The weesil trap'd a poem : being a reflection on the late satyrical fable. Brown, Thomas, 1663-1704. 1691 Approx. 20 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 9 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A29792 Wing B5076 ESTC R12616 13578321 ocm 13578321 100488 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A29792) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 100488) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 837:16) The weesil trap'd a poem : being a reflection on the late satyrical fable. Brown, Thomas, 1663-1704. 14, [2] p. Printed for Abel Roper ... and Joseph Fox ..., London : 1691. An attack on Sherlock written by Thomas Brown. Cf. DNB. Reproduction of original in Hunington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707 -- Poetry. 2004-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-02 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-07 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2004-07 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Weesil Trap'd : A POEM : Being a REFLECTION On the late Satyrical Fable . — Who can be secure from Wrongs , Or Slanders from Licencious Tongues ? For tho Geese sav'd the Capitol , By Cackling from th' Invading Gaul , And shew'd the Enemy was near ; Yet had they all been Slanderers there The Roman Guard had been deceiv'd , And not a Goose of them believ'd . Page 6 , 7. LONDON , Printed for Abel Roper at the Mitere near Temple-Bar , and Ioseph Fox , at the Seven Starrs in Westminster-Hall , 1691. THE Weesil Trap'd , &c. The Argument of the Canto . The Hare deserts the Country Plains To Argue on Weesilion's Case , In his Defence takes mighty Pains To prove his Swearing no Disgrace . CANTO I. WIthin a happy virdant Vale Preserv'd , and bounded with a Pale , The Sweet demeans of some Grandee Blest with the Worlds Prosperity ; Where Natures choicest Fruits did grow , And Baron Buck with Lady Doe , With a large Herd of Children Fawns In Pleasure trip'd it o're the Lawns . Old * Keyward , of all Brutes most Wise , Spent a long Life in Rural Joys ; And tho sometimes his peaceful Bounds Invaded were with Neighbouring Hounds : Inveterate Foes in every place To him , and all his long Ear'd Race ; Yet his nice Wisdom understood By Shifts to make his Party good ; With subtle Turnings foyle the Scent , And Danger still by Wit prevent ; When Thousands of his Tribe were slain , And Yearly hunted o're the Plain . In Staticks and Philosophy , None e're so Curious was as he . In Politicks too nicely Learn'd , 'Mongst which of late having discern'd Some Pamphlets written to disgrace , His dearest Friend , Weesilion's Case . Brim full of amicable Love Resolves from Mansion to remove , And some small time in Town to spend To right , and vindicate his Friend . Cold Winter now the Ground had froze , Which happy time wise Keyward chose ; When those that lov'd to mouth his Knell , Could not persue him by the Smell . And now to Town being safely come , Unseen came boldly to the Room Just as the Weefils , nam'd of late , Left off and ended their debate : But finding by his fighing Friend The Visitant had been unkind , And Critically had made bold To touch too near his Copy-hold ; Resolv'd as Master of the Arts Of Argument to shew his Parts , And a grave Look first putting on , Urg'd by his Friendship thus begun . Keyward , By the concern that does displace The Smiles in dear Weesilion's Face , And what has past between you two , I find the News i' th' Country true : That for his Reasons , late made known , He 's teiz'd by all the Brutes in Town ; Horses of War , Bulls , Lordly Cats , Law-Foxes , and Poetick-Rats , The Courtier Boar , Fitchew Physician , Church - Weesil , and Ass Politician , In Railing Scrowls have rent his Name , And strove to blast his Reverend Fame . The City Sheep , too with dull Face , Prerends to state his Conscience Case , As if he Reason understood , Or that he thought his own as Good : But amongst all , it seems , your Tongue Has been most ready to do Wrong ; You , as you were the Parish Mouth , Rail at his taking the late Oath ; And tho Sound Reason was his Guide , Dare Impudently vouch 't was Pride , As if the Notions of his Soul You could Dispotickly controul , Or had his Conscience in your Fist To turn , and vary where you list . When still , in spite of your pretence , The Cause is from your want of Sense , And modest patience in my Friend , That gives ye freedom to contend : For had you knowledge from above To understand what he does prove , Or would his Wisdom stoop so low To take the pains t' instruct you how , His Reasons would appear as plain , As now you think 'em slight and vain ; And you had own'd your self a Brute , Of all most Senseless , to Dispute . Visitant W. Tho in your nasty Country Phrase You throw this Dirt upon my Face , And Cavil at my Sense before , You know its Efficacy or Pow'r . To you and all your long Ear'd Rout I 'le make my late Objections out ; And if Three parts o' th' Town can Judge Plainly , Demonstrate t is no grudge To grave Weesilion , nor his Place , That makes our Friends Condemn his Case ; But Contradictions which we find In Writings of another kind . Keyward , If any Contradiction was , 'T is only in th' Resistance Case , Which in his Preface late he owns , And for the small Mistake attones , With so much Modesty and Shame , It lays no blot upon his Fame . And as to what the Town declares , An unlick'd Crew of Woolves and Bears ; Their naucious Senses are so vile , True Virtue they can ne're Defile : The Ermin will be White as Snow , In spite of all the Filth they throw : Besides to blast a Sacred Name On the meer score of publick Fame ; And awful Learning so Disgrace , Is equally Absurd as Base . But who can be secure from Wrongs , Or Slanders from Licensious Tongues ? For tho Geese sav'd the Capitol , By Cackling from th' Invading Gaul , And shew'd the Enemy was near ; Yet had they all been Slanderers there The Roman Guard had been deceiv'd , And not a Goose of them believ'd . Visitant W. Your subtle Topick there is known , But , pray , Where is the Slander shown ? If I should the Advantage take , Because you vouch your Coat is Black ; And e're I can affirm it true You presently shall Swear 't is Blew . Keyward , The truest Instance will be pickt , When you can prove we Contradict , 'T is not by urging our Disgraces , Or bringing Cases against Cases : Meerly relying on your Sense , Or putting off with Impudence . But sollid Reason must be known More than you hitherto have shown , Your Prentices of unknown Trades , And your Replys of Kitchen-maids ; Your Weesils squeaking far from home , And the sharp Scourge of Whipping Tom. With every other odd Remark , Serve but to leave us in the Dark : 'T is Conscience must the doubt unty , And no Man need to tell you why . Visitant W. Then Conscience , by your Rule , we find An Ignis fatuus of the Mind , Instead of Grace that Souls enriches , It leads us into Bogs and Ditches , Where a poor Traveler that came To find streight Paths out by that Flame ; Perhaps was farther from his Inn , Than when he did first begin . Keyward , To two Points you must Conscience bring . That 's for , or else against the King ; And you may Argue what you please , But 't is Complyance must give Ease . If you resolve to stem the Stream , And to Mishaps your self Condemn ; Your Stubbornness intails a woe Upon your self , and Country too . Now whether Conscience makes amends For all the Harm , I do my Friends , Or that I should admit the Case , According to the times Distress Shews scope for Argument ; mean time , T' obey Superiours , is no Crime ; And I no more ought to deny Allegiance and Supremacy , Then I should question from whence springs The Divine Right of making Kings : Thus he to whom this Sense appears , Knows always what , and when he Swears . Visitant W. The Case is very hard to clear , If a Man knows not when to Swear ? But wavering stands with a Demur , Sometimes against , and sometimes for : It seems as if he were in doubt , And wants a Cranny to creep out ; Or were but yet half satisfied In Conscience which he calls his Guide . Keyward , When it 's upon the Souls concern , Is any Man too Wise to learn ? Or can my care be my Offence , Because I would inform my Sense ? How Insolent would be that Fool ? How beyond Patience proudly Dull ? That should with a vain-glorious Huff Affirm that he has learnt enough . That every Father was a Sot , And by his Tenets should be taught ; Presuming he had all the Ground Of Learning from his proper Fund . If you should hear such Dialogues , Would you not think 'em prating Rogues ; And that they were more Ignorant , The more they did of Knowledge vaunt ? True Vertue ever noted was , The fruit of Wisdom and of Grace ; And what a better Sign can be Of Grace , than Sacred Modesty ? All the Objections yet have rose , Are grounded on a meer Suppose ; For though you Circumstances bring , You never yet could prove the thing ; But Hang and Draw for an Offence , On meer presumptive Evidence : Thus like a Peasant Rob'd , you draw From Circumstance severest Law , Who prosecutes without Remorse One , he supposes , stole his Horse . Visitant W. Your Notions are absurd and vain , Where Matter of the Fact is plain ; Suppose could ne're a Verdict get From any Jury that had Wit ; Nor Circumstances gain belief , With Force enough to hang a Thief . But he his fault does plain reveal , That gives it under Hand and Seal . Keyw. That Confutation's yet to know , Whither it be a fault or no ; When Conscience promts us , and the Case Alludes to Union and to Peace ; Tho Writings appear Pro and Con , The Writer's never the Worse Man ; When what he does is understood , Consisting with the publick Good. As Heaven is the State of Bliss , The nearest Path to it is Peace ; And the best Branch of Peace is meant Submission to the Government . The Vulgar are too dull to know Th' Intent of all the Clergy do : Thus Some Sage Writings they Condemn ▪ Whilst others Contradictions seem ; When they are really no Crimes , But Good and proper for the Times , As those they scurrilously Quote , Were for the Seasons they were wrote . Besides , how can we e're Commend A Man to be his Countries Friend , That does not in all points agree To promote Peace and Amity ? Which never can be planted here , Whilst we believ 't a Crime to Swear ; Or think it an opprobrious thing To own Allegiance to a K — Whose Merit so Divine appears , He ought next Heaven to have our Prayers . Visitant W. Your Praise perhaps is less than due , If you said more , we grant it true ; The Generous Lion we must own , As Brave as ever fill'd a Throne : Nor do we the Black Coats Condemn For the Allegiance sworn to him ; But for their Kid-skin Consciences That stretch for gain , what side they please . Keyw. There must be a distinction sure , Some may be frail , but others pure ; The Sect you mean , you should make known . Visit. W. Troth of all Sects they 'r much at one . Keyw. Nay , now y' are Cinical agen . Visit. W. Sir I am troubled with the Spleen ; And e're we Canvase more this Case Pray give me leave to speak one Phrase : Natural Religion first was plain , Tales , made it Mystery ; Offrings , Gain ; Fat Sacrifices Priests Prepar'd , They Eat , and th' Idol gap'd and Star'd . Keyw. This Notion is Apocryphal , But suits the Matter not at all . With Pagan Priests what should we do ? I hope they all are Christians now . Visit. W. I hope so too . Keyw. You cannot doubt : Visit. W. Nor if I should , you make it out . Keyw. You Rail , you Rail : Visit. W. Yes , so you say ; I must be blunt , 't is still my Way ; And have what thoughts of me you will , I 'le keep my honest Method still ; Which is not prone to Scorn or Hate , The Learn'd that at the Altar wait ; But only fairly to require , All those that must my Soul Inspire , And teach it by their Rules to fly To its blest Seat beyond the Sky ; To make my Faith more firmly grow By good Examples that they show . Few of the Task , right Judgment make Of those this awful Function take ; How strange a Vice appears in them , That does in others nothing seem ? And tho we common frailty find , Scatter'd abroad in all our kind ; Yet a Church Weesiil's less forgiven Than any Vermin under Heaven . Keyw. What their worst Vice do you believe ? Visit. W. Strong Avarice , for which I grieve ; They love preferment , so they scorn One Benefice should serve the turn . — A Fault most Heinous . Keyw. Have you none ? Exposing there 's , don't hide your own . Visit. W. No , I , even Bacon Gammon can defy , Or the Dear Pudding Crust of Turkey Pye ; I 'de not renounce my Honour or my Faith , For all the Cheer my Lord Mayor's Larder hath . Scarce had the Weesil time to tell , This last Bravado , when a Smell Of Luscious Fat Westphalia Ham , Across his Nostrils steeming came From a close Larder , which did joyn To th'Hall where all the Templer's dine ; The tempting Scent , Savoury and Hot , So Charm'd him , he had straight forgot His Arguments , and now was peeping To find some Hole that he might Creep in To dine on the most Luscious Dish , That gratefully e're blest his Wish ; Which th' other two , that well did know , The Bait , perceiv'd , and let him go ; When see the Short-liv'd happiness That still attends on Mortal Bliss , A Cursed Cook that long had Nurst A spite about some Pasty Crust , Late damag'd , with a Devillish Gin Of Wood , and Wire , Snar'd him in : In vain he Squeeks , in vain he Tares His Witty Pate against the Barrs ; In vain he calls the Hare for Aid , He of his Sorrows Mockery made . And knowing that his Doom was near , Augments his Sorrows with this Jeer. Keyw. You that could Argue late so well , And Moral Rites to others tell , Rail at our vices and declare , How Innocent of all you were , I find with Frailty overtaken , And Virtue Batter'd down with Bacon , Which now a good Reflection brings On the frail state of Human things ; That Honour , Wit , Religion , Law , Interest , can to its Party draw ; And who this truth disguises best , Waits but his time to cheat the Rest. FINIS . The Bookseller's Advertisement . THere being lately come out a Poem called the Anti-Weesils , in the Preface of which the Author of the Weesils is very highly Arrained , his Vindication against such scandalous Reflections being a Cause not worthy the drawing his own Pen ; the Bookseller as obliged to be Champion for his Authors , and even with his little Sense being able to inform the Gentleman's Misunderstanding , has begg'd a Blank Page in this Poem , to tell him , that the Author of the Weesils is not that Enemy of the Government that he maliciously misrepresents him , nor intended or writ any Reflections upon it , nor thought the taking of the present Oaths Perjury ; or has he any ways vilisied the Noble Deserters of the late Cause , as he Barbarously suggests ; there being not one Line in the whole Poem that can justly be perverted into any such villanous meaning . Neither this Gentleman ( would he be candid , ) nor any Person else ( can well believe the little Rallery of that piece of Banter , as he is pleas'd to call it , ) can carry any such perverse Signification . And 't is almost ridiculous to think it should have the power to nettle so many of the Reverend , whom ( as intended ) it should rather divert than disgust , there being nothing in it but what every Man has heard a Hundred times over in common Discourse . 'T is a little odd ( however like the rest of his Preface , ) that the Anti-Weesilarian should be so dull , as to imagine that the naming of Freeborn Brute should be an affront to an English-Man , when the Scene is laid in a Forest , and Brutes are the Representters . Nor does he that way ( as falsly charged ) Impeach any Doctor of the Church for any Apostacy from King James , but only for prevaricating against his own formerly avow'd Principles . As for his Accusation of want of Christianity , in relation to the Resurrection of the Knights Templers in his 4th Line , if the Knights are not angry with him for his Rallery , I fancy this Gentleman might have spared his severe Sentiment ; and I must freely tell him , he has more abused Mr. Dodwell in doubting his Church , who is known to be both a Learned and Religious Man , than the Author has in his Verses any of the Cross Legg'd Heroes . As for the Poetical part of the Anti-Wesils , 't is supposed the Author of the former , if he finds it worth his while , has Genius enough to answer himself ; for my own part I think I have done enough for him for this time . Vale. Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A29792-e240 * The Hare .