For Fame is said an hundred mouths to have, And he eats more than would five-score suffice. IN PAULUM. XLI. By lawful mart, and by unlawful stealth, IN LYCUM. XLII. Lycus, which lately is to Venice gone, * No sooner hath the Turk a plot devis'd To conquer Christendom, but straight he knows it] So MS.-These two lines are omitted in eds. ↑ the] So ed. A, and MS.-Not in eds. B, C. which] So eds.-MS. "that." § Paulus] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A. "Paules."— MS. "Palus." spite] So eds.-MS. "fight." ocean so much] So eds. B, C.-Ed, A much."-MS. "ocean much." IN PUBLIUM. XLIII. Publius, a student at the Common-Law, His satin doublet and his velvet hose ++ And rightly too on him this filth doth fall,+t+ Which for such filthy sports §§§ his books |||||} forsakes,¶¶¶ Leaving **** old Ployden, ++++ Dyer, and Brooke alone, To see old Harry Hunkes and Sacarson.‡‡‡‡ IN SYLLAM. XLIV. When I this proposition had defended, "A coward cannot be an honest man," Thou, Sylla, seem'st forthwith §§§§ to be offended, And hold'st the contrary, and swear'st ¶¶¶¶ he can. *a] So MS.-Not in eds. tbooks] So eds.-MS. "booke." this] So eds.-Not in MS. To Paris-garden] i. e. to the bear-garden on the Bankside, Southwark.-So eds. A, B.-Ed. C "To Parishgarden."-MS. "The Parish garden." As] So eds.-MS. "That." Where] So eds. B, C; and MS.-Ed. A "were." **To head] So eds. A, B; and MS.-Ed. C "head." tt hose] i. e. breeches. Then is he] So MS.-Eds. "When he is." §§ his] So eds. B, C; and MS.-Ed. A "a. hall] So ed. A; and MS.-Eds. B, C, "shall." ¶¶ of] So MS.-Eds. "with." *** muted] i.e. dunged. ttt too on him this filth doth fall] So eds.-MS. "doth such filth vpon him fall." **that] Eds. "the."-MS. "ye."-The original manuscript, in all probability, had "yt" (that). † which lately] So eds.-MS. "that is of late." do] So eds.-MS. "doth." §§ gain three for one] In our author's days, it was a common practice for persons, before setting out on their travels, to deposit a sum of money, on condition of receiving large interest for it at their return: if they never returned, the deposit was forfeited. Innumerable allusions to "putters out" occur in the works published during the reigns of Elizabeth and James. and] So eds.-MS. "or." Which] So eds.-MS. "That." $$$ sports] So eds. B, C; and MS.-Ed. A "spots." books] So eds.-MS "booke." ¶¶¶ forsakes] So eds. B, C; and MS.-Ed. A "forsake." **** Leaving] So eds.-MS. "And leaues." tttt Ployden] i.e. Plowden. 1: Sacarson] So eds. -MS. "Sakerstone." Harry Hunkes and Sacarson were two bears at Paris-Garden: the latter was the more famous, and is mentioned by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor, act 1, sc. 1. §§§§ Sylla, seem'st forthwith] So eds.-MS. "seemst forthwith, Sella." hold'st] So MS.-Eds. "holdes " (and "holds'). ¶¶¶¶ swear'st] So MS.-Eds. "sweres." But, when I tell thee that he will forsake And so we end our argument and strife: IN DACUM. XLV. Dacust, with some good colour and pretence, Terms his love's beauty "silent eloquence;" For she doth lay more colours on her face Than ever Tully us'd his speech to grace. Nor what great town in all the Netherlands To Paris-garden,+ Cock-pit, or the play; Or what he shall unto his mistress say. Yet with these thoughts he thinks himself most fit To be of counsel with a king for wit. IN MARCUM. XLVI. Why dost thou, Marcus, in thy misery Rail and blaspheme, and call the heavens unkind? AD MUSAM. XLVIII. Peace, idle Muse, have done! for it is time, MEDITATIONS OF A GULL. XLVII. See, yonder melancholy gentleman, He thinks not of the war 'twixt France and Spain, Whether it be for Europe's good or ill, *oft, and think] So eds.-MS. "and I thinke." Dacus, &c.] I am sorry to believe that by Dacus (who is spoken of with great contempt in Epigram xxx) our author means Samuel Daniel; but the following lines in that very pleasing writers Complaint of Rosamond (which was first printed in 1592) certainly would seem to be alluded to here; "Ah, beauty, syren, faire enchanting good, P. 39,-Daniel's Certaine Small Workes, &c. 1611. This and the three next Epigrams are not in MS. this] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "hig." § do owe] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "draw." * States] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "starres." § my] So eds. B, C.-Not in ed. A. Banks his horse] i. e. Banks's horse: see note **, p. 360, first col. Lepidus his printed dog] i. e. Lepidus's printed dog. So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "Lepidus hie printed dogge." The following epigram by Sir John Harington determines that he is the Lepidus of this passage and that his favourite dog Bungey is the "printed dog." In a compartment of the engraved title-page to Harington's Orlando Furioso, 1591, is a representation of Bungey (see too the Annotations on Book xli of that poem); and hence he is termed by Davies the "printed dog." "Against Momus, in praise of his dog Bungey. Besides, this Muse of mine and the black feather Yet that same dog, I may say this and boast it, That in my name I beare, this in mine heart. * fresh] So eds. A, B.-Not in ed. C. 39 And both, grown stale, were cast away together: What fame is this that scarce lasts out a fashion? Only this last in credit doth remain, That from henceforth each bastard cast-forth rhyme, Which doth but savour of a libel vein, Shall call me father, and be thought my crime; * the multitude] After these words eds. have "J. D.' IGNOTO.* I LOVE thee not for sacred chastity,- I love thee not for that my soul doth dance To some (by thee made happy) poet's line; But wilt thou know wherefore? fair sweet, for all. Faith, wench, I cannot court thy sprightly eyes, I am not fashion'd for these amorous times, Ignoto] This copy of verses is found only in ed. A. luxury] i. e. lust. small] i. o., I suppose, of the waist. Sweet wench, I love thee: yet I will not sue, I'll not carouse a health to honour thee, In glory that I am thy servile ass; * buss] i. e. kiss. cock] A very old corruption of the sacred name. This is proved by the equally common expressions, “Cock's passion," "Cock's body," &c. bezzling] i. e. tippling, sotting. § bousing glass] i. e. drinking-glass. |