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“This was writt 2 moneths before his death”1

Our state’s a Game at Cards the Councell2 deale

The Lawyers shuffle & the Clergie Cutt

The King wynnes, from the loosing publique weale3

The Duke keepes stakes, the Courtiers plott, & putt

The Game i’th stock,4 & thus the Citty5 Jumpes

5

Still Crosse, for why? Prerogative6 is Trumpe.

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Source. Bodleian MS Ashmole 36-37, fol. 174v

Other known sources. Bodleian MS Ashmole 38, p. 136; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. c.50, fol. 13v; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. e.14, fol. 11v; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. e.97, p. 31; Bodleian MS Malone 23, p. 119; Bodleian MS Rawl. Poet. 26, fol. 6v; Bodleian MS Tanner 465, fol. 100r; BL Add. MS 22118, fol. 5v; BL Add. MS 29492, fol. 56r; BL MS Sloane 1458, fol. 24v; NLS MS Advocates 19.3.8, fol. 1v; St. John’s MS K.56, no. 74; Folger MS V.a.162, fol. 80r; Folger MS V.a.319, fol. 26v; Folger MS V.a.322, p. 50; Rosenbach MS 239/27, p. 46

Oiii10

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here O0. Introduction Oi1. The Parliament sitts Oi2. Oh honoured England Oi3. Our digby digd’e Oi4. The base on which Oi5. There was a man Oi6. There was a great fleete Oi7. There was a Munkye Oi8. Yee Spanyards Oi9. There was some policye Oi10. The Kinge and his wyfe Oi11. Why did the fond Oi12. Fower Cheyffe Justices Oi13. Justice of late hath Oi14. Ould Ned Cooke Oi15. Rex and Grex Oi16. Come heare, Lady Muses Oi17. There is a man Oii1. when the uncivill civill Oii2. It makes mee to muse Oii3. Great Buckinghame Oii4. In reading these Oii5. And wilt thou goe Oii6. Charles would yee Prevaile Oii7. Rejoice, brave English Oii8. Why was the varlett Oii9. One askte me Oii10. Oure crossrow’s turnd Oii11. The noblest brave Oii12. And art return’d againe Oii13. All you that will goe Oii14. As sick men feare Oiii1. O Admirall! Oiii2. The wisest King Oiii3. The warrlike King Oiii4. Excuse me Eliott Oiii5. Avaunt you giddie Oiii6. Here Dr Lambe Oiii7. If heav’n rejoyce Oiii8. For Lambe go ringe Oiii9. Heare lyes the Impostar Oiii10. Our state’s a Game Oiii11. When onely one doth Oiii12. Of Brittish Beasts Oiii13. To hunt the Doe Oiii14. The Parliament of late Oiii15. A thinge gott by candle

¹   writt 2 moneths before his death: i.e. two months before Buckingham’s death. Buckingham was assassinated on 23 August 1628. <back>

²   Councell: i.e. the Privy Council. <back>

³   publique weale: public good. <back>

⁴   putt / The Game i’th stock: in card games, the “stock” is the term for “the portion of the pack of cards which is not dealt out” (OED). <back>

⁵   the Citty: i.e. the City of London. <back>

⁶   Prerogative: i.e. the royal prerogative; the King’s power to act in certain areas without restraint. <back>