* Perhaps Beachem, a
jeweller
mentioned by Pepys.
Marvell - Poems
281
To proceed in the model, he called in his Aliens,
The two Aliens when jovial, who ply him with
gallons ;
The two Aliens who served his blind justice for
balance,
The two Aliens who served his injustice for
talons.
Thej approve it thus far, and said it was fine ;
Yet his lordship to finish it would be unable,
Unless all abroad he divulged the design,
For his house then would grow like a vegetable.
His rent would no more in arrear run to Wor'ster ;
He should dwell more noble and cheap too at
home.
While into a fabric the presents would muster ;
As by hook and by crook the world clustered
of atom.
He liked the advice and then soon it essayed,
And presents crowd headlong to give good
example.
So the bribes overlaid her that Rome once be*
trayed ;
The tribes ne'er contributed so to the temple.
Straight judges, priests, bishops, true sons of the
seal.
Sinners, governors, farmers, bankers, patentees,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
282 THE FOEMS
Bring in the whole mite of a year at a meal.
As the Chedder club's dairy to the incorporate
cheese.
Bulteale's, BeaVn's,* Morley's, Wren's fingers
with telling
Were shrivelled, and Clatterbuck's, Eager*^,
and Kipps' ;
Since the act of oblivion was never such selling,
As at this benevolence out of the snips.
Twas then that the chimney-contractors he smoked,
Nor would take his beloved canary in kind :
But he swore that the patent should ne'er be
revoked,
No, would the whole parliament kiss him behind.
Like Jove under ^tna o'erwhelming the giant.
For foundation the Bristol sunk in the earth's
bowel ;
And St John must now for the leads be compliant,
Or his right hand shall be cut off with a trowel.
For surveying the building, 'twas Prat did the feat ;
But for the expense he relied on Woi'stenholm,
Who sat heretofore at the king's receipt.
But received now and paid the Chancellor's
custom.
* Perhaps Beachem, a jeweller mentioned by Pepys.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
OF MAKVKLL. 283
By subsidies thus both cleric and laic,
And with matter profane cemented with holy ;
He finished at last his palace mosaic,
By a model more excellent than Lesly*s folly.
And upon the terrace, to consummate all,
A lantern like Faux's, surveys the burnt
town,
And shows on the top by the regal gilt ball,
Where you are to expect the sceptre and
crown.
Fond city, its rubbish and ruins that builds,
Like vain chemists, a flower from its ashes
returning.
Your metropolis house is in St. James's fields,
And till there you remove, you shall never
leave burning.
This temple of war and of peace is the shrine.
Where this idol of state sits adored and
accursed ;
To handsel his altar and nostrils divine.
Great Buckingham's sacrifice must be the
first.
Now some (as all builders must censure abide)
Throw dust in its front, and blame situation :
And others as much reprehend his back-side.
As too narrow by far for his expatiation ;
Digitized by VjOOQIC
284 THE POEMS
But do not consider how in process of times,
That for namesake he may with Hyde-Park it
enhirge,
And with that convenience he soon, for his crimes,
At Tyburn may land and spare the Tower-
barge.
Or rather how wisely his stall was built near.
Lest with di'iving too far his tallow impair ;
When like the good ox, ft>r public good-cheer.
He comes to be roasted next St. James's fair.
To proceed in the model, he called in his Aliens,
The two Aliens when jovial, who ply him with
gallons ;
The two Aliens who served his blind justice for
balance,
The two Aliens who served his injustice for
talons.
Thej approve it thus far, and said it was fine ;
Yet his lordship to finish it would be unable,
Unless all abroad he divulged the design,
For his house then would grow like a vegetable.
His rent would no more in arrear run to Wor'ster ;
He should dwell more noble and cheap too at
home.
While into a fabric the presents would muster ;
As by hook and by crook the world clustered
of atom.
He liked the advice and then soon it essayed,
And presents crowd headlong to give good
example.
So the bribes overlaid her that Rome once be*
trayed ;
The tribes ne'er contributed so to the temple.
Straight judges, priests, bishops, true sons of the
seal.
Sinners, governors, farmers, bankers, patentees,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
282 THE FOEMS
Bring in the whole mite of a year at a meal.
As the Chedder club's dairy to the incorporate
cheese.
Bulteale's, BeaVn's,* Morley's, Wren's fingers
with telling
Were shrivelled, and Clatterbuck's, Eager*^,
and Kipps' ;
Since the act of oblivion was never such selling,
As at this benevolence out of the snips.
Twas then that the chimney-contractors he smoked,
Nor would take his beloved canary in kind :
But he swore that the patent should ne'er be
revoked,
No, would the whole parliament kiss him behind.
Like Jove under ^tna o'erwhelming the giant.
For foundation the Bristol sunk in the earth's
bowel ;
And St John must now for the leads be compliant,
Or his right hand shall be cut off with a trowel.
For surveying the building, 'twas Prat did the feat ;
But for the expense he relied on Woi'stenholm,
Who sat heretofore at the king's receipt.
But received now and paid the Chancellor's
custom.
* Perhaps Beachem, a jeweller mentioned by Pepys.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
OF MAKVKLL. 283
By subsidies thus both cleric and laic,
And with matter profane cemented with holy ;
He finished at last his palace mosaic,
By a model more excellent than Lesly*s folly.
And upon the terrace, to consummate all,
A lantern like Faux's, surveys the burnt
town,
And shows on the top by the regal gilt ball,
Where you are to expect the sceptre and
crown.
Fond city, its rubbish and ruins that builds,
Like vain chemists, a flower from its ashes
returning.
Your metropolis house is in St. James's fields,
And till there you remove, you shall never
leave burning.
This temple of war and of peace is the shrine.
Where this idol of state sits adored and
accursed ;
To handsel his altar and nostrils divine.
Great Buckingham's sacrifice must be the
first.
Now some (as all builders must censure abide)
Throw dust in its front, and blame situation :
And others as much reprehend his back-side.
As too narrow by far for his expatiation ;
Digitized by VjOOQIC
284 THE POEMS
But do not consider how in process of times,
That for namesake he may with Hyde-Park it
enhirge,
And with that convenience he soon, for his crimes,
At Tyburn may land and spare the Tower-
barge.
Or rather how wisely his stall was built near.
Lest with di'iving too far his tallow impair ;
When like the good ox, ft>r public good-cheer.
He comes to be roasted next St. James's fair.
