20
THE ELEPHANT
The Mouse, b'ing but a Vermin, none
390 Has Title to, but I alone;
And therefore hope, I may be heard,
In my own Province, with Regard.
It is no Wonder, w' are cry'd down,
And made the Talk of all the Town,
395 That rants and swears, for all our great
Attempts, we have done nothing yet,
If ev'ry one have Leave to doubt,
When some great Secret's half made out;
And, 'cause perhaps it is not true,
400 Obstruct, and ruin all we do.
As no great Act was ever done,
Nor ever can, with Truth alone;
If nothing else but Truth w'allow,
'Tis no great Matter what we do.
405 For Truth is too reserv'd, and nice,
T'appear in mix'd Societies;
Delights in solit'ary Abodes,
And never shews her self in Crowds;
A sullen little Thing, below
410 All Matters of Pretence and Show;
That deal in Novelty, and Change,
Not of Things true, but rare and strange,[1]
390 Has Title to, but I alone;
And therefore hope, I may be heard,
In my own Province, with Regard.
It is no Wonder, w' are cry'd down,
And made the Talk of all the Town,
395 That rants and swears, for all our great
Attempts, we have done nothing yet,
If ev'ry one have Leave to doubt,
When some great Secret's half made out;
And, 'cause perhaps it is not true,
400 Obstruct, and ruin all we do.
As no great Act was ever done,
Nor ever can, with Truth alone;
If nothing else but Truth w'allow,
'Tis no great Matter what we do.
405 For Truth is too reserv'd, and nice,
T'appear in mix'd Societies;
Delights in solit'ary Abodes,
And never shews her self in Crowds;
A sullen little Thing, below
410 All Matters of Pretence and Show;
That deal in Novelty, and Change,
Not of Things true, but rare and strange,[1]
- ↑ 430, 431. Only to make new Work for Stubs,—And all the academick Clubs.] Henry Stubbe, Physician at Warwick, published a Book entitled, Legends as Histories: or a Specimen of some Animad-
versions,
