The Hesperides & Noble Numbers Part 144

363. UPON PASKE, A DRAPER.

Paske, though his debt be due upon the day Demands no money by a craving way; For why, says he, all debts and their arrears Have reference to the shoulders, not the ears.

368. UPON PRIGG.

Prigg, when he comes to houses, oft doth use, Rather than fail, to steal from thence old shoes: Sound or unsound be they, or rent or whole, Prigg bears away the body and the sole.

369. UPON MOON.

Moon is a usurer, whose gain, Seldom or never knows a wain, Only Moon's conscience, we confess, That ebbs from pity less and less.

372. UPON SHIFT.

Shift now has cast his clothes: got all things new; Save but his hat, and that he cannot mew.

_Mew_, change feathers.

373. UPON CUTS.

If wounds in clothes Cuts calls his rags, 'tis clear His linings are the matter running there.

374. GAIN AND GETTINGS.

When others gain much by the present cast, The cobblers' getting time is at the last.

379. UPON DOLL. EPIG.

Doll, she so soon began the wanton trade, She ne'er remembers that she was a maid.

380. UPON SKREW. EPIG.

Skrew lives by shifts; yet swears by no small oaths For all his shifts he cannot shift his clothes.

381. UPON LINNET. EPIG.

Linnet plays rarely on the lute, we know; And sweetly sings, but yet his breath says no.

385. UPON GLa.s.s. EPIG.

Gla.s.s, out of deep, and out of desp'rate want, Turn'd from a Papist here a Predicant.

A vicarage at last Tom Gla.s.s got here, Just upon five and thirty pounds a year.

Add to that thirty-five but five pounds more, He'll turn a Papist, ranker than before.

398. UPON EELES. EPIG.

Eeles winds and turns, and cheats and steals; yet Eeles Driving these sharking trades, is out at heels.

400. UPON RASP. EPIG.

Rasp plays at nine-holes; and 'tis known he gets Many a tester by his game and bets: But of his gettings there's but little sign; When one hole wastes more than he gets by nine.

401. UPON CENTER, A SPECTACLE-MAKER WITH A FLAT NOSE.

Center is known weak-sighted, and he sells To others store of helpful spectacles.

Why wears he none? Because we may suppose, Where leaven wants, there level lies the nose.

410. UPON SKINNS. EPIG.

Skinns, he dined well to-day: how do you think?

His nails they were his meat, his rheum the drink.

411. UPON PIEVISH. EPIG.

Pievish doth boast that he's the very first Of English poets, and 'tis thought the worst.

412. UPON JOLLY AND JILLY. EPIG.

Jolly and Jilly bite and scratch all day, But yet get children (as the neighbours say).

The reason is: though all the day they fight, They cling and close some minutes of the night.

419. UPON PATRICK, A FOOTMAN. EPIG.

Now Patrick with his footmanship has done, His eyes and ears strive which should fastest run.

420. UPON BRIDGET. EPIG.

Of four teeth only Bridget was possest; Two she spat out, a cough forced out the rest.

424. UPON FLIMSEY. EPIG.

Why walks Nick Flimsey like a malcontent!