1" For dame Religion, as for punk."-An old word for prostitute. 2" A calf an alderman, a goose a justice.”—As this is the only line overrunning the measure of the poem, and its length not at all necessary, I think it probable Butler wrote A calf an alderman, goose justice. 3" A leash of languages."-How happy a word is this leash, which means at once three in number, and a band for a dog. 4" Erra Pater."-The name of an obscure old astrologer, applied in those days to the impostor Lilly. 5" For his religion," &c.-Most admirable is this description of the assumptions, perversities, and egotisms, of a fanatical creed, which identifies its will and pleasure with God's, and betrays its pretended morals and self-denial by the most barbarous kind of self-indulgence. Nothing can surpass the subtle pungency of worshipping God "for spite," or that of the exquisite, never-tobe-sufficiently repeated couplet, Compound for sins they are inclin❜d to, "Quarrel mith minc'd pies," &c.-The Puritans set their faces against good cheer, particularly at Christmas. You were to be as uncomfortable as themselves, on pain of being denounced by their envy. Some principles on which you go.— But, breaking out, despatches more "What makes y' encroach upon our trade, 66 What makes rebelling against kings A good old cause?”—“ Administrings.' 991 "What makes all doctrines plain and clear ?" "About two hundred pounds a year." "And that which was prov'd true before, Prove false again ?"—" Two hundred more.” "What makes the breaking of all oaths A holy duty?"-" Food and clothes." "What, laws and freedom, persecution?" "What makes a church a den of thieves?"- "What makes morality a crime, And therefore no true saint allows 1 "What makes rebelling against kings A good old cause ?”—“ Administrings." Administrings were powers given by the law to appropriate the goods of persons dying intestate. Nothing was ever wittier or better written than the whole of the passage here following, particularly the first and last four lines. I have closed the extract with the latter, in order to give it its best effect; otherwise the author goes on capitally well, For saints can need no conscience As virtue's impious when 'tis rooted And so he proceeds to conclude, that 66 -A large conscience is all one, And signifies the same as none. Such are the meetings of extremes in fanatical religions. And the description is no caricature. By the ridiculous doctrine of imputed merit," God's creatures were to be all vice, in order to compliment the Creator with the exclusive possession of all virtue! The children were to be made pure scoundrels, in order to do the greater honor to the father! Such are the flatteries of superstition! THE ASTROLOGERS. Quoth Ralph, Not far from hence doth dwell That deals in Destiny's dark counsels If the moon shine at full or no; That would as soon as e'er she shone, straight A STATESMAN'S CONVERSATION. -All a subtle statesman says Is half in words and half in face, As Spaniards talk in dialogues Of heads and shoulders, nods and shrugs; Of "mum," and "silence," and "the rose," HEROES OF ROMANCE. There was an ancient sage philosopher, Just so romances are, for what else Is in them all, but love and battles? O' th' first of these w' have no great matter In which to do the injur'd right We mean, in what concerns just fight. For, to make some well-sounding name "That had read Alexander Ross over."-A tedious and voluminous writer of divinity. SELF-POSSESSION. 'T is not restraint or liberty, That makes men prisoners or free, But perturbations that possess The mind, or equanimities. The whole world was not half so wide To Alexander when he cried Because he had but one to subdue, As was a paltry narrow tub to (For aught that ever I could read) To whine, put finger i' th' eye, and sob Because he had ne'er another tub.1 1 “Another tub.”-Diogenes, who desired Alexander to "stand out of his sunshine," is here made to turn the tables a second time and in the happiest manner, on the great spoiled child of Victory. MISCELLANEOUS PASSAGES AMD RHYMES. "O Heaven!" quoth she, "can that be true? I do begin to fear 'tis you; Not by your individual whiskers, But by your dialect and discourse." A torn beard's like a batter'd ensign ; That's bravest which there are most rents in. Th' extremes of glory and of shame, -Wholesale critics, that in coffee- -Antichristian assemblies To mischief bent as far 's in thèm lies. Bruis'd in body, And conjured into safe custòdy. That proud dame Used him so like a base rascallion, That old Pyg-what d' ye call him-malion, |