| |
| GO, Soul, the Body’s guest, | |
| Upon a thankless arrant, | |
| Fear not to touch the best; | |
| The truth shall be thy warrant; | |
| Go, since I needs must die, | 5 |
| And give the World the lie! | |
| |
| Say to the Court, it glows | |
| And shines like rotten wood; | |
| Say to the Church, it shows | |
| What’s good, and doth no good; | 10 |
| If Church and Court reply, | |
| Then give them both the lie. | |
| |
| Tell Potentates, they live | |
| Acting by others’ action, | |
| Not loved unless they give, | 15 |
| Not strong but by a faction: | |
| If Potentates reply, | |
| Give Potentates the lie. | |
| |
| Tell men of high condition | |
| That manage the Estate, | 20 |
| Their purpose is ambition, | |
| Their practice, only hate: | |
| And if they once reply, | |
| Then give them all the lie. | |
| |
| Tell them that brave it most, | 25 |
| They beg for more by spending, | |
| Who, in their greatest cost, | |
| Like nothing but commending: | |
| And if they make reply, | |
| Then give them all the lie. | 30 |
| |
| Tell Zeal it wants devotion; | |
| Tell Love it is but lust; | |
| Tell Time it is but motion; | |
| Tell Flesh it is but dust: | |
| And wish them not reply, | 35 |
| For thou must give the lie. | |
| |
| Tell Age it daily wasteth; | |
| Tell Honour how it alters; | |
| Tell Beauty how she blasteth; | |
| Tell Favour how it falters; | 40 |
| And as they shall reply, | |
| Give every one the lie. | |
| |
| Tell Wit how much it wrangles | |
| In tickle points of niceness; | |
| Tell Wisdom she entangles | 45 |
| Herself in overwiseness: | |
| And when they do reply, | |
| Straight give them both the lie. | |
| |
| Tell Physic of her boldness; | |
| Tell Skill it is pretension; | 50 |
| Tell Charity of coldness; | |
| Tell Law it is contention: | |
| And as they do reply, | |
| So give them still the lie. | |
| |
| Tell Fortune of her blindness; | 55 |
| Tell Nature of decay; | |
| Tell Friendship of unkindness; | |
| Tell Justice of delay: | |
| And if they will reply, | |
| Then give them all the lie. | 60 |
| |
| Tell Arts they have no soundness, | |
| But vary by esteeming; | |
| Tell Schools they want profoundness, | |
| And stand so much on seeming. | |
| If Arts and Schools reply, | 65 |
| Give Arts and Schools the lie. | |
| |
| Tell faith it’s fled the City; | |
| Tell how the Country erreth; | |
| Tell Manhood shakes off pity; | |
| Tell Virtue least preferrèth; | 70 |
| And if they do reply, | |
| Spare not to give the lie. | |
| |
| So when thou hast, as I | |
| Commanded thee, done blabbing,— | |
| Although to give the lie | 75 |
| Deserves no less than stabbing,— | |
| Yet stab at thee that will, | |
| No stab my soul can kill! | |
| |
