And much of Terra Incognita,
Th' Intelligible World could fay;
A deep Occult Philosopher,
As learn'd as the Wild Irish are,
Or Sir Agrippa, for profound
And folid Lying much renown'd:
He Anthropofophus, and Floud,
And Jacob Behmen understood;
Knew many an Amulet and Charm,
That would do neither good nor harm :
In Rofy-Crucian Lore as Learned,
As he that Vere adeptus earned.
He understood the Speech of Birds
As well as they themselves do words:
Could tell what fubtleft Parrots mean,
That speak and think contrary clean,
What Member 'tis of whom they talk
When they cry Rope, and Walk, Knave, Walk.
He'd extract Numbers out of Matter,
And keep them in a Glafs, like Water;
Of Sov❜reign Pow'r to make Men wife;
For dropt in blear, thick-fighted Eyes,
They'd make them fee in darkest Night,
Like Owls, though pur-blind in the Light.
By help of thefe (as he profeft)
He had First Matter feen undreft:
He took her naked all alone,
Before one Rag of Form was on.
The Chaos too he had defcry'd,
And feen quite through, or elfe he ly'd ::
Not that of Paft-board, which men fhew
For Groats at Fair of Bartholmew;
But its great Granfire, firft o'th' Name,
Whence that and Reformation came,
Both Coufin Germans, and right able
T' Inveigle and draw in the Rabble.
But Reformation was, fome fay,"
O' th' younger Houfe to Puppet-play.
He could foretel whats'ever was
By confequence to come to pafs.
As Death of Great Men, Alterations,
Difeafes, Battles, Inundations,
All this without th' Eclipfe of Sun,
Or.dreadful Comet, he hath done
By inward Light, a way as good,
And easie to be understood.
But with more lucky hit than those
That use to make the Stars depofe,
Like Knights o' th' Poft, and falfly charge
Upon themselves what others forge:
As if they were confenting to
All mischief in the World Men do:
Or, like the Dev'l, did tempt and fway 'em
To Rogueries, and then betray 'em.
They'll fearch a Planet's Houfe, to know
Who broke and robb'd a House below:
Examine Venus and the Moon
Who ftole a Thimble or a Spoon:
And though they nothing will confefs,
Yet by their very Looks can guess,
And tell what guilty Afpect bodes,
Who ftole, and who receiv'd the Goods;
They'll queftion Mars, and by his look
Detect who 'twas that nim'd a Cloke :
Make Mercury confefs, and peach
Thofe Thieves which he himself did teach.
They'll find i' th' Phyfiognomies
O'th' Planets, all Mens Deftinies.
Like him that took the Doctor's Bill,
And fwallow'd it instead o'th' Pill.
Caft the Nativity o' th' Question,
And from Pofitions to be guest on,
As fure as if they knew the Moment
Of Natives Birth, tell what will come on't.
They'll feel the Pulfes of the Stars,
To find out Agues, Coughs, Catarrhs;
And tell what Crifis does Divine
The Rot in sheep, or Mange in Swine;
In Men what gives or Cures the Itch,
What makes them Cuckolds, poor or rich:
What gains or lofes, hangs or faves;
What makes Men great, what Fools or Knaves;
But not what Wife, for only of those
The Stars (they fay) cannot difpofe,
No more than can the Aftrologians;
There they fay right, and like true Trojans.
This Ralpho knew, and therefore took
The other Courfe, of which we fpoke.
Thus was th' Accomplish'd Squire endu'd With Gifts and Knowledge, per lous fhrewd. Never did trufty Squire with Knight,
Or Knight with Squire 'ere jump more right.
Their Arms and Equipage did fit,
As well as Vertues, Parts, and Wit,
Their Valours too were of a Rate,
And out they fally'd at the Gate ;
Few Miles on Horfeback had they jogged,
But Fortune unto them turn'd dogged.
For they a fad Adventure met,
Of which anon we mean to Treat:
But e'er we venture to unfold
Atchievements fo refolv'd and bold,
We fhould, as learned Poets ufe,
Invoke th' Affiftance of fome Mufe;
However Criticks count it fillier
Than Juglers talking to Familiar.
We think 'tis no great Matter which,
They're all alike, yet we shall pitch
On one that fits our purpofe moft,
Whom therefore thus do we accoft.
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