Fly, merry Muse unto that merry towne, Where thou maist playes, revels, and triumphs see; The house of Fame, and theater of renowne, Where all good wits and spirits loue to be. Fall in betweene their hands that loue and praise thee,[1] And be to them a laughter and a jest: But as for them which scorning shall reproue thee, Disdaine their wits, and thinke thine one[2] the best: But if thou finde any so grose[3] and dull, That thinke I do to priuate taxing[4] leane, Bid him go hang, for he is but a gull, And knows not what an Epigramme does meane; Which taxeth,[5] under a peculiar name,[6] A generall vice, which merits publick blame. [Footnote 1: MS. "seeme to loue thee." D.] [Footnote 2: Own. G.] [Footnote 3: Gross. G.] [Footnote 4: Blaming, censure. G. [i.e. censuring of individuals. MS. "priuate talkinge." Compare the Induction to The Knight of the Burning Pestle: "Fly from hence All private taxes!" &c. Beaumont and Fletcher's WORKS, ii., 136, ed. Dyce. D.]] [Footnote 5: MS. "carrieth." G.] [Footnote 6: Other editions "particular": and so MS. G.] OF A GULL. 2. Oft in my laughing rimes, I name a Gull: But this new terme will many questions breed; Therefore at first I will expresse[7] at full, Who is a true and perfect Gull indeed: A Gull is he who feares a veluet gowne, And, when a wench is braue,[8] dares not speak to her; A Gull is he which trauerseth the towne, And is for marriage known a common woer; A Gull is he which while he proudly weares, A siluer-hilted rapier by his side; Indures the lyes and knocks about the eares, Whilst in his sheath his sleeping sword doth bide: A Gull is he which weares good handsome cloaths, And stands, in Presence, stroaking up his haire, And fills up his unperfect speech with oaths, But speaks not one wise word throughout the yeare: But to define a Gull in termes precise,-- Gull is he which seemes, and is not wise.[9] [Footnote 7: MS. "Wherefore ... disclose." D.] [Footnote 8: 'Fine, richly dressed.' D.] [Footnote 9: In our Introductory-Note it is stated that the original edition of the 'Epigrams' is undated. From contemporary allusions the date is determined to have been prior to 1598. Among these allusions is an 'Epigram' by E. Guilpin in his 'Skialetheia' [1598] on the same subject with this by Davies. It follows here: TO CANDIDUS [EPIGRAM.] 20.