To My Bookseller
This is from the third of the poet’s books
Ben Jonson. of epigrams. Bucklersbury was the
street most affected by grocers and
apothecaries.
Thou that mak’st gain thy end, and wisely well,
Call’st a book good, or bad, as it doth sell,
Use mine so too; I give thee leave; but crave,
For the luck’s sake, it thus much favor have,
To lie upon thy stall, till it be sought;
Not offered, as it made suit to be bought;
Nor have my title-leaf on posts or walls,
Or in cleft-sticks, advanced to make calls
For termers, or some clerk-like serving-man,
Who scarce can spell thy hard names; whose knight less can.
If without these vile arts it will not sell,
Send it to Bucklersbury, there ’t will well.