| Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain, | |
| Who after birth did'st by my side remain, | |
| Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true, | |
| Who thee abroad exposed to public view, | |
| Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge, | 5 |
| Where errors were not lessened (all may judge). | |
| At thy return my blushing was not small, | |
| My rambling brat (in print) should mother call. | |
| I cast thee by as one unfit for light, | |
| The visage was so irksome in my sight, | 10 |
| Yet being mine own, at length affection would | |
| Thy blemishes amend, if so I could. | |
| I washed thy face, but more defects I saw, | |
| And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw. | |
| I stretcht thy joints to make thee even feet, | 15 |
| Yet still thou run'st more hobbling than is meet. | |
| In better dress to trim thee was my mind, | |
| But nought save home-spun cloth, i' th' house I find. | |
| In this array, 'mongst vulgars may'st thou roam. | |
| In critic's hands, beware thou dost not come, | 20 |
| And take thy way where yet thou art not known. | |
| If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none; | |
| And for thy mother, she alas is poor, | |
| Which caused her thus to send thee out of door. | |
| 1678
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