More
timorous
now we are than first secure.
Marvell - Poems
The distaff knocks, the grains from kettle fly.
And boys and girls in troops run hooting by.
Prudent antiquity ! that knew by shame.
Better than law, domestic broils to tame ;
And taught the youth by spectacle innocent :
So thou and I, dear Painter, represent
In quick cffisyi others' faults ; and feign.
By making them ridiculous, to restrain ;
With homely sight they chose thus to relax
The joys of state for the new peace and tax.
So Holland with us had the mastery tried,
And our next neighbours, France and Flanders,
ride.
But a fresh news the great designment nips
Off, at the isle of Candy ; Dutch and ships
Bab May and Arlington did wisely scoff.
And tliought all safe if they were so far off.
Modern geographers I 'twas there they thought,
Where Venice twenty years the Turks had fought,
(While the first year the navy is but shown,
The next divided, and the third we've none.
They by the name mistook it for that isle,
Wliere pilgrim Palmer travelled in exile,
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OP MARVELL. 225
With the bull's horn to measure his own head,
And on Pasiphae's tomb to drop a bead.
But Morrice learned demonstrates by the post.
This isle o£ Candy was on Essex coast.
Fresh messengers still the sad news assure.
More timorous now we are than first secure.
False terrors our believing fears devise,
And the French army one from Calais spies.
Bennet and May, and those of shorter reach,
Change all for guineas, and a crown for each ;
But wiser men, and men foreseen in chance.
In Holland theirs had lodged before, and
Friftice ;
Whitehall 's unsafe, the court all meditates
To fly to Windsor, and mure up the gates.
Each doth the other blame and all distrust,
But Mordaunt new obliged would sure be just.
Not such a fatal stupefaction reigned
At London flames, nor so the court complained.
The Blood worth Chancellor gives (then does
recall)
Orders, amazed, at last gives none at all.
St. Albans writ too, that he may bewail
To Monsieur Lewis, and tell coward tale,
How that the Hollanders do make a noise.
Threaten to beat us and are naughty boys.
Now Doleman 's disobedient, and they still
Uncivil, his uii kindness would us kill :
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226 THE POEMS
Tell him our ships unrigged, our forts unmanned,
Our money spent, else *t\vere at his command ;
Summon him tlierefore of his word, and prove
To move him out of pity, if not love ;
Pray him to make De Wit and Ruyter cease,
And whip the Dutch unless they hold their
peace.
But Lewis was of memory but dull,
And to St. Albans too undutiful ;
Nor word nor near relation did revere,
But asked him bluntly for his character.
The gravelled count did with this answer faint,
(His character was that which thou didst paint)
And so enforced like eriemy or spy,
Tinisses his baggage, and the camp does fly :
Yet Lewis writes, and lest our heart should break.
Condoles us morally out of Senec.
Two letters next unto Breda are sent,
In cipher one to Harry Excellent.
