A farrago of several pieces being a supplement to his poems, characters, heroick pourtraits, letters, and other discourses formerly published by him / newly written by Richard Flecknoe.

On Welbeck.

WElbeck a place of much Renown, betwixt Your best of ancient, and of modern mixt. As if one age alone could not suffice, For building such a noble Edifice. No petty Garnishments that look so spruce, As they were more for ornament then use; Nor Towers nor Turrets in the air agen, As they were rather built for birds then men: But all large, and capicious you find Justly proportion'd to the Owners mind; All great and solid, as in ancient times Before our modern buildings were our crimes. Enter'd, at first, you'd think you entered some Huge Piazza made for all the world to come. So great mens Houses shu'd be builded great, And not so much for prospect, as receipt. Amongst the rest the Stables all appear, As if each one, some Princely Palace were: And 'twas but fit they shu'd be so, where all The Horses, you of princely race might call. For the Riding-House 'tis of so vast extent, It does some m••ghty Temple represent.

Where seeing them ride, Admiring Indians wo'd Adore each Horse there as a Semi-God: And if this to the Horse, what wo'd they do To him who rides, and animates them too? From hence beholding of the Park, you'd say For pleasantness 'twere some Arcadia, And think you saw the jolly Nymphs and Swains Feeding their flocks upon the lawns and plains, And heard them in the pleasant woods and groves, Inchant your eares, with chanting of their loves. 'Mong trees so thick and fair they seem th' aboads Not only of Rural birds, but rural gods: But least we loose our selves and stray too far, 'Tis time to th' house it self, for to repair: Where though the Rooms be vast, and every thing Seems made for entertainment of a King: Yet that's the least you look on, but the Lord, Himself the noblest prospect does afford. In whom your late Nobilitie may see What th' ancient were, and modern ought to be. And 'mongst the * other Arts, he does profess, May learn of him the Art of Nobleness.

He looks not (as some do) that you shud d' off Your Hat, and make a reverence twelve-score off: Nor takes Exceptions if at every word You don't repeat your Grace, or else my Lord; But as they'd seem great men by Pride, so he, Is one indeed by noble curtesie: And dos appear a hundred times more great, By leaving it, then they by keeping state: Whence h'as so high a reputation got, 'Mongst all that know, & all that know him not; Through all degrees of honour he has past, Of Viscount, Earl, Marquess, and Duke at last. H'as ever had the general esteem, Of honouring them, more then they honour'd him.