1602 _B_: A Satire: to S^{r}
Nicholas Smith.
Nicholas Smith.
John Donne
100
"The mind, you know is like a Table-book,
Which, th'old unwipt, new writing never took.
Hear how the Huishers Checques, Cupbord and Fire
I pass'd; by which Degrees young men aspire
In Court; And how that idle and she-state, 105
Whenas my judgment cleer'd, my soul did hate;
How I found there (if that my trifling Pen
Durst take so hard a Task) Kings were but men,
And by their Place more noted, if they erre;
How they and their Lords unworthy men prefer; 110
And, as unthrifts had rather give away
Great Summs to flatterers, than small debts pay,
So they their weakness hide, and greatness show,
By giving them that which to worth they owe:
What Treason is, and what did Essex kill, 115
Not true Treason, but Treason handled ill;
And which of them stood for their Countries good,
Or what might be the Cause of so much Blood.
He said she stunck, and men might not have said
That she was old before that she was dead. 120
His Case was hard, to do or suffer; loth
To do, he made it harder, and did both.
Too much preparing lost them all their Lives,
Like some in Plagues kill'd with preservatives.
Friends, like land-souldiers in a storm at Sea, 125
Not knowing what to do, for him did pray.
They told it all the world; where was their wit?
Cuffs putting on a sword, might have told it.
And Princes must fear Favorites more then Foes,
For still beyond Revenge Ambition goes. 130
How since Her death, with Sumpter-horse that Scot
Hath rid, who, at his coming up, had not
A Sumpter-dog. But till that I can write
Things worth thy Tenth reading (dear Nick) goodnight.
[To S^{r} Nicholas Smyth. _Ed_: Satyra Sexta. To S^{r} _&c. _
_S_: Satires to S^{r} Nic: Smith.
1602 _B_: A Satire: to S^{r}
Nicholas Smith. 1602, _L74_: A Satyricall Letter to S^{r}
Nich: Smith. Quere, if Donnes or S^{r} Th: Rowes. _O'F_: _no
title_ _N_, _TCD_ (_JR in margin_): Satyre VI. _1669_ (_on
which the present text is based_)]
[1 Sleep, next] Sleep next, _1669_]
[2 slip _1669_, _S_: skipp _B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TCD_. _In
1669 full stops after slip and rock me and no stop after
troubles_]
[3 Rock] rock _1669_]
[4 my _MSS. _: thy _1669_]
[6 asleep] all sleap _B_]
[9 golden-mouth'd] gold-mouth'd _B_, _S_]
[14 still] still. _1669_]
[25 hath had _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: had had _1669_:
had _B_]
[26 Things _B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: T _1669_]
[28-31 _text from B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_, _which
bracket which . . . late_: _see note_:
The Physick and Councel (which came too late
'Gainst Whores and Dice) he now on me bestows:
Most superficially he speaks of those.
I found, by him, least sound him who most knows.
_1669_
]
[33 what Winter] what What Winter _1669_]
[35 each _B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: his _1669_]
[37 cunningly _1669_, _L74_, _N_, _TCD_: perfectly _B_, _O'F_,
_S_]
[39 Duello, _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: Duel, _1669_
touch _B_, _L74_, _O'F_, _S_: on _1669_: only _N_, _TCD_]
[40 those _B_, _L74_, _O'F_: these _1669_]
[41 but so never fought. _B_, _L74_, _O'F_, _S_ (soe as),
_TCD_ (nere): but nere fought. _1669_]
[42 Valour, undubb'd, Windmill go, _Ed_: Valour undubd
Windmill go. _1669_: valours undubb'd Wine-mill go.
"The mind, you know is like a Table-book,
Which, th'old unwipt, new writing never took.
Hear how the Huishers Checques, Cupbord and Fire
I pass'd; by which Degrees young men aspire
In Court; And how that idle and she-state, 105
Whenas my judgment cleer'd, my soul did hate;
How I found there (if that my trifling Pen
Durst take so hard a Task) Kings were but men,
And by their Place more noted, if they erre;
How they and their Lords unworthy men prefer; 110
And, as unthrifts had rather give away
Great Summs to flatterers, than small debts pay,
So they their weakness hide, and greatness show,
By giving them that which to worth they owe:
What Treason is, and what did Essex kill, 115
Not true Treason, but Treason handled ill;
And which of them stood for their Countries good,
Or what might be the Cause of so much Blood.
He said she stunck, and men might not have said
That she was old before that she was dead. 120
His Case was hard, to do or suffer; loth
To do, he made it harder, and did both.
Too much preparing lost them all their Lives,
Like some in Plagues kill'd with preservatives.
Friends, like land-souldiers in a storm at Sea, 125
Not knowing what to do, for him did pray.
They told it all the world; where was their wit?
Cuffs putting on a sword, might have told it.
And Princes must fear Favorites more then Foes,
For still beyond Revenge Ambition goes. 130
How since Her death, with Sumpter-horse that Scot
Hath rid, who, at his coming up, had not
A Sumpter-dog. But till that I can write
Things worth thy Tenth reading (dear Nick) goodnight.
[To S^{r} Nicholas Smyth. _Ed_: Satyra Sexta. To S^{r} _&c. _
_S_: Satires to S^{r} Nic: Smith.
1602 _B_: A Satire: to S^{r}
Nicholas Smith. 1602, _L74_: A Satyricall Letter to S^{r}
Nich: Smith. Quere, if Donnes or S^{r} Th: Rowes. _O'F_: _no
title_ _N_, _TCD_ (_JR in margin_): Satyre VI. _1669_ (_on
which the present text is based_)]
[1 Sleep, next] Sleep next, _1669_]
[2 slip _1669_, _S_: skipp _B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TCD_. _In
1669 full stops after slip and rock me and no stop after
troubles_]
[3 Rock] rock _1669_]
[4 my _MSS. _: thy _1669_]
[6 asleep] all sleap _B_]
[9 golden-mouth'd] gold-mouth'd _B_, _S_]
[14 still] still. _1669_]
[25 hath had _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: had had _1669_:
had _B_]
[26 Things _B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: T _1669_]
[28-31 _text from B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_, _which
bracket which . . . late_: _see note_:
The Physick and Councel (which came too late
'Gainst Whores and Dice) he now on me bestows:
Most superficially he speaks of those.
I found, by him, least sound him who most knows.
_1669_
]
[33 what Winter] what What Winter _1669_]
[35 each _B_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: his _1669_]
[37 cunningly _1669_, _L74_, _N_, _TCD_: perfectly _B_, _O'F_,
_S_]
[39 Duello, _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD_: Duel, _1669_
touch _B_, _L74_, _O'F_, _S_: on _1669_: only _N_, _TCD_]
[40 those _B_, _L74_, _O'F_: these _1669_]
[41 but so never fought. _B_, _L74_, _O'F_, _S_ (soe as),
_TCD_ (nere): but nere fought. _1669_]
[42 Valour, undubb'd, Windmill go, _Ed_: Valour undubd
Windmill go. _1669_: valours undubb'd Wine-mill go.
