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Ben Jonson - Inviting a Friend to Supper
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Tonight, grave sir, both my poor house and I
    Do equally desire your company: 
Not that we think us worthy such a guest,
    But that your worth will dignify our feast 
With those that come; whose grace may make that seem
    Something, which else could hope for no esteem. 
It is the fair acceptance, Sir, creates
    The entertainment perfect: not the cates. 
Yet shall you have, to rectify your palate,
    An olive, capers, or some better salad 
Ushering the mutton; with a short-legged hen,
    If we can get her, full of eggs, and then 
Lemons and wine for sauce; to these, a coney
    Is not to be despaired of, for our money; 
And though fowl, now, be scarce, yet there are clerks,
    The sky not falling, think we may have larks. 
I`ll tell you of more, and lie, so you will come:
    Of partridge, pheasant, woodcock, of which some 
May yet be there; and godwit, if we can,
    Knot, rail, and ruff, too. Howsoe`er, my man 
Shall read a piece of Virgil, Tacitus,
    Livy, or of some better book to us, 
Of which we`ll speak our minds amidst our meat;
    And I`ll profess no verses to repeat: 
To this, if aught appear which I know not of,
    That will the pastry, not my paper, show of. 
Digestive cheese and fruit there sure will be;
    But that which most doth take my Muse and me 
Is a pure cup of rich Canary wine,
    Which is the Mermaid`s now, but shall be mine; 
Of which, had Horace or Anacreon tasted,
    Their lives, as do their lines, till now had lasted. 
Tobacco, Nectar, or the Thespian spring
    Are all but Luther`s beer to this I sing. 
Of this we shall sup free, but moderately,
    And we will have no Pooly, or Parrot by; 
Nor shall our cups make any guilty men,
    But at our parting we shall be as when 
We innocently met. No simple word
    That shall be uttered at our mirthful board 
Shall make us sad next morning, or affright
    The liberty that we`ll enjoy tonight.
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