To wealth, and dignity above the rest,
When she is frolic, and disposed to jest,
'I live in London! What should I do there?
I cannot lie, nor flatter, nor forswear;
I can't commend a book, or piece of wit,
Though a lord were the author, dully writ;
I'm no Sir Sidrophel[1] to read the stars,
And cast nativities for longing heirs,
When fathers shall drop off; no Gadbury[2]
To tell the minute when the king shall die,
And you know what—come in; nor can I steer,
And tack about my conscience, whensoe'er,
To a new point, I see religion veer.
Let others pimp to courtier's lechery,
I'll draw no city cuckold's curse on me;
Nor would I do it, though to be made great,
And raised to be chief minister of state.
Therefore I think it fit to rid the town
Of one, that is an useless member grown.
'Besides, who has pretence to favour now,
But he, who hidden villany does know,
Whose breast does with some burning secret glow?
By none thou shalt preferred or valued be,
That trusts thee with an honest secrecy;
He only may to great men's friendship reach,
Who great men, when he pleases, can impeach.
Let others thus aspire to dignity;
For me, I’d not their envied grandeur buy
For all the Exchange is worth, that Paul's will cost,
Or was of late in the Scotch voyage lost.[3]
- ↑ Hudibras, P. ii. Can. 3. The character of Sidrophel is supposed by some to have been intended for Sir Paul Neal, but by others, with greater probability, for William Lilly.
- ↑ John Gadbury, originally apprenticed to a tailor at Oxford, was a pupil of Lilly's, and afterwards set up in opposition to him as almanac-maker and astrologer.
- ↑ The Duke of York, making a voyage to Edinburgh for the purpose of accompanying the Duchess back to London, was nearly ship-wrecked. An account of the disaster is given in a letter from Pepys to Mr. Hewer, 8th May. 1682.—Diary, v. 314.
