Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE STATUE AT CHARING CROSSE, by ANDREW MARVELL


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE STATUE AT CHARING CROSSE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: What can be the mystery why charing crosse
Last Line: To behold ev'ry day such a court, such a son.
Subject(s): Charing Cross, London; Charles I, King Of England (1600-1649); Osborne, Thomas. 1st Earl Of Danby; Statues


What can be the mystery why Charing Crosse
This five months continues still buffled with Board?
Dear Wheeler, impart; we're all at a losse,
Unlesse we must have Punchinello restor'd.

'Twere to Scaramuccio too great disrespect
To limit his Troop to this Theater small,
Beside the injustice it were to eject
The Mimick so legally seis'd of Whitehall.

For a Diall the place is too insecure,
Since the Privy garden could not it defend:
And so near to the Court they will never indure
Any monument how their time they misspend.

Where these deals yet in store for sheathing our Fleet,
When the King in Armada to Portsmouth should saile,
Or the Bishops and Treasurer did they agree't
To repaire with such riff-raffe our Churches old Pale?

No; to comfort the hearts of the poore Cavalier,
The late King on horseback is here to be shown.
What adoo with your Kings and your statues is here:
Have we not had enough already of one?

Does the Treasurer think men so loyally tame,
When their pensions are stopt, to be fool'd with a sight?
And 'tis forty to one if he play the old game
He'll reduce us ere long too to forty and eight.

The Trojan horse so, not of brasse but of wood
Has within it an Army that burnt up the Town,
And however, 'tis ominous, if understood,
For the old King on Horse back is but an Half-crown.

Yet his Broth'r-in-law's Horse had gain'd such repute
That the Teas'rer thought prudent to try it againe:
And instead of that Market of herbes and of fruite
He will here keep a Market of Parliament men.

But why is the work then so long at a stand?
Such things you should never or suddenly do:
As the Parliament twice was prorogu'd by your hand,
Will you venture so far to prorogue the King too?

Let's have a King, Sir, be he new, be he old;
Not Viner delay'd us so, though he were broken.
Though the King be of Copper and Danby of Gold,
Shall a Treas'rer of Guinny a Prince grudge of Token?

The huswifely Treasuresse sure is grown nice,
And so liberally treated the Members at Supper,
She thinks not convenient to go to the price,
And we've lost both our King and our Horse and our Crupper.

Where so many Bartys there are to provide,
To buy a King is not so wise as to sell:
And however she said, it could not be deny'd
That a Monarch of Gingerbread would do as well;

But the Treasurer told her he thought she was mad
And his Parliament-list withall did produce,
Where he show'd her that so many Voters he had
As would the next Tax reimburse them with use.

So the Statue will up after all his delay;
But to turne the face to Whitehall you must shun:
Though of Brasse yet with grief it would melt him away
To behold ev'ry day such a Court, such a Son.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net