No More Learning

All men admired he to that pitch could fly :
Powder ne'er blew tnun up so soon, so high ;
But sure his late good luisbaridry in petre.
Showed him to man:i;:i' tlie Exchequer meeter ;



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233 THE POEMS

And who the forts would not vouchsafe a com.
To lavish the king's money more would scorn ;
Who hath no chimneys, to give all, is best,
And ablest speaker, who of law hath least;
Who less esUitc, for treasurer most fit.
And for a chancellor he that has least wit ;
But tlie true cause was, that in 's brother May,
The Exchequer might the privy-purse obey.

And now draws near the parliament's return ;
Hyde and the court again begin to mourn ;
Frequent in council, earnest in debate,
All arts they try how to prolong its date.
GiTive Primate Sheldon (much in preaching
there)
. Blames the last session, and this more does fear:
With Boynton or with Middlcton 'twere sweet,
But with a parliament abhors to meet ;
And thinks 'twill ne'er be well within this nation,
Till it be governed by a Convocation.

But in the Thames' mouth still De Ruyter
laid ;
The peace not sure, new army must be paid.
Hyde saith he hourly waits for a despatch ;
Harry came post just as he showed his watch.
All to agree the articlc»^ were clear.
The Holland fleet and parliament so near,
Yet Harry must job back and all mature.
Binding, ere tlie houses meet, the treaty sure ;



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OP MARVELL. 239

And 'twixt necessity and spite, till then
Let them come up, so to go down again.
Up ambles country justice on his pad,
And vest bespeaks, to be more seemly clad.
Plain gentlemen are in stage-coach o'erthrown.
And deputy-lieutenants in their own ;
The portly burgess, through the weather hot,
Does for his corporation sweat and trot ;
And all with sun and choler come adust.
And threaten Hyde to raise a greater dust.

But fresh, as from the mint, the courtiers fine
Salute them, smiling at their vain design ;
And Turner gay up to his perch doth march.
With face new bleached, smoothed, and stiff with

starch ;
Tells them he at Whitehall had took a turn,
And for three days thence moves tliem to adjourn.
Not so, quoth Tomkins, and straight drew his

tongue,
Trusty as steel that always ready hung ;
And so proceeding in his motion warm,
The army soon raised, he doth as soon disarm.
True Trojan ! whilst this town can girls afford.
And long as cider lasts in Hereford,
The girls shall always kiss thee, though grown old.
And in eternal healths thy name be trolled.

Meanwhile the certain news of peace arrives
At court, and so reprieves their guilty lives.



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240 TlIK rOE3IS

Hyde orders Turner that he should come lato,
Lest some new Tomkins spring a fresh debate ;
The king, that early raised was from Iiis rest,
Expects, as at a play, till Turner *s dressed ;
At last, together Eaton came and he.
No dial more could with the sun agree ;
The speaker, summoned to the Lords, repairs.
Nor gave the Commons leave to say their

prayei-s,
But like his prisoners to the bar them led,
Where mute they stand to hear their sentence

read :
Trembling with joy and fear, Hyde them pro-
rogues,
And had almost mistook, and called them rogues.

Dear Painter, draw this Speaker to the foot :
Where pencil cannot, there my pen shall do*t ;
That may his body, this his mind explain ;
Paint him in golden gown with mace's train ;
Bright hair, fair face, obscure and dull of head,
Like knife with ivory hatl, and edge of U. u\ :
At prayers his eyes turn up the pious white,
But all the while his private bill *s in sight :
In chair he smoking sits like master c(K)k,
And a poll-bill does like his apron look.
Well was he skilled to season any question.