OUR schoolmaster may rave i' th' fit
Of classick beauty hæc & illa,
Not all his birch inspires such wit
As th' ogling beans of Domitilla.
Let nobles toast, in bright champaign,
Nymphs higher born than Domitilla;
I'll drink her health, again, again,
In Berkeley's tar, or sars'parilla.
At Goodman's Fields I've much admired
The postures strange of monsieur Brilla;
But what are they to the soft step,
The gliding air, of Domitilla?
Virgil has eternized in song
The flying footsteps of Camilla: Sure, as a prophet, he was wrong;
He might have dream'd of Domitilla.
Rhimes disposed in order, which are given to a poet, together with a subject, on which he is obliged to make verses, using the same words, and in the same order. The extravagance of a poet, named du Lot, gave occasion to this invention, about the 1649. The most odd, out of the way rhimes were chosen; and very one endeavoured to fill them up as exactly as possible.-Mr. Addison, in the Spectator, No. 60, adduces them as an instance of the decay of wit and learning among the French; and observes, that this piece of false wit has been finely ridiculed by Mr. Sarasin, in "La Defaite des Bouts Riméz." W. B.
Great Theodose condemn'd a town
For thinking ill of his Placilla:
And deuse take London! if some knight
O' th' city wed not Domitilla.
Wheeler, sir George, in travels wise,
Gives us a medal of Plantilla ;
But O! the empress has not eyes,
Nor lips, nor breast, like Domitilla,
Not all the wealth of plunder'd Italy,
Piled on the mules of king At-tila,
Is worth one glove (I'll not tell a bit a lie)
Or garter, snatch'd from Domitilla.
Five years a nymph at certain hamlet,
Y-cleped Harrow of the Hill, a-
-bus'd much my heart, and was a damn'd let To verse-but now for Domitilla.
Dan Pope consigns Belinda's watch
To the fair sylphid Momentilla,
And thus I offer up my catch
To th' snow-white hands of Domitilla.
OR, THE HUE AND ORY AFTER THE ATTORNIES,
UPON THEIR RIDING THE CIRCUIT.
Now the active young attornies,
Briskly travel on their journies,
Looking big as any giants,
On the horses of their clients;
Like so many little Mars's
With their tilters at their a-s,
Brazen hilted, lately burnish'd,
And with harness-buckles furnish'd,
And with whips and spurs so neat,
And with jockey coats complete,
And with boots so very greasy,
And with saddles eke so easy.
And with bridles fine and gay,
Bridles borrow'd for a day,
Bridles destin'd far to roam,
Ah! never, never to come home.
And with hats so very big, sir,
And with powder'd caps and wigs, sir,
And with ruffles to be shown,
Cambrick ruffles not their own;
And with Holland shirts so white,
Shirts becoming to the sight,
Shirts bewrought with different letters,
As belonging to their betters.
With their pretty tinsel'd boxes,
Gotten from their dainty doxies,
And with rings so very trim,
Lately taken out of lim-*
And with very little pence,
And as very little sense;
With some law, but little justice,
Having stolen from my hostess,
From the barber and the cutler,
Like the soldier from the sutler;
From the vintner and the tailor,
Like the felon from the jailor;
Into this and t' other county,
Living on the publick bounty;
Thorough town and thorough village,
All to plunder, all to pillage;
* A cant word for pawning. H.
Thorough mountains, thorough vallies,
Thorough stinking lanes and alleys,
Some to kiss with farmers spouses,
And make merry in their houses;
Some to tumble country wenches
On their rushy beds and benches;
And if they begin a fray,
Draw their swords, and
All to murder equity,
And to take a double fee;
Till the people all are quiet,
And forget to broil and riot,
Low in pocket, cow'd in courage,
Safely glad to sup their porridge,
And vacation's over-then,
Hey, for London town again,
THE life of man to represent,
And turn it all to ridicule,
Wit did a puppetshow invent,
Where the chief actor is a fool.
The gods of old were logs of wood,
And worship was to puppets paid;
In antick dress the idol stood,
And priest and people bow'd the head.
No wonder then, if art began ·
The simple votaries to frame,
To shape in timber foolish man,
And consecrate the block to fame.
From hence poetick fancy learn'd
That trees might rise from human forms; The body to a trunk be turn'd,
And branches issue from the arins.
Thus Dædalus and Ovid too,
That man's a blockhead, have 'confest :
Powel and Stretch the hint pursue;
Life is a farce, the world a jest.
The same great truth South Sea has prov'd
On that fam'd theatre, the alley;
Where thousands, by directors mov'd,
Are now sad monuments of folly.
What Momus was of old to Jove,
The same a Harlequin is now;
The former was buffoon above,
The latter as a Punch below.
This fleeting scene is but a stage,
Where various images appear;
In different parts of youth and age,
Alike the prince and peasant share.
Some draw our eyes by being great,
False pomp conceals mere wood within;
And legislators rang'd in state,
Are oft but wisdom in machine.
Two famous puppetshow-men.In the year 1715 was published," A second Tale of a Tab; or, the History of Robert Powel, the Puppetshow-man," written by Thomas Burnet, esq., youngest son to bishop Burnet: who was bred to the law, and, beside the piece here mentioned, was the author of many other political pamphlets against the ministry of the four last years of queen Anne, for some of which he was taken into custody by the messengers; and was suspected of being one of the Mohocks that attacked young Davenant. See Journal to Stella, March 8, 7711-12. N.
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