No More Learning

No, Painter, no ! close up the piece, and see
This crowd of traitors hanged in effigy.



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252 THE POEMS



TO THE KING.

Gbeat Charles, who full of merc^ might'st coiu-

mandy
In peace and pleasure, this thj native land,
At last take pity of thy tottering throne,
Shook bj the faults of others, not thine own ;
Let not thy life and crown together end.
Destroyed by a false brother and false friend.
Observe the danger that appears so near.
That all your subjects do each minute fear :
One drop of poison, or a popish knife.
Ends all the joys of England with thy life.
Brothers, 'tis true, by nature should be kind ;
But a too zealous and ambitious mind,
Bribed with a crown on earth, and one above,
Harbours no friendship, tenderness, or love.
See in all ages what examples are
Of monarchs murdered by the impatient heir.
Hard fate of princes, who will ne'er believe.
Till the stroke's struck which they can ne'er

retrieve I



BND or THB SECOMD PABT.



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OP BLAHVELL. 253



INSTRUCTIONS TO A PAINTER

PART m.

Painter, once more tbj pencil reassume,
And draw me, in one scene, London and Rome:
Here holy Charles, there good Aurelius sat,
Weeping to see their sons degenerate ;
His Romans^ taking up the teemei*'s trade.
The Britons jigging it in masquerade ;
While the brave youths, tired with the toil of

state.
Their weary minds and limbs to recreate,
Do to their more beloved delights repair,
One to his — , the other to his player.

Then change the scene, and let the next
present
A landscape of our motley Parliament ;
And place, hard by the bar, on the left hand,
Circean Clifibrd with his charming wand j

Our pig-eyed on his — fashion.

Set by the worst attorney of our nation.
This great triumvirate that can divide
The spoils of England ; and along that side



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254 THE POKMS

Place Falstaff *3 regiment of threadbare coats.
All looking this way, how to give their votes ;
And of his dear reward let none despair,

For money comes when Sey r leaves the chair*

Change once again, and let the next afford

The figure of a motley council-board

At Arlington's, and round about it set

Our mighty masters in a warm debate.

Full bowls of lusty wine make them repeat,

To make the other council-board forget

That while the King of France with powerful

arms,
Gives all his fearful neighbours strange alarms,
We in our glorious bacchanals dispose
The humbled fate of a plebeian nose ; *
Which to effect, when thus it was decreed.
Draw me a champion mounted on a steed ;
And after him a brave brigade of horse,
Armed at all points, ready to reenforce
His ; this assault upon a single man.
# » • * *

'Tis this must make O'Brian great in story,
And add more beams to Sands's former glory.

Draw our Olympia next, in council set

With Cupid, S r, and the tool of state :

Two of the first recanters of the house.

That aim at mountains, and bring forth a mouse ;

* Alluding to the assault upon Sir John Coventry.



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OP mahvell. 255

Who make it, by their mean retreat, appear
Five members need not be demanded here.
These must assist her in her countermines,
To overthrow the Derby-House designs ;
Whilst Positive walks, like Woodcock in the park,
Contriving projects with a brewer's clerk ; ♦
Thus all employ themselves, and, without pity.
Leave Temple singly to be beat in the city.

* Sir Bobert Howard, and Sir William Bucknell the brewer.