No More Learning

Yet a precedent fitter in Virgil he found,

Of African Poultney, and Tyrian Dide ;
That he begged for a palace so much of his
ground,*
As might carry the measure and name of a
Hyde.

Thus daily his gouty inventions him pained,
And all for to save the expenses of brickbat ;

That engine so fatal which Denham had brained.
And too much resembled this wife's chocolate.

But while these devices he all doth compare.
None solid enough seemed for his strong castor ;

He himself would not dwell in a castle of air.
Though he had built full many a one for his
master.

* The Enii of Clarendon hud a grant from Khig Charles
the Second, for a piece of ground near St. James's, to build
% house on.



Digitized by VjOOQIC



280 THE POEMS

Already he had got all our money and cattle,
To buy us for slaves and purcliase our lands

What Joseph by famine, lie wrought by sea battle ;
Nay, scarce the priest's portion could 'scape
from his hands.

And hence like Pharaoh that Israel pressed
To make mortar and brick, yet allowed *em no
straw,
He cared not though Eg}'pt's ten plagues us
distressed,
So he could to build but make policy law.

The Scotch forts and Dunkirk, but that they
were sold,
He would have demolished to raise up his
walls ;
Nay e'en fi-om Tangier have sent back for the
mould,
But that he had nearer the stones of St.
Paul's. *

His woods would come in at the easier rate.
So long as the yards had a deal or a spar :

His friend in the navy would not be ingrate,
To grudge him some timber, who fi-amcd him
the war.

* There was then a design of repairing St.
PauPs, which
was afterwards laid aside, and the stones intended for that,
were bought by the Lord Cl;irendon to build his house with.



Digitized by VjOOQIC



OF MARVELL. 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.