No More Learning

The timber rots, the useless axe does rust ;
The unpractised saw lies buried in its dust ;
The busy hammer sleeps, the ropes untwine ;
The store and wages all are mine and thine ;
Along the coasts and harbours they take care
That money lacks, nor forts be in repair.
Long thus they could against the house con-
spire.
Load them with envy, and with sitting tire ;
And the loved king, that's never yet denied.
Is brought to beg in public, and to chide :
But when this failed, and months enough were

spent.
They with the first day's proffer seem content ;



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222 THE rOEMS

And to land-tax from the excise turn round,
Bought off with eighteen hundred thousand

pound.
Thus like fair thieves, the Ck>mmons' purse thej

share.
But all the members' lives consulting spare.

Blither than hare that hath escaped the
hounds,
The house prorogued, the chancellor rebounds.
Not so decrepid . ^on, hashed and stewed
With magic herbs, rose from the pot renewed,
And with fresh age felt his glad limbs unite,
His gout (yet still he cursed) had left him

quite.
What frosts to fruits, what arsenic to the raty.
What to fair Denham mortal chocolate.
What an account to Carteret, that and more,
A parliament is to the chancellor.
So the sad tree shrinks from the morning's eye.
But blooms all night and shoots its -branches

high;
So at the sun's recess, again returns
The comet dread, and earth and heaven bums.
Now Mordaunt may within his castle tower
Imprison parents, and their child deflower.

The Irish herd is now let loose, and comes
By millions over, not by hecatombs ;



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OP MARVELL. 223

And now, now the Canary patent may
Be broached again for the great Holy-day.
See how he reigns in his new palace culminant,
And sits in state divine like Jove the fulminant.
First Buckingham that durst 'gainst him rebel,
Blasted with liglitning, struck with thunder fell.
Next the twelve commons are condemned to

groan,
And roll in vain at Sisyphus's stone.
But still he cared, whilst in revenge he braved,
That peace secured, and money might be saved.
Gain and revenge, revenge and gain, are

sweet ;
United most, when most by turns they meet
France had St. Albans promised, (so they sing)
St. Albans promised him, and he the king.
The court forthwith is ordered all to close.
To play for Flanders, and the stake to lose.
While chained together, two ambassadors
Like slaves shall beg for peace at Holland's

doors.
This done, among his Cyclops he retires
To forge new thunder, and inspect their fires.

The court, as once of war, now fond of peace.
All to new sports their wonted fears release.