LAURIGER

COme away, come away. Now clearly shines our shroving day. Now are we fresher then in May, Come, come aware, our work is play. Nay this snare which they have laid for me, when me the more e to accuse them both anon at Apollos Judgement seat. First I will plead he is a corrupter of youth, and turns them from humane shape into Baboons. Secondly, he obbes them of their patrimonies. Thirdly, he puls away the sweetest nu ngs from the Muses breasts. You will be ho st at school for this. Will not a snatch in the aft noon see we you, and then buckle to your book again, but you must lavish out the cream of the morning so prodigally, and hold on thus till noon? If Mus us hear of this, Apollos curse will light upon thee. Peace thou babbling auing tongue. Thou ignorant ondling, that is hieroglyphical. His beardless flourishing youth, signifies the never fa ding S me which is got by his service. The gods may be said to Quoite when they cast into the lap of fortune, the lots and fates of mortal men. This is the moral of it. Cyparissus that as turned into a Cypress tree A good token? that's a bade token. You may take a better lesson thence, then we ping. The meaning of that fable is, that shrode hoys must beware of spending their time in play, lest some mischief befall them: Nay lest Apollo himself brain them. Ovid had never been so good a Poet, if he had spent his school time idly in play as you do. How this Lad p ates? Ludio I tell thee that was no boys play. This boy consters that true, which many a man understood not. Verily thou readest books only where they speak of play. How this boys fancy makes him saucy. Is it not e nough sirrah, that you trouble me thus with your idle chat, but you must be so bold with great Apollo? He thinks the gods can enjoy no greater bliss then Gam ming. Apollo and his Musaeus take you too often with a Why-not at-schoole. You know what should follow thereupon. Why-not, &c. Belike you think play to be Apollos Shrovetide I tell thee this our play if it be weighed right, I three ounces study, and but one ounce play. This fla of recreation is not kindled without a spark of dili gence. Our playing now is a kind of study, whereas a thy seeming study is nothing but playing or ploddin how and where and with whom to play. Thy trade I to be prodigal of (the chiefest riches which is in oh power) time. Thou art a very bankrout of thy own time: and love to pull others into the same losses. Peace thou brat, whose mouth is armed with bale of dice, instead of a stall of teeth. What prate thou of recovering lost rings and money? The shi wrack that thou makest is unrecoverable. Lost days can never be recalled. Time steals away, a thou art a stealer of time. See now how thou hast I croached upon my precious time, while I hear a speak, with such a canker of good hours. Avua away. Dost thou dare me thou self? I will. Come, I will once boy it again at either for a crash Nay sir boy, if you challenge and choose the game too, you must be first blinded. But what tools have we? Nay then you will look through the holes. Will you gull me so? Oh with what wicked bombast I his satchel slust? I thought it was not true begotten books, that made the belly of it swell so big. I had rather tie thee to one of our school posts, or hang our great dic ary at thy heel, for a clog to keep thee from gadding to play. Will you make me act hobby horse, or Master Gin gle? For once I will. So, you are tied, now I must turn you about thrice. Sic deluditur Ludre. Exit. Apollos ye ely visitation You know begins with Proclamation, Come mouthing Praeco, clear thy threat, And chant the law in twanging note. No body? I hat's none of our fault. All may come if they will, Apollo keeps open sessions. Look Praeco, canst thou see no audience? That's a punishment would no near to beggar you. For I am sure you would be licking up the Can stalian worser ops that fallen from the Muses tankard, and that would make you turn rhyming Poet. Oh que, I have him. He means the easy smooth volluminous untaught Poet, that will row you over the Thames in rhyme, every stroke of his oar cuts out the capering feet of his verses. Paper Wherry? you mean by a metaphor, that his papers and verses carry a men attention as smooth as a wherry. He shall have my voice to be admitted into the third form of the Ushers partly in Parnassus school, if he will lay his claim for it in solemn session. This Poetical Boat hath made us sail out of our way. Drudo look down there between the Tem ple and the hill, see if you spy any body. And you Praeco, put on you spectacles, and look into the Grove. We shall forfeit our liberties, if we can get no audience to listen to our Proclamation. Praeco, up that bank, nay mount up that tree. Seest thou any body now? What be they? discover them to us. Who else? Why not? On prattling Preco. No doubt they come a shroving to Apollo. If the Muses have not provided for their palate, what shall we do? Well sir Preco, for the first service, let them hear the Proclamation. Begin. All manner of scholars and students| With their Retainers| Come down now Praeco from your chair of stare, and walk with us mortals here below. Why not? perhaps some of them hold for life some paper Tenement belonging to Apollos n ner. And thereupon may crave admitionce to it Oh the upon their experience may inform Apollos ju ry what wast hath been made of the trees in Parnas sus grove with cropping off laurel garlands to adorn the light head of every ballad belching Po . Or what delapidations have in process of time grown upon the Muses cells. So that Boreas whistles ever loud in their ears when they are retired to contem plation. Now return we up the Mount, and acquaint Mus us what we have done. Exeunt. WHen we had signified to our Lord A pollo our publishing of his Mandates, he was pleased to say that there was never more needs of warning a Court, then now, that abuses and vsur pations have crept into his dominions. And therefore he charged us that this inquity should be more strict then heretofore. Intra Siren. But look you now. There is one of the worms and Cat pillars of our harvest. I know her, though I never saw her before. By her favu ning gesture and inchan king wand, she's that famous infamous Siren, which so troubles and bewilders some of our society. She hooks at all she meets. It's marvel if she reach not at me. Is this the lecture you read to us? Is this all you can say? A flourishing glossing poetical Theme, that hath neither truth nor substance in it. And empty sounding painted drum, fit or children to hear and follow with their rattles and hobby horses. Go Gill flirt, go set up your Pedlars shop in Venus Court. There shall you have those that will dance to your music. You would feign be herd; because you think your tongue inchants. There is no pleading now. A pollos doom is passed. Record the sentence Praeco. Come, I must love, and court thee now. Fled with witness. For he flew Like a bird up in the air. Who knows? But most do think to the Island of Coxcombria, a place thick impeopled with such riff affe. A Man had need to have a long fork, to keep off this Siren. After I had repulsed her insinuating song, she follows me still, and delivers me a letter, sent from the Lady Hedone (to me, she says) & shows a fair endorsement in guilded letters. To the grand supporter of Apollos Court, La riger. And so orth as fol lowes in that un st title, When I had read the super scription, she by violence would needs embrace me. I vouchsafed not so much as to open the letter. Where upon with hateful heart, and spiteful look, she vow ed revenge. Now who but he has contrived to catch e in a sna e. A message is brought to me by a see ming riend, oh prostering a pension from Captain Compliment, to procure a patent from Apollo to hold on his apish trade within these walls. The Broker told me, that, of Lauriger, that gold would make me Auriger, that to is Captain fetching over diverse of our younglings, and cheating them of their money, we, by way of reprisal, may take this p si on, that it is no b ibery to receive it, but and act of ju stice: that he that robs a thief, hath earned not one lie pardon, but also praise. Now Lauriger summons his wits, and says, this is a trap to bring thee in disgrace, and to endanger thy office in Apollos Court. ay a straw there Lauriger. Consi der that this hobbyhorse lives but in all un gry fashi n. All he can cratch by cheating, he spends on that witch Siren. He every quarter to allo pension of iue crowns, that can scam ce allow him self five dinners, or and honest flo kebed to repose his vaulting bones? Lay another straw that e, Lauri her, to his straw M sse. The boys in the outer-court of Apollos Palace, when they by Mistress Gingles discontent, that the Captain was Like to be banished, they pre vented execution, by tying squibs to his kirts; which being fired, this light usball mounted up into the ay as high as a ark. I can hear thee no longer. Avant thou Circe. Thinkest thou to transform me into a swine? I fly. Exit. Siren come out What do you lu ke? Appear in your likeness, and hear your doom. COme along, come on in rank. Clio, you must fit down, and you E erpe. Musaeus croues your assistance.