Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON MR. FRANCIS BEAUMONT (THEN NEWLY DEAD), by RICHARD CORBET


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ON MR. FRANCIS BEAUMONT (THEN NEWLY DEAD), by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: He that hath such acuteness, and such wit
Alternate Author Name(s): Corbett, Richard
Subject(s): Beaumont, Francis (1584-1616); Death; Dramatists; Plays And Playwrights


What things have we seen
Done at the Mermaid!
Hard is it to say,
Yet will I venture
On the old play,
Newly revived by him
Who writ it.
If it be a sin
To make a mystery
Of brethren,
Brothers the Muses,
Large family,
I beg their pardon;
For I must tell all.
One of you know
The famous Mermaid,
Where divers of worship
Receiv'd and graced
The house, might rightly
Claim a poet's patronage.
Beaumont lies there,
And so does Fletcher,
Of rare note;
Two Beaumonts, three Fletchers,
Of divers plays,
One of the former,
Of the Night and Day.
He that watered his plants
And made 'em grow,
Glorious Jonson, and
Then, after him,
Beaumont and Fletcher,
Who equals them?
But did you never
Heare that the Muses
Were nuns? No? Sirs,
I thought ye had,
And therefore may
Be taught, I hope,
The way to know them;
They are cloyster'd now,
And I fear for ever,
But the Cloister
Is not kept so strict,
But they'll take order
For their old friend's sake,
And make him sit
In his old place.
Now for a proof
Of what I say,
Reader, behold,
And do not stay,
The notary
That wrote this,
And let but him
Be called to Bliss
To read them over,
And if he
Can challenge them,
The difference
Shall make it good,
And give the kisse
He lately took.






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