[Page 92]

On a Grave Sir retiring to Write in Order to undeceive the World.

1 CErtis of all well-meaning Fools, thy Fate
2 Is most deplorably Unfortunate.
3 Hadst Thou Domitian-like in catching Flies
4 Employ'd thy Privacy, thou'dst past for Wise;
5 For what shou'd hinder thee, but thou mayst catch
6 As fast as He, and be the Emperour's Match?
7 But whilst thy solitary Hours are spent
8 In scribling tedious Systems, to prevent
9 The Worlds Mistakes, its Follies to Reform,
10 Thou mayst as well pretend to lay a Storm.
[Page 93]
11 Go, cut the Caspian Lake a Road to th'Ocean;
12 Contrive an Engine with perpetual Motion,
13 Make Machiavillians of the Red-Bull Rout,
14 Jilts Constant, Breakers Honest, Bawds Devout;
15 If these Adventures seem unfeazable,
16 At least enough to pose Don Sidrophel.
17 Then think how frantickly thou dost devise,
18 To make this Hair-brain'd World grow staid and wise.
19 In Youth and Prime when likeliest to improve,
20 No Precepts this besotted World cou'd move;
21 And wilt thou at these Years begin to School,
22 (Dull Moralist!) the crazy doating Fool?
23 Go dreaming Stoick, once again Retire;
24 And since thou art Ambitious to acquire
25 Repute for Judgment — Set thy Works on Fire.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): On a Grave Sir retiring to Write in Order to undeceive the World.
Author: Nahum Tate
Themes:
Genres: occasional poem

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Tate, Nahum, c. 1652-1715. Poems by N. Tate. London: Printed by T.M. for Benj. Tooke ..., 1677, pp. 92-93. [15],133p. (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 2953].)

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Other works by Nahum Tate