Poems, by Andrew Marvell

Painter, once more thy pencil reassume,

And draw me, in one scene, London and Rome:

Here holy Charles, there good Aurelius sat,

Weeping to see their sons degenerate;

His Romans taking up the teemer’s trade, 5

The Britons jigging it in masquerade;

Whilst the brave youths, tir’d with the toil of State,

Their wearied minds and limbs to recreate,

Do to their more belov’d delights repair.

One to his ———, the other to his player. 10

Then change the scene, and let the next present

A landscape of our motly Parliament;

And place, hard by the bar, on the left hand,

Circean Clifford with his charming wand;

Our pig-eyed ——— on his fashion ———, 15

Set by the worst attorny of our nation:

This great triumvirate that can divide

The spoils of England; and along that side

Place Falstaff’s regiment of thredbare coats,

All looking this way, how to give their votes; 20

And of his dear reward let none despair,

For mony comes when Sey[mou]r leaves the chair.

Change once again, and let the next afford

The figure of a motly council-board

At Arlington’s, and round about it sat 25

Our mighty masters in a warm debate.

Full bowls of lusty wine make them repeat,

To make them t’other council-board forget

That while the King of France with powerful arms,

Gives all his fearful neighbours strange alarms, 30

We in our glorious bacchanals dispose

The humbled fate of a plebean nose;

Which to effect, when thus it was decreed,

Draw me a champion mounted on a steed;

And after him a brave brigade of horse, 35

Arm’d at all points, ready to reenforce

His; this assault upon a single man.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

’Tis this must make O’Bryon great in story.

And add more beams to Sandys’ former glory.

Draw our Olympia next, in council sate 40

With Cupid, S[eymou]r, and the tool of State:

Two of the first recanters of the house,

That aim at mountains, and bring forth a mouse;

Who make it, by their mean retreat, appear

Five members need not be demanded here. 45

These must assist her in her countermines,

To overthrow the Derby-House designs;

Whilst Positive walks, like woodcock in the park.

Contriving projects with a brewer’s dark.

Thus all employ themselves, and, without pity, 50

Leave Temple singly to be beat i’ the city.