His knowledge was not far behind The Knight's, but of another kind, 480 And he another way came by't; Some call it Gifts, and fome New-light; A liberal art, that costs no pains Of study, industry, or brains. His wit was fent him for a token, But in the carriage crack'd and broken; Like commendation nine-pence crookt With-" To and from my love"-it lookt. He ne'er confider'd it, as loth To look a gift-horse in the mouth, And very wifely would lay forth 485 499 He spent it frank and freely too: For faints themselves will fometimes be, 495. Of gifts that coft them nothing, free. By means of this, with hem and cough, He Ver. 485.] His wits were fent him, in all editions to 1704 inclufive. Ver. 487. 488.] Until the year 1696, when all money, not milled, was called in, a ninepenny piece of filver was as common as fixpences or fhillings, and thefe ninepences were ufually bent as fixpences commonly are now, which bending was called, To my love, and From my love ;" and fuch ninepences the ordinary fellows gave or fent to their fweethearts as tokens of love. He could deep myfteries unriddle, As eafily as thread a needle: 500 That they are ne'er beside their way, Still they are fure to be i' th' right. 'Tis a dark-lantern of the Spirit, 505 Which none fee by but those that bear it; To dive, like wild-fowl, for falvation, And fish to catch regeneration. But fpirit'al eaves-droppers can hear : 515 520 Ver. 511.] Alluding to Ralpho's religion, who was, probably, an Anabaptift or Dipper. The ancient cup, or modern chair; And much of Terra Incognita, 530 335 When they cry Rope, and Walk, knave, walk. He'd extract numbers out of matter, And keep them in a glass, like water, Ver. 546.] Alluding to the Philofopher's Stone. of Of fovereign power to make men wife; Before one rag of form was on. 555 560 565 570 As Ver. 573.] The rebellious clergy would in their prayers pretend to foretel things, to encourage people in their rebellion. I meet with the following inftance in the prayers of Mr. George Swathe, minister of Denham in Suffolk: "O my good Lord God, I praife thee "for difcovering the last week, in the day-time, a vi"fion, that there were two great armies about York, "one of the malignant party about the King, the "other party Parliament and profeffors; and the bet"ter fide fhould have help from Heaven against the worst ; As death of great men, alterations, 575 Diseases, battles, inundations : All this without th' eclipfe of th' fun, Like Knights o' th' Poft, and falfely charge Upon themselves what others forge; As if they were confenting to 585 All mischiefs in the world men do: Or, like the devil, did tempt and fway 'em 590 Examine "worst; about, or at which inftant of time, we heard the foldiers at York had raised up a fconce againft "Hull, intending to plant fifteen pieces against Hull; "against which fort Sir John Hotham, Keeper of "Hull, by a garrifon, difcharged four great ordnance, " and broke down their sconce, and killed divers Ca"valiers in it.-Lord, I praife thee for difcovering this "victory, at the inftant of time that it was done, to "my wife, which did then prefently confirm her droop"ing heart, which the laft week had been dejected "three or four days, and no arguments could comfort "her against the dangerous times approaching; but "when he had prayed to be established in faith in thee, "then prefently thou didft, by this vifion, ftrongly "poffefs her foul that thine and our enemies should be * overcome." |