The _severe States-man quits_ his _sullen forme_ Of _Gravity_ and _bus'nesse_; The _Luke-warme_ _Religious_ his _Neutrality_; The _hot_ _Braine-sicke Illuminate_ his _zeale; The Sot_ _Stupidity_; The _Souldier_ his _Arreares_; The _Court_ its _Confidence_; The _Plebs_ their _feares_; _Gallants_ their _Apishnesse_ and _Perjurie_, _Women_ their _Pleasure_ and _Inconstancie_; _Poets_ their _Wine_; the _Usurer_ his _Pelfe_; The _World_ its _Vanity_; and _I_ my _Selfe_.
On the Dramatick Poems of Mr JOHN FLETCHER.
_Wonder! who's here?_ Fletcher, _long buried Reviv'd? Tis he! hee's risen from the Dead. His winding sheet put off, walks above ground, Shakes off his Fetters, and is better bound. And may he not, if rightly understood, Prove Playes are lawfull? he hath_ made them Good. _Is any_ Lover Mad? _see here_ Loves Cure; _Unmarried? to a_ Wife _he may be sure A rare one_, For a Moneth; _if she displease, The_ Spanish Curate _gives a Writ of ease. Enquire_ The Custome of the Country, _then Shall_ the French Lawyer _set you free againe. If the two_ Faire Maids _take it wondrous ill, (One of_ the Inne, _the other of_ the Mill,) _That th'_ Lovers Progresse _stopt, and they defam'd; Here's that makes_ Women Pleas'd, _and_ Tamer tamd. _But who then playes the_ Coxcombe, _or will trie His_ Wit at severall Weapons, _or else die?_ Nice Valour _and he doubts not to engage The_ Noble Gentl'man, _in_ Loves Pilgrimage, _To take revenge on the_ False One, _and run The_ Honest mans Fortune, _to be undone Like_ Knight of Malta, _or else_ Captaine _be Or th'_ Humerous Lieutenant: _goe to Sea_ (A Voyage _for to starve) hee's very loath, Till we are all at peace, to sweare an Oath, That then the_ Loyall Subject _may have leave To lye from_ Beggers Bush, _and undeceive The Creditor, discharge his debts; Why so, Since we can't pay to_ Fletcher _what we owe. Oh could his_ Prophetesse _but tell one_ Chance, _When that the_ Pilgrimes _shall returne from France. And once more make this Kingdome, as of late, The_ Island Princesse, _and we celebrate A_ Double Marriage; _every one to bring To_ Fletchers _memory his offering. That thus at last unsequesters the Stage, Brings backe the Silver, and the Golden Age_.