Your surest way is first to pitch 745 750 755 To steal in something to entrap her; Till, with her worldly goods and body, Spite of her heart, she has endow'd ye: That ply i' th' Temple under trees; 760 Or walk the round, with knights o' th' posts, Besides the Gospel and their souls: 770 And when y' are furnish'd with all purveys I shall be ready at your service. I would not give, quoth Hudibras, A straw to understand a case, 742. Bongey was a Franciscan, and lived towards the end of the thirteenth century, a doctor of divinity in Oxford, and a particular acquaintance of Friar Bacon's. In that ignorant age, every thing that seemed extraor dinary was reputed magic; and so both Bacon and Bongey went under the imputation of studying the black art. Bongey also, publishing a treatise of Natural Magic, confirmed some well meaning credulous people in this opinion; but it was altogether groundless; for Bongey was chosen provincial of his order, being a person of most excellent parts and piety, Without the admirable skill 775 To wind and manage it at will; To veer, and tack, and steer a cause For which you've earn'd (here 'tis) your fee. I long to practise your advice, And try the subtle artifice; To bait a letter as you bid; And humm'd upon it, thus he writ : 780 785 AN HISTORICAL EPISTLE OF HUDIBRAS TO HIS LADY. 1 WHO was once as great as Cæsar, Or did his exercise in battle, By you turn'd out to grass with cattle: To all my earthly happiness, Am fall'n from the paradise Of your good graces, and fair eyes; 10 Lost to the world and you, I'm sent To everlasting banishment, Where all the hopes I had t' have won Your heart, b'ing dash'd, will break my own. Yet if you were not so severe 15 But not because it is unpaid, So heinous as you 'd have it thought; 25 Like vulgar hackney perjurers: For there's a difference in the case, Who always are observ'd t' have done 't 30 The one for great and weighty cause, To salve in honour ugly flaws; For none are like to do it sooner Than those who are nicest of their honour. The other for base gain and pay, 35 Forswear and perjure by the day; And make th' exposing and retailing Upon a great and noble person, To say he nat'rally abhorr'd Th' old-fashion'd trick to keep his word; For to be able to forget, Is found more useful to the great, Does not so much deserve her favour, For as the law of arms approves All ways to conquest, so should love's; Shall love, that to no crown gives place, 100 To whose free gift the world does owe, 105 Not only earth, but heaven too; For love 's the only trade, that's driven, Which nothing but the soul of man Is capable to entertain. 110 For what can earth produce, but love, Or who but lovers can converse, Like angels, by the eye-discourse? 115 Make love and court by intuition? And burn in amorous flames as fierce As those celestial ministers? Then how can any thing offend, In order to so great an end? 120 That for its own supply was meant? To grant a pardon than condemn. 125 130 Then since so few do what they ought, 'Tis great t' indulge a well-meant fau't: 135 140 113. Metaphysicians are of opinion, that angels and souls departed, being divested of all gross matter, understand each other's sentiments by intuition, and consequently maintain a sort of conversation without the organs of speech. 121. In regard children are capable of being inhabitants of heaven, therefore it should not resent it as a crime to supply store of inhabitants for it. |