If in the Court you wou'd more happy grow,
How happy you in Wit are, never show;
Wit's the last Secret you shou'd there disclose,
Where, to hide Wit but much more Judgment shows;
To show your Wit there, let it not appear,
To get Trusts from the Pow'rful, Great, or Fair,
Where such of most Wits most distrustful are;
There speak no True Word to the Fair, Proud, Great,
If the more Credit with 'em you wou'd get;
Feign Folly, to be Fortune's Favourite,
Lucky to be, shew not Unlucky Wit,
Where Politicians make least Use of it;
More to be pleas'd, be laugh'd at more at Court,
And be Men's Scorn, not to be Fortune's Sport;
There hide your Wit, your Wisdom more to show;
The Dread of Fools. Wise Men's Aversion too,
Instead of making Friends, makes Enemies;
Where nought to know, see, feel, is to be Wise,
Since Fools, Knaves, fear or hate none more than Spies;
So too much Knowledge, as 'twas Adam 's Fall,
Strips his Court-Sons, and thrusts 'em out of all;
For as the Gamester's Skill, when it is known,
Prevents his Gains, Wits are by Wit undone;
Most fear'd, least trusted by the Fortunate,
Who, those they fear most, but most often hate;
At Court, then Folly proves best Policy,
And seeming Sensless, Ingenuity;
Where great Fools, Knaves, of being known, are shy;
Where, to Proud Fools, 'twere more Respect, (we find)
From Wits, as less what they say, do they mind;
You then at Court, more happy still to grow,
Shou'd hide your Wit, your Wisdom more to show,
Shou'd act the Fool there, to make others so;
As Gamesters sink at Play their Coin and Skill,
Seem Empty-Scull'd, their Pockets more to fill;
For Court-Fools, like the Stage-Fools, (you must know)
Too hard for Wits so by their Nonsense grow;
Since Men, by being other's Scorn or Sport,
More Friendship, Trust, and Favour gain at Court;
Where Men take Fools Jests in the Best Sense still,
But True Jests, as they've more Sense, but more Ill;
At Court, to gain Men's, Women's Favour so,
Be sure no more Wit than they have to show;
Since each Sex fears Men most, of the most Wit,
Will such into their Secrets least admit,
For fear of their discovering their Shame,
Avoid their Courtship, but to 'scape their Blame,
Their Profit, Pleasure lose, to keep their Fame.