Page:The Works of Ben Jonson - Gifford - Volume 9.djvu/129

Whither truth may, and whither error bring.
The very root of writing well, and spring
Is to be wise; thy matter first to know,
Which the Socratic writings best can show:
And where the matter is provided still,
There words will follow, not against their will.
He that hath studied well the debt, and knows
What to his country, what his friends he owes,
What height of love a parent will fit best,
What brethren, what a stranger, and his guest,
Can tell a statesman's duty, what the arts
And office of a judge are, what the parts
Of a brave chief sent to the wars: he can,
Indeed, give fitting dues to every man.
And I still bid the learned maker look
On life, and manners, and make those his book,
Thence draw forth true expressions. For sometimes,
A poem of no grace, weight, art, in rhymes
With specious places, and being humour'd right,
More strongly takes the people with delight,
And better stays them there than all fine noise
Of verse, mere matterless, and tinkling toys.
The muse not only gave the Greeks a wit,
But a welllcompass'd mouth to utter it.
Being men were covetous of nought, but praise:
Our Roman youths they learn the subtle ways
How to divide into a hundred parts
A pound, or piece, by their long compting arts:
There's Albin's son will say, Subtract an ounce
From the five ounces, what remains? pronounce
A third of twelve, you may; four ounces. Glad,
He cries, good boy, thou'lt keep thine own. Now add
An ounce, what makes it then? the half-pound just,
Six ounces. O, when once the canker'd rust,