Inviting a Friend to Supper

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.

Contextual Notes:L8 - 'cates' - foodL13- 'coney' - rabbitL15 - 'clerks' - scholarsL20 - 'knot, rail, and ruff' - these are all game birdsL20 - 'my man' - my servantL24 - 'profess' - promiseL25 - 'to this' - add to thisL36 - 'Pooly and Parrot' - goverment spies