C

The Epistle Dedicatory

to the Reader.

Ourteous Reader, I had not gone my full time, when by a sudden flight occasioned by the Beare and Wheel-barrow on the Bank-side, I fell in travaile, and there

fore cannot call this, a timely Issue, but a Mischance, which I must put out to the world to nurse; hoping it will be fostered with the greater care, because of its own innocency. The reasons why the Dedication is so generall, is to avoid Carps in the Fishpond of this world, for now no man may reade it, but must patronize it.

And must protect what he would greet perchance,
If he were not the Patron with def-iance.

You see here I have much adoe to hold in my muse from her jumping meeter: 'tis time to let slip. For

258

The Epistle to the Reader.

as the cunning statuarist did by Alcides foot guesse at the proportion of his whole body, so doe I forbeare the application of this Simile and rest,

upon

I

To his Worthy Friend Mr. 7. S.
his happy Innovation of Penelope and
Vlysses.

Twas no idle fancie, I beheld

A reall obiect, that around did gild

The neighbouring vallies and the mountaine tops,
That sided to Parnassus, with the drops
From her disheveld hayre. I sought the cause.
And loe, she had her dwelling in the jawes
Of pearly Helicon, assign'd to bee
Guide ore the Comick straynes of poetry.
She lowr'd her flight, and soone assembled all,
That since old Chaucer had tane leave to call,
Upon her name in print: But O the rabble
Of pamphleteers even from the court toth' stable,
Knights, and discarded Captaines, with the scribe;
Famous in water-works, besides the tribe
Of the true poets, they attended on

The birth of this great Convocation.
Sacred Thalia, in an angrie heat

That well became her zeale, rose from her seat;
And beckoning for silence, there disclaym'd,
Protection of the poets, and then nam'd

The cause of her revoke, for that (quoth she)
So many panders 'long to poetry:

A crue of Scriblers that with brazen face
Prostitute art and worke unto disgrace
My patronage, each calling out on mee
For midwife to his bastard progenie.
Thus standing as protectresse of that brood
My care's ill construed by the sister-hood.
With that she paused a while, and glanc'st her eye
Amongst the mingled pen-wrights, to descrie
One to distinguish by a different style,
Dull Latmus from Diviner Pindus soyle,
At length she fix't on thee, and then anon
Proclaym'd the her selected champion.
Then was this worke presented to her eare.
She smiled at it, and was pleas'd to heare
Dunces so well traduc'd; and by this rule,
Discoverd all that nere were of the schoole
Of noble poesie, and them she threw
Farre from her care and her acquantance too;
Thus were they found and lost, and this the test,
They writ in earnest what's here meant in jest.

James Atkins.