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Swarkestone, a Derbyshire village on the River Trent
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Arthur Neuendorffer
Mar 8, 2019, 7:43:52 AM3/8/19
to
-------------------------------------------------------------
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bancroft_(poet)
<<Thomas Bancroft (c. 1596 – 1658) wrote a number of poems and epigrams addressed to notable people into which he embedded clever puns.
Thomas Bancroft was a native of Swarkestone, a Derbyshire village on the River Trent. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1613, where he was a contemporary of James Shirley. He was an usher at Market Bosworth grammar school in Leicestershire, a position he acquired through his connection with Sir John Harpur of Swarkestone, who was related to the family of *Wolstan Dixie*, the school's founder. In 1626 he married Rebecca Errington, a widow from Osgathorpe.
Bancroft seems to have lived for some time in his native Derbyshire, where Sir Aston Cockayne, as a neighbour and fellow-poet, appears to have visited and been visited by him. On the evidence of one of his own epigrams and Sir Aston Cockayne's commendatory lines, in 1658 he was living in retirement at Bradley, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. He continued there until his death, recorded in the church register there. It was said that Bancroft was 'small of stature', and that he published sermons. He was referred to as 'the small poet,' partly in reference to his stature, and partly in allusion to his small poems.
Bancroft's first publication was The Glvtton's Feaver (1633), a narrative poem in seven-line stanzas of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Prefixed to that work is a poem that perhaps puns on William Shakespeare's stature as it does on Ben Jonson's obesity, George Chapman's appearance, and Francis Beaumont's family connexions.
Bancroft's next and better-known book was his Two Bookes of Epigrammes and Epitaphes. Dedicated to two top-branches of Gentry: Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and William Davenport, Esquire (1639). These epigrams were quoted partly because of the notability of the people they celebrate. The names include Philip Sidney, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, John Donne, Thomas Overbury, John Ford, Francis Quarles, Thomas Randolph and Shirley. Several examples show his propensity to punning:
136. To Dr. Donne.
Thy muses gallantry doth farre exceed
All ours; to whom thou art a Don indeed.
192. To John Ford the Poet.
The Verse must needs be current (at a word)
That issues from a sweet and fluent Ford.
In 1649 Bancroft contributed to Alexander Brome's Lachrymce Musarum, or the Teares of the Muses, a poem To the never-dying memory of the noble Lord Hastings. Finally he published, in 1658, The Heroical Lover, or Antheon and Fidelta, and the collection of verse Times out of Tune, Plaid upon However in XX Satyres. This last is a series of moralizing satirical poems directed against (inter alia) whoring, gluttony, alcoholism, hedonism, lying, pride in clothing, false friends, ambition, cowardice, cruelty, and the abuse of poetry. Full of invective, the subjects Bancroft chose for this collection seem to leave few aspects of life to enjoy.>>
--------------------------------------------------------
THE GLVTTONS FEAVER. Written by Thomas Bancroft.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Norton, for William Cooke, and are to
be sold at his shop, at Furniuals-Inne gate, in Holborne. 1633.
-------------------------------------------------------------
To the nobly accomplisht Gentleman, Wolstan Dixie, Esquire.
.
NOt as [E]namou[R]'d on th[E] vario[U]s plum[E]
................................................
. <= 6 =>
.
. N O t a s [E]
. n a m o u [R]
. 'd o n t h [E]
. v a r i o [U]
. s p l u m [E]
.......................
. <= 5 =>
.
. N O t a s
. [E] n a m o
. u [R]'d o n
. t h [E] v a
. r i o [U] s
. p l u m [E]
.
[E.UERE] -6 : Prob. in first line ~ 1 in 2,540
................................................
Of a light phansie, doe I here presume
To your straight iudgement in an oblique line
To make my flight, addresse my first designe.
For as a vernall Larke, but lately drest
In her first Downe, abandoning her nest,
Stretcheth her pinìons, her small force assayes,
Flutters, and fals before her flight shee raise,
Feares euery blast, that scarce commit she dare
A Walnuts waight to the light wafting ayre:
So fares my Muse, yet scarcely got on wing,
Nor in the Region high enough to sing;
Such be the musters of her feares, so much
Sh{e} doubts her strength, and blasting enuies touch.
But t{He} chast bay not euery songster weares,
Nor of Appollo'{S} sonnes prooue all his heires:
'Tis not for all to reach {A}t *SHAKESPEARES* height,
Or thinke to grow to solid Ioh{N}sons weight,
To bid so faire as Chapman for a fame,
Or ma{T}ch (your family) the Beaumonts name,
....................................................
. <= 44 =>
.
. S h {E} d oubtsherstre ngthandblastingenuiestouchBu
. t t {H e} chastbaynote uerysongsterwearesNorofAppol
. l o {S} s onnesproouea llhisheiresTisnotforalltorea
. c h {A} t *SHAKESPEARES* heightOrthinketogrowtosolidI
. o h {N} s onsweightTob idsofaireasChapmanforafameOr
. m a {T} c hyourfamilyt heBeaumontsname
.
{T.NASHE} -44
....................................................
Whose grace, due to the Muses, is your claime
Their height, your honour, and their worth your ayme.
Let such as these draw Nectar from the quill,
For freshest Garlands climbe the sacred Hill,
And with high verse the eares of greatne{S}se swell;
Whilst I, scarce to{U}ching at their Thespian we{L}l,
With thirst, zeale their h{A}ppy draughts admire,
And, bu{T} your censures truth, no test desire.
.................................................
. <= 23 =>
.
. A n d w i t h h i g h v e r s e t h e e a r e
. s o f g r e a t n e {S} s e s w e l l;W h i l s
. t I,s c a r c e t o {U} c h i n g a t t h e i r
. T h e s p i a n w e {L} l,W i t h t h i r s t,z
. e a l e t h e i r h {A} p p y d r a u g h t s a
. d m i r e,A n d,b u {T} y o u r c e n s u r e s
. t r u t h,n o t e s t d e s i r e.
.
{TALUS} -23
.................................................
Daigne you with clearer knowledge to refine
This drossy ore rak'd from an empty Mine;
Daigne but to grace my verse, and guild my lines,
With that faire splendour from your iudgement shines
And then l[E]t enuie all her forces bring,
And feed on basiliskes, and whet he[R] sting,
She shall not wound me with her weapon'd rage,
But pricke m[E] Poet for high vertues stage:
There to aduance 'boue wretched E{N|V]ies spight
Mine eleuation, with a sacred flight.
Next vnto hea{V|E]n, where pleasure's most of price
The Muses Garden be my Paradi{S}e.
- T. B.
.............................................................
. <= 52 =>
.
. Daignebuttogracemyverseandguildmylines W i ththatfaires
. plendourfromyouriudgementshinesAndthen l [E] tenuieallher
. forcesbringAndfeedonbasiliskesandwheth e [R] stingSheshal
. lnotwoundmewithherweapondrageButpricke m [E] Poetforhighv
. ertuesstageTheretoaduancebouewretchedE {N}[V] iesspightMin
. eeleuationwithasacredflightNextvntohea {V}[E] nwherepleasu
. resmostofpriceTheMusesGardenbemyParadi {S} e
.
[E.VERE] -52
----------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Bancroft Knew...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSwWm5mIkb8
----------------------------------------------------------
Two bookes of epigrammes, and epitaphs Dedicated to two
top-branches of gentry: Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and
William Davenport, Esquire. Written by Thomas Bancroft.
........................................................
117. To Th. Ch. Esquire.
.
. Your noble Genius holds (as doth appeare)
. The very shadows of the Muses deare,
. Who with proud maintenance have leaven'd those,
. That scarce will give you thankes in humble Prose,
. Nor in high Verse can doe't: So on a sinke
.
. Shines lo[VE]ly Phoebus, though his object stinke.
.
118. To *SHAKESPEARE*.
.
. Thy Mus[E]s sugred dainties seeme to us
. Like the fam'd Apples of old Tan-*T[A]L{US}*:
. For we (admiring) see and heare thy st{R}aines,
. But none I see o[R] heare, those sw{E}ets attaines.
.
119. To the same.
.
. Thou hast so {U}s'd thy P[E]n, (or shooke thy Speare)
. That Poets startle, nor thy wit come neare.
.......................................................................
. <= 51 =>
.
. l o [V E] l y Phoebusth o ughhisobjectstinkeT o *SHAKESPEAR E* ThyM
. u s [E] s s u greddaint i esseemetousLikethef a mdApplesof o ldTa
. n *T [A] L{U S}* Forweadmi r ingseeandhearethyst{R} ainesButno n eIse
. e o [R] h e a rethosesw{E}etsattainesTothesam e Thouhastso{U} sdth
. y P [E] n o r shookethy S peareThatPoetsstart l enorthywit c omen
. e a r e
.
[E/VEARE] 51
{UERU/S} -31
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Choyce drollery, songs & sonnets being a collection of divers excellent
pieces of poetry, of severall eminent authors, never before printed.
London : Printed by J.G. for Robert Pollard, at the Ben. Johnson's
head behind the Exchange, and John Sweeting, 1656.
................................................
. On the TIME-POETS.
.
ONe night the great Apollo pleas'd with Ben,
Made the odde number of the Mus[E]s ten ;
The fl[U]ent Fletch[E]r, Beaumont [R]ich in sens[E],
In Complement and Courtships quintessence ;
Ingenious *SHAKESPEARE*, Massinger that knowes
The strength of Plot to write in verse and prose :
................................................
. <= 10 =>
.
. M u s [E] s t e n;T h
. e f l [U] e n t F l e
. t c h [E] r,B e a u m
. o n t [R] i c h i n s
. e n s [E],I n C o m p
. l e m e n t a n d C
. o u r t s h i p s q
. u i n t e s s e n c
. e;I n g e n i o u s
. *S H A K E S P E A R
. E*M a s s i n g e r
.
[E.UERE] 10 : Prob. in first 3 lines ~ 1 in 147
................................................
Whose easie Pegassus will amble ore
Some threescore miles of Fancy in an houre ,
Cloud-grapling Chapman, whose Aerial minde
Soares at Philosophy, and strikes it blinde ;
Danbourn I had forgot, and let it be,
He dy'd Amphibion by the Ministry ;
Silvester, Bartas, whose translatique part
Twinn'd, or was elder to our Laureat :
Divine composing Quarles, whose lines aspire
The April of all Poesy in May,
Who makes our English speak Pharsalia;
Sands metamorphos'd so into another
We know not Sands and Ovid from each other ;
He that so well on Scotus play'd the Man,
The famous Diggs, or Leonard Claudian;
The pithy Daniel, whose salt lines afford
A weighty sentence in each little word ;
Heroick Draiton, Withers, smart in Rime,
The very Poet-Beadles of the Time :
Panns pastoral Brown, whose infant Muse did squeak
At eighteen yeares, better than others speak :
Shirley the morning-child, the Muses bred,
And sent him born with bayes upon his head :
Deep in a dump Iohn Ford alone was got
With folded armes and melancholly hat ;
The squibbing Middleton, and Haywood sage,
Th' Apologetick Atlas of the Stage ;
Well of the Golden age he could intreat,
But little of the Mettal he could get ;
Three-score sweet Babes he fashion'd from the lump,
For he was Christ'ned in Parnassus pump ;
The Muses Gossip to Aurora's bed,
And ever since that time his face was red.
Thus through the horrour of infernall deeps.
With equal pace each of them softly creeps.
And being dark they had Alectors torch,
And that made Churchyard follow from his Porch,
Poor, ragged, torn, & tackt, alack, alack
You'd think his clothes were pinn'd upon his back.
The whol{E} frame hung with pins, to men{D} which clothes,
In mirth the{Y} sent him to old Father Pros{E} ;
Of these sad Poets this way {R}an the stream.
And Decker followed after in a dream ;
.................................................
. <= 23 =>
.
. T h e w h o l {E} f r a m e h u n g w i t h p i
. n s,t o m e n {D} w h i c h c l o t h e s,I n m
. i r t h t h e {Y} s e n t h i m t o o l d F a t
. h e r P r o s {E};O f t h e s e s a d P o e t s
. t h i s w a y {R} a n t h e s t r e a m.
.
{E.DYER} 23
.................................................
Rounce, Robbie, Hobble, he that writ so high big ;
Basse for a Ballad, yohn Shank for a Jig :
Sent by Ben Jonson, as some Authors say,
Broom went before and kindly swept the way :
Old Chaucer welcomes them unto the Green,
And Spencer brings them to the fairy Queen ;
The finger they present, and she in grace
Transform'd it to a May-pole, 'bout which trace
Her skipping servants, that do nightly sing.
And dance about the same a Fayrie Ring.
-------------------------------------------------
Art Neuendorffer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bancroft_(poet)
<<Thomas Bancroft (c. 1596 – 1658) wrote a number of poems and epigrams addressed to notable people into which he embedded clever puns.
Thomas Bancroft was a native of Swarkestone, a Derbyshire village on the River Trent. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1613, where he was a contemporary of James Shirley. He was an usher at Market Bosworth grammar school in Leicestershire, a position he acquired through his connection with Sir John Harpur of Swarkestone, who was related to the family of *Wolstan Dixie*, the school's founder. In 1626 he married Rebecca Errington, a widow from Osgathorpe.
Bancroft seems to have lived for some time in his native Derbyshire, where Sir Aston Cockayne, as a neighbour and fellow-poet, appears to have visited and been visited by him. On the evidence of one of his own epigrams and Sir Aston Cockayne's commendatory lines, in 1658 he was living in retirement at Bradley, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. He continued there until his death, recorded in the church register there. It was said that Bancroft was 'small of stature', and that he published sermons. He was referred to as 'the small poet,' partly in reference to his stature, and partly in allusion to his small poems.
Bancroft's first publication was The Glvtton's Feaver (1633), a narrative poem in seven-line stanzas of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Prefixed to that work is a poem that perhaps puns on William Shakespeare's stature as it does on Ben Jonson's obesity, George Chapman's appearance, and Francis Beaumont's family connexions.
Bancroft's next and better-known book was his Two Bookes of Epigrammes and Epitaphes. Dedicated to two top-branches of Gentry: Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and William Davenport, Esquire (1639). These epigrams were quoted partly because of the notability of the people they celebrate. The names include Philip Sidney, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, John Donne, Thomas Overbury, John Ford, Francis Quarles, Thomas Randolph and Shirley. Several examples show his propensity to punning:
136. To Dr. Donne.
Thy muses gallantry doth farre exceed
All ours; to whom thou art a Don indeed.
192. To John Ford the Poet.
The Verse must needs be current (at a word)
That issues from a sweet and fluent Ford.
In 1649 Bancroft contributed to Alexander Brome's Lachrymce Musarum, or the Teares of the Muses, a poem To the never-dying memory of the noble Lord Hastings. Finally he published, in 1658, The Heroical Lover, or Antheon and Fidelta, and the collection of verse Times out of Tune, Plaid upon However in XX Satyres. This last is a series of moralizing satirical poems directed against (inter alia) whoring, gluttony, alcoholism, hedonism, lying, pride in clothing, false friends, ambition, cowardice, cruelty, and the abuse of poetry. Full of invective, the subjects Bancroft chose for this collection seem to leave few aspects of life to enjoy.>>
--------------------------------------------------------
THE GLVTTONS FEAVER. Written by Thomas Bancroft.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Norton, for William Cooke, and are to
be sold at his shop, at Furniuals-Inne gate, in Holborne. 1633.
-------------------------------------------------------------
To the nobly accomplisht Gentleman, Wolstan Dixie, Esquire.
.
NOt as [E]namou[R]'d on th[E] vario[U]s plum[E]
................................................
. <= 6 =>
.
. N O t a s [E]
. n a m o u [R]
. 'd o n t h [E]
. v a r i o [U]
. s p l u m [E]
.......................
. <= 5 =>
.
. N O t a s
. [E] n a m o
. u [R]'d o n
. t h [E] v a
. r i o [U] s
. p l u m [E]
.
[E.UERE] -6 : Prob. in first line ~ 1 in 2,540
................................................
Of a light phansie, doe I here presume
To your straight iudgement in an oblique line
To make my flight, addresse my first designe.
For as a vernall Larke, but lately drest
In her first Downe, abandoning her nest,
Stretcheth her pinìons, her small force assayes,
Flutters, and fals before her flight shee raise,
Feares euery blast, that scarce commit she dare
A Walnuts waight to the light wafting ayre:
So fares my Muse, yet scarcely got on wing,
Nor in the Region high enough to sing;
Such be the musters of her feares, so much
Sh{e} doubts her strength, and blasting enuies touch.
But t{He} chast bay not euery songster weares,
Nor of Appollo'{S} sonnes prooue all his heires:
'Tis not for all to reach {A}t *SHAKESPEARES* height,
Or thinke to grow to solid Ioh{N}sons weight,
To bid so faire as Chapman for a fame,
Or ma{T}ch (your family) the Beaumonts name,
....................................................
. <= 44 =>
.
. S h {E} d oubtsherstre ngthandblastingenuiestouchBu
. t t {H e} chastbaynote uerysongsterwearesNorofAppol
. l o {S} s onnesproouea llhisheiresTisnotforalltorea
. c h {A} t *SHAKESPEARES* heightOrthinketogrowtosolidI
. o h {N} s onsweightTob idsofaireasChapmanforafameOr
. m a {T} c hyourfamilyt heBeaumontsname
.
{T.NASHE} -44
....................................................
Whose grace, due to the Muses, is your claime
Their height, your honour, and their worth your ayme.
Let such as these draw Nectar from the quill,
For freshest Garlands climbe the sacred Hill,
And with high verse the eares of greatne{S}se swell;
Whilst I, scarce to{U}ching at their Thespian we{L}l,
With thirst, zeale their h{A}ppy draughts admire,
And, bu{T} your censures truth, no test desire.
.................................................
. <= 23 =>
.
. A n d w i t h h i g h v e r s e t h e e a r e
. s o f g r e a t n e {S} s e s w e l l;W h i l s
. t I,s c a r c e t o {U} c h i n g a t t h e i r
. T h e s p i a n w e {L} l,W i t h t h i r s t,z
. e a l e t h e i r h {A} p p y d r a u g h t s a
. d m i r e,A n d,b u {T} y o u r c e n s u r e s
. t r u t h,n o t e s t d e s i r e.
.
{TALUS} -23
.................................................
Daigne you with clearer knowledge to refine
This drossy ore rak'd from an empty Mine;
Daigne but to grace my verse, and guild my lines,
With that faire splendour from your iudgement shines
And then l[E]t enuie all her forces bring,
And feed on basiliskes, and whet he[R] sting,
She shall not wound me with her weapon'd rage,
But pricke m[E] Poet for high vertues stage:
There to aduance 'boue wretched E{N|V]ies spight
Mine eleuation, with a sacred flight.
Next vnto hea{V|E]n, where pleasure's most of price
The Muses Garden be my Paradi{S}e.
- T. B.
.............................................................
. <= 52 =>
.
. Daignebuttogracemyverseandguildmylines W i ththatfaires
. plendourfromyouriudgementshinesAndthen l [E] tenuieallher
. forcesbringAndfeedonbasiliskesandwheth e [R] stingSheshal
. lnotwoundmewithherweapondrageButpricke m [E] Poetforhighv
. ertuesstageTheretoaduancebouewretchedE {N}[V] iesspightMin
. eeleuationwithasacredflightNextvntohea {V}[E] nwherepleasu
. resmostofpriceTheMusesGardenbemyParadi {S} e
.
[E.VERE] -52
----------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Bancroft Knew...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSwWm5mIkb8
----------------------------------------------------------
Two bookes of epigrammes, and epitaphs Dedicated to two
top-branches of gentry: Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and
William Davenport, Esquire. Written by Thomas Bancroft.
........................................................
117. To Th. Ch. Esquire.
.
. Your noble Genius holds (as doth appeare)
. The very shadows of the Muses deare,
. Who with proud maintenance have leaven'd those,
. That scarce will give you thankes in humble Prose,
. Nor in high Verse can doe't: So on a sinke
.
. Shines lo[VE]ly Phoebus, though his object stinke.
.
118. To *SHAKESPEARE*.
.
. Thy Mus[E]s sugred dainties seeme to us
. Like the fam'd Apples of old Tan-*T[A]L{US}*:
. For we (admiring) see and heare thy st{R}aines,
. But none I see o[R] heare, those sw{E}ets attaines.
.
119. To the same.
.
. Thou hast so {U}s'd thy P[E]n, (or shooke thy Speare)
. That Poets startle, nor thy wit come neare.
.......................................................................
. <= 51 =>
.
. l o [V E] l y Phoebusth o ughhisobjectstinkeT o *SHAKESPEAR E* ThyM
. u s [E] s s u greddaint i esseemetousLikethef a mdApplesof o ldTa
. n *T [A] L{U S}* Forweadmi r ingseeandhearethyst{R} ainesButno n eIse
. e o [R] h e a rethosesw{E}etsattainesTothesam e Thouhastso{U} sdth
. y P [E] n o r shookethy S peareThatPoetsstart l enorthywit c omen
. e a r e
.
[E/VEARE] 51
{UERU/S} -31
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Choyce drollery, songs & sonnets being a collection of divers excellent
pieces of poetry, of severall eminent authors, never before printed.
London : Printed by J.G. for Robert Pollard, at the Ben. Johnson's
head behind the Exchange, and John Sweeting, 1656.
................................................
. On the TIME-POETS.
.
ONe night the great Apollo pleas'd with Ben,
Made the odde number of the Mus[E]s ten ;
The fl[U]ent Fletch[E]r, Beaumont [R]ich in sens[E],
In Complement and Courtships quintessence ;
Ingenious *SHAKESPEARE*, Massinger that knowes
The strength of Plot to write in verse and prose :
................................................
. <= 10 =>
.
. M u s [E] s t e n;T h
. e f l [U] e n t F l e
. t c h [E] r,B e a u m
. o n t [R] i c h i n s
. e n s [E],I n C o m p
. l e m e n t a n d C
. o u r t s h i p s q
. u i n t e s s e n c
. e;I n g e n i o u s
. *S H A K E S P E A R
. E*M a s s i n g e r
.
[E.UERE] 10 : Prob. in first 3 lines ~ 1 in 147
................................................
Whose easie Pegassus will amble ore
Some threescore miles of Fancy in an houre ,
Cloud-grapling Chapman, whose Aerial minde
Soares at Philosophy, and strikes it blinde ;
Danbourn I had forgot, and let it be,
He dy'd Amphibion by the Ministry ;
Silvester, Bartas, whose translatique part
Twinn'd, or was elder to our Laureat :
Divine composing Quarles, whose lines aspire
The April of all Poesy in May,
Who makes our English speak Pharsalia;
Sands metamorphos'd so into another
We know not Sands and Ovid from each other ;
He that so well on Scotus play'd the Man,
The famous Diggs, or Leonard Claudian;
The pithy Daniel, whose salt lines afford
A weighty sentence in each little word ;
Heroick Draiton, Withers, smart in Rime,
The very Poet-Beadles of the Time :
Panns pastoral Brown, whose infant Muse did squeak
At eighteen yeares, better than others speak :
Shirley the morning-child, the Muses bred,
And sent him born with bayes upon his head :
Deep in a dump Iohn Ford alone was got
With folded armes and melancholly hat ;
The squibbing Middleton, and Haywood sage,
Th' Apologetick Atlas of the Stage ;
Well of the Golden age he could intreat,
But little of the Mettal he could get ;
Three-score sweet Babes he fashion'd from the lump,
For he was Christ'ned in Parnassus pump ;
The Muses Gossip to Aurora's bed,
And ever since that time his face was red.
Thus through the horrour of infernall deeps.
With equal pace each of them softly creeps.
And being dark they had Alectors torch,
And that made Churchyard follow from his Porch,
Poor, ragged, torn, & tackt, alack, alack
You'd think his clothes were pinn'd upon his back.
The whol{E} frame hung with pins, to men{D} which clothes,
In mirth the{Y} sent him to old Father Pros{E} ;
Of these sad Poets this way {R}an the stream.
And Decker followed after in a dream ;
.................................................
. <= 23 =>
.
. T h e w h o l {E} f r a m e h u n g w i t h p i
. n s,t o m e n {D} w h i c h c l o t h e s,I n m
. i r t h t h e {Y} s e n t h i m t o o l d F a t
. h e r P r o s {E};O f t h e s e s a d P o e t s
. t h i s w a y {R} a n t h e s t r e a m.
.
{E.DYER} 23
.................................................
Rounce, Robbie, Hobble, he that writ so high big ;
Basse for a Ballad, yohn Shank for a Jig :
Sent by Ben Jonson, as some Authors say,
Broom went before and kindly swept the way :
Old Chaucer welcomes them unto the Green,
And Spencer brings them to the fairy Queen ;
The finger they present, and she in grace
Transform'd it to a May-pole, 'bout which trace
Her skipping servants, that do nightly sing.
And dance about the same a Fayrie Ring.
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Art Neuendorffer
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