Here _Night_ and _Day_ conspire a cheating flight, [25.] For _Day_ they say, is run away by _Night_. The Day is past, why, Landlord! where's your rent, Cou'd you not see the Day is almost spent. Had you but Kept the Watch well, I suppose, 'Twas no hard thing to Know how the _Day_ goes? _Day_ sold and pawn'd and put off what he might, Though it were ne'er so dark, _Day_ would be light: That he away with so much Rent should get, Though _Day_ were light, 'twas no light matter yet. You had one Day a Tenant, and wou'd fain Your Eyes might one day see that Day again. No, Landlord, No; you now may truly say, And to your cost too, you have lost a Day, By twy-light _Day_ is neither Day nor Night; What then? 'twixt both, he's an _Hermaphrodite_. Day is departed in a Mist, I fear, For _Day_ is broke, yet does not Day appear: His pale face now does Day in Owl light shrowd, Truth is, at present _Day's_ under a Cloud. If you wou'd meet with _Day_ you must be wiser, And up betimes, for Day's an early riser. Broad Day is early up, but you begin To rouze, and then broad Day is shutting in. From Sun to Sun are the set times of Pay, But you should have been up by break of Day: Yet if you had? you had got nothing by 't. For _Day_ was Cunning and broke over Night. _Day_ like a Candle is gone out, and where, None knows, except to th' other Hemisphear. You must go look the _Day_ with Candle light, This _Day_ was sure begotten in the Night. The Lanthorn-looker,[F. 51] if he now began, Might find the _Day_, but scarce the honest Man. Well, _Day_ farewel; be't spoke to thy small praise There's little honesty found now a Day's. In vain you do yourself this trouble give, You'l never make an even day while you live; And yet, who trusted him for any Summe, Might have their mony, if the _Day_ were come. And when will that be; when the Devil's blind; You will this _Day_ at the _Greek_ Calends find. For, if the Sun doth hang _behind_ the Change, If you can find the _Day before_ 'tis strange. Then to the Tavern, Landlord, let's away, Chear up your heart, hang't, 'tis a broken Day. And for your Rent, never thus Rent your Soul, E're long you'l see _Day_ at a little hole: Look at the _Counter_[F. 52] when you go that way, Early enough, and you'l see peep of _Day_. But how now Landlord? what's the matter pray? What, can't you sleep, you do so long for _Day_? Have you a mind, Sir, to arrest the _Day_? There's no such Sergeant as a _Joshua_. Why, Landlord, is the Quarter out I pray; That you Keep such a quarter for the Day? Put off your passion, pray; true, 'tis a Summe: But don't you know that a Pay-day will come? I'le warrant you, do you but banish sorrow, My life for yours, _Day_ comes again to morrow. [Footnote 51: Diogenes.] [Footnote 52: One of the city prisons.]