See, who ne'er was, or will be half read, Who first sung Arthur, then sung Alfred(_a_). Praised great Eliza(_b_) in God's anger, Till all true Englishmen cried, hang her: Made William's virtues wipe the bare a--, And hanged up Marlborough in arras;(_c_) Then hissed from earth, grown heavenly quite, Made every reader curse the light(_d_). Mauled human wit in one thick satire(_e_); Next, in three books, spoiled human nature(_f_); Ended Creation(_g_) at a jerk, And of Redemption(_h_) made damned work: Then took his muse at once, and dipped her Full in the middle of the scripture. What wonders there the man grown old did! Sternhold himself he out-sternholded; Made David(_i_) seem so mad and freakish, All thought him just what thought king Achish. No mortal read his Solomon(_k_), But judged R'oboam his own son. Moses(_l_) he served, as Moses Pharoah, And Deborah as she Sisera; Made Jeremy(_m_) full sore to cry, And Job(_n_) himself curse God and die. What punishment shall all this follow? Shall Arthur use him like king Tollo? Shall David as Uriah slay him? Or dexterous Deborah Siserhah him? Or shall Eliza lay a plot, To treat him like her sister Scot? Shall William dubb his better end(_o_)? Of Marlborough serve him like a friend? No, none of these--heaven spare his life, But send him, honest Job--thy wife. (_a_) _Two Heroic Poems, in folio; twenty books._ (_b_) _A Heroic Poem, in twelve books._ (_c_) _Instructions to a Tapestry Weaver._ (_d_) _Hymn to the Light._ (_e_) _Satire against Wit._ (_f_) _Of the Mature of Man._ (_g_) _Creation, in seven books._ (_h_) _Redemption, in six books._ (_i_) _Translation of all the Psalms._ (_k_) _Canticles and Ecclesiastes._ (_l_) _Canticles, of Moses, Deborah, &c._ (_m_) _The Lamentations._ (_n_) _The whole Book of Job, a Poem, in folio._ (_o_) _Kick him on the breech, not knight him on the shoulder._] SONG OF A SCHOLAR AND HIS MISTRESS, WHO, BEING CROSSED BY THEIR FRIENDS, FELL MAD FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND NOW FIRST MEET IN BEDLAM. In "The Pilgrim," as originally written by Beaumont and Fletcher, one scene is laid in a mad-house, where the humours of the different persons confined are described with some pleasantry. Amongst others is introduced a Scholar, who has solicited dismission from his confinement, and who, after having been carefully examined by two gentlemen, whom his patron had appointed to visit him, is on the point of being discharged as possessed of his perfect understanding. The Dialogue, which follows, probably formed the introduction to our Author's Song. _1st Gent._ What flaws and whils of weather, Or rather storms, have been aloft these three days! How dark and hot, and full of mutiny, And still grows louder.-- _Mas._ It has been stubborn weather.