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.