to be
  Not one, but all mankind’s epitome: 
  Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong;
  Was everything by starts, and nothing long;
  But, in the course of one revolving moon,
  Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon:  550
  Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking,
  Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking. 
  Blest madman, who could every hour employ,
  With something new to wish, or to enjoy! 
  Railing and praising were his usual themes;
  And both, to show his judgment, in extremes: 
  So over violent, or over civil,
  That every man with him was God or Devil. 
  In squandering wealth was his peculiar art: 
  Nothing went unrewarded but desert. 560
  Beggar’d by fools, whom still he found too late;
  He had his jest, and they had his estate. 
  He laugh’d himself from court; then sought relief
  By forming parties, but could ne’er be chief: 
  For, spite of him the weight of business fell
  On Absalom and wise Achitophel: 
  Thus, wicked but in will, of means bereft,
  He left not faction, but of that was left.

    Titles and names ’twere tedious to rehearse
  Of lords, below the dignity of verse. 570
  Wits, warriors, commonwealth’s-men, were the best: 
  Kind husbands, and mere nobles, all the rest. 
  And therefore, in the name of dulness, be
  The well-hung Balaam and cold Caleb free: 
  And canting Nadab let oblivion damn,
  Who made new porridge for the paschal lamb. 
  Let friendship’s holy band some names assure;
  Some their own worth, and some let scorn secure. 
  Nor shall the rascal rabble here have place,
  Whom kings no titles gave, and God no grace:  580
  Not bull-faced Jonas, who could statutes draw
  To mean rebellion, and make treason law. 
  But he, though bad, is follow’d by a worse,
  The wretch who Heaven’s anointed dared to curse;
  Shimei, whose youth did early promise bring
  Of zeal to God and hatred to his king,
  Did wisely from expensive sins refrain,
  And never broke the Sabbath but for gain;
  Nor ever was he known an oath to vent,
  Or curse, unless against the government. 590
  Thus heaping wealth by the most ready way
  Among the Jews, which was to cheat and pray;
  The city, to reward his pious hate
  Against his master, chose him magistrate. 
  His hand a vare[70] of justice did uphold;
  His neck was loaded with a chain of gold. 
  During his office treason was no crime;
  The sons of Belial had a glorious time: 
  For Shimei, though not prodigal of pelf,
  Yet loved his wicked neighbour as himself. 600
  When two or three were gather’d to declaim
  Against the monarch of Jerusalem,
  Shimei was always in the midst of them;