The Satires Of Dr John Donne, Dean Of St Paul's, Versified. Satire Iv Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCCC DDCCEECCFFGHIIIJJKKL LMMNNOOPQ RRCCSSII TTUVTTCCLQWWCCXW FFYYJJX Z W CCA2A2PB2 C2C2WWHHD2D2E2 CCCCD2D2F2P CCC XYG2G2H2H2WWE2E2X WWI2I2LLCC WWCCJ2K2CCCCK2L2M2M2 LLN2O2P2Q2R2R2S2S2WW T2T2WW LLU2U2V2W2X2X2Y2Z2D2 D2A3A3CCCCYYCC WWB3MF2C3YYWW CCCCD3D3A3A3E3E3YYS2 S2X2X2YYWWA3A3CCCCCC LLY2Z2F3F3CCCCCCG3G3 WWCCH3H3 G3G3E2E2G3G3CCCCWWG3 G3PPCCH3H3G3G3TC B2B2I3I3A2A2LLWYCCJ3 C CCWWCCWW E2E2P2P2CCG3G3

Well if it be my time to quit the stageA
Adieu to all the follies of the ageA
I die in charity with fool and knaveB
Secure of peace at least beyond the graveB
I've had my purgatory here betimesC
And paid for all my satires all my rhymesC
The poet's hell its tortures fiends and flamesC
To this were trifles toys and empty namesC
-
With foolish pride my heart was never firedD
Nor the vain itch t' admire or be admiredD
I hoped for no commission from his GraceC
I bought no benefice I begg'd no placeC
Had no new verses nor new suit to showE
Yet went to court the devil would have it soE
But as the fool that in reforming daysC
Would go to mass in jest as story saysC
Could not but think to pay his fine was oddF
Since 'twas no form'd design of serving GodF
So was I punish'd as if full as proudG
As prone to ill as negligent of goodH
As deep in debt without a thought to payI
As vain as idle and as false as theyI
Who live at court for going once that wayI
Scarce was I enter'd when behold there cameJ
A thing which Adam had been posed to nameJ
Noah had refused it lodging in his arkK
Where all the race of reptiles might embarkK
A verier monster than on Afric's shoreL
The sun e'er got or slimy Nilus boreL
Or Sloane or Woodward's wondrous shelves containM
Nay all that lying travellers can feignM
The watch would hardly let him pass at noonN
At night would swear him dropp'd out of the moonN
One whom the mob when next we find or makeO
A Popish plot shall for a Jesuit takeO
And the wise justice starting from his chairP
Cry By your priesthood tell me what you areQ
-
Such was the wight the apparel on his backR
Though coarse was reverend and though bare was blackR
The suit if by the fashion one might guessC
Was velvet in the youth of good Queen BessC
But mere tuff taffety what now remain'dS
So time that changes all things had ordain'dS
Our sons shall see it leisurely decayI
First turn plain rash then vanish quite awayI
-
This thing has travell'd speaks each language tooT
And knows what's fit for every State to doT
Of whose best phrase and courtly accent join'dU
He forms one tongue exotic and refinedV
Talkers I've learn'd to bear Motteux I knewT
Henley himself I've heard and Budgell tooT
The Doctor's wormwood style the hash of tonguesC
A pedant makes the storm of Gonson's lungsC
The whole artillery of the terms of warL
And all those plagues in one the bawling BarQ
These I could bear but not a rogue so civilW
Whose tongue will compliment you to the devilW
A tongue that can cheat widows cancel scoresC
Make Scots speak treason cozen subtlest whoresC
With royal favourites in flattery vieX
And Oldmixon and Burnet both outlieW
-
He spies me out I whisper Gracious GodF
What sin of mine could merit such a rodF
That all the shot of dulness now must beY
From this thy blunderbuss discharged on meY
Permit he cries no stranger to your fameJ
To crave your sentiment if 's your nameJ
What speech esteem you most 'The King's ' said IX
But the best words 'Oh sir the Dictionary '-
You miss my aim I mean the most acuteZ
And perfect speaker 'Onslow past dispute '-
But sir of writers 'Swift for closer styleW
But Hoadley for a period of a mile '-
Why yes 'tis granted these indeed may passC
Good common linguists and so Panurge wasC
Nay troth the Apostles though perhaps too roughA2
Had once a pretty gift of tongues enoughA2
Yet these were all poor gentlemen I dareP
Affirm 'twas travel made them what they wereB2
-
Thus others' talents having nicely shownC2
He came by sure transition to his ownC2
Till I cried out You prove yourself so ableW
Pity you was not druggerman at BabelW
For had they found a linguist half so goodH
I make no question but the tower had stoodH
'Obliging sir for courts you sure were madeD2
Why then for ever buried in the shadeD2
Spirits like you should see and should be seenE2
The king would smile on you at least the queen '-
Ah gentle sir you courtiers so cajole usC
But Tully has it Nunquam minus solusC
And as for courts forgive me if I sayC
No lessons now are taught the Spartan wayC
Though in his pictures lust be full display'dD2
Few are the converts Aretine has madeD2
And though the court show vice exceeding clearF2
None should by my advice learn virtue thereP
-
At this entranced he lifts his hands and eyesC
Squeaks like a high stretch'd lutestring and repliesC
'Oh 'tis the sweetest of all earthly thingsC
To gaze on princes and to talk of kings '-
Then happy man who shows the tombs said IX
He dwells amidst the royal familyY
He every day from king to king can walkG2
Of all our Harries all our Edwards talkG2
And get by speaking truth of monarchs deadH2
What few can of the living ease and breadH2
'Lord sir a mere mechanic strangely lowW
And coarse of phrase your English all are soW
How elegant your Frenchmen ' Mine d'ye meanE2
I have but one I hope the fellow's cleanE2
'Oh sir politely so nay let me dieX
Your only wearing is your paduasoy '-
Not sir my only I have better stillW
And this you see is but my dishabilleW
Wild to get loose his patience I provokeI2
Mistake confound object at all he spokeI2
But as coarse iron sharpen'd mangles moreL
And itch most hurts when anger'd to a soreL
So when you plague a fool 'tis still the curseC
You only make the matter worse and worseC
-
He pass'd it o'er affects an easy smileW
At all my peevishness and turns his styleW
He asks 'What news ' I tell him of new playsC
New eunuchs harlequins and operasC
He hears and as a still with simples in itJ2
Between each drop it gives stays half a minuteK2
Loth to enrich me with too quick repliesC
By little and by little drops his liesC
Mere household trash of birthnights balls and showsC
More than ten Hollinsheds or Halls or StowesC
When the queen frown'd or smiled he knows and whatK2
A subtle minister may make of thatL2
Who sins with whom who got his pension rugM2
Or quicken'd a reversion by a drugM2
Whose place is quarter'd out three parts in fourL
And whether to a bishop or a whoreL
Who having lost his credit pawn'd his rentN2
Is therefore fit to have a governmentO2
Who in the secret deals in stocks secureP2
And cheats the unknowing widow and the poorQ2
Who makes a trust or charity a jobR2
And gets an act of parliament to robR2
Why turnpikes rise and now no cit nor clownS2
Can gratis see the country or the townS2
Shortly no lad shall chuck or lady voleW
But some excising courtier will have tollW
He tells what strumpet places sells for lifeT2
What 'squire his lands what citizen his wifeT2
And last which proves him wiser still than allW
What lady's face is not a whited wallW
-
As one of Woodward's patients sick and soreL
I puke I nauseate yet he thrusts in moreL
Trim's Europe's balance tops the statesman's partU2
And talks Gazettes and Postboys o'er by heartU2
Like a big wife at sight of loathsome meatV2
Ready to cast I yawn I sigh and sweatW2
Then as a licensed spy whom nothing canX2
Silence or hurt he libels the great manX2
Swears every place entail'd for years to comeY2
In sure succession to the day of doomZ2
He names the price for every office paidD2
And says our wars thrive ill because delay'dD2
Nay hints 'tis by connivance of the courtA3
That Spain robs on and Dunkirk's still a portA3
Not more amazement seized on Circe's guestsC
To see themselves fall endlong into beastsC
Than mine to find a subject staid and wiseC
Already half turn'd traitor by surpriseC
I felt the infection slide from him to meY
As in the pox some give it to get freeY
And quick to swallow me methought I sawC
One of our giant statues ope its jawC
-
In that nice moment as another lieW
Stood just a tilt the minister came byW
To him he flies and bows and bows againB3
Then close as Umbra joins the dirty trainM
Not Fannius' self more impudently nearF2
When half his nose is in his prince's earC3
I quaked at heart and still afraid to seeY
All the court fill'd with stranger things than heY
Ran out as fast as one that pays his bailW
And dreads more actions hurries from a jailW
-
Bear me some god oh quickly bear me henceC
To wholesome solitude the nurse of senseC
Where Contemplation prunes her ruffled wingsC
And the free soul looks down to pity kingsC
There sober thought pursued the amusing themeD3
Till fancy colour'd it and form'd a dreamD3
A vision hermits can to Hell transportA3
And forced ev'n me to see the damn'd at courtA3
Not Dante dreaming all the infernal stateE3
Beheld such scenes of envy sin and hateE3
Base fear becomes the guilty not the freeY
Suits tyrants plunderers but suits not meY
Shall I the terror of this sinful townS2
Care if a liveried lord or smile or frownS2
Who cannot flatter and detest who canX2
Tremble before a noble serving manX2
O my fair mistress Truth shall I quit theeY
For huffing braggart puff'd nobilityY
Thou who since yesterday hast roll'd o'er allW
The busy idle blockheads of the ballW
Hast thou O Sun beheld an emptier sortA3
Than such as swell this bladder of a courtA3
Now pox on those who show a court in waxC
It ought to bring all courtiers on their backsC
Such painted puppets such a varnish'd raceC
Of hollow gewgaws only dress and faceC
Such waxen noses stately staring thingsC
No wonder some folks bow and think them kingsC
-
See where the British youth engaged no moreL
At Fig's at White's with felons or a whoreL
Pay their last duty to the court and comeY2
All fresh and fragrant to the drawing roomZ2
In hues as gay and odours as divineF3
As the fair fields they sold to look so fineF3
'That's velvet for a king ' the flatterer swearsC
'Tis true for ten days hence 'twill be King Lear'sC
Our court may justly to our stage give rulesC
That helps it both to fools' coats and to foolsC
And why not players strut in courtiers' clothesC
For these are actors too as well as thoseC
Wants reach all states they beg but better dress'dG3
And all is splendid poverty at bestG3
-
Painted for sight and essenced for the smellW
Like frigates fraught with spice and cochinealW
Sail in the ladies how each pirate eyesC
So weak a vessel and so rich a prizeC
Top gallant he and she in all her trimH3
He boarding her she striking sail to himH3
'Dear Countess you have charms all hearts to hit '-
And 'Sweet Sir Fopling you have so much wit '-
Such wits and beauties are not praised for noughtG3
For both the beauty and the wit are boughtG3
'Twould burst ev'n Heraclitus with the spleenE2
To see those antics Fopling and CourtinE2
The Presence seems with things so richly oddG3
The mosque of Mahound or some queer pagodG3
See them survey their limbs by Durer's rulesC
Of all beau kind the best proportion'd foolsC
Adjust their clothes and to confession drawC
Those venial sins an atom or a strawC
But oh what terrors must distract the soulW
Convicted of that mortal crime a holeW
Or should one pound of powder less bespreadG3
Those monkey tails that wag behind their headG3
Thus finish'd and corrected to a hairP
They march to prate their hour before the fairP
So first to preach a white gloved chaplain goesC
With band of lily and with cheek of roseC
Sweeter than Sharon in immaculate trimH3
Neatness itself impertinent in himH3
Let but the ladies smile and they are blestG3
Prodigious how the things protest protestG3
Peace fools or Gonson will for Papists seize youT
If once he catch you at your Jesu JesuC
-
Nature made every fop to plague his brotherB2
Just as one beauty mortifies anotherB2
But here's the captain that will plague them bothI3
Whose air cries Arm whose very look's an oathI3
The captain's honest sirs and that's enoughA2
Though his soul's bullet and his body buffA2
He spits fore right his haughty chest beforeL
Like battering rams beats open every doorL
And with a face as red and as awryW
As Herod's hangdogs in old tapestryY
Scarecrow to boys the breeding woman's curseC
Has yet a strange ambition to look worseC
Confounds the civil keeps the rude in aweJ3
Jests like a licensed fool commands like lawC
-
Frighted I quit the room but leave it soC
As men from jails to execution goC
For hung with deadly sins I see the wallW
And lined with giants deadlier than 'em allW
Each man an Ascapart of strength to tossC
For quoits both Temple bar and Charing crossC
Scared at the grisly forms I sweat I flyW
And shake all o'er like a discover'd spyW
-
Courts are too much for wits so weak as mineE2
Charge them with Heaven's artillery bold divineE2
From such alone the great rebukes endureP2
Whose satire's sacred and whose rage secureP2
'Tis mine to wash a few light stains but theirsC
To deluge sin and drown a court in tearsC
Howe'er what's now Apocrypha my witG3
In time to come may pass for holy writG3

Alexander Pope



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Satires Of Dr John Donne, Dean Of St Paul's, Versified. Satire Iv poem by Alexander Pope


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 28 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets