Don Surly, to aspire the glorious name Of a great man, and to be thought the same,
Makes serious use of all great trade he know. He speaks to men with a Rhinocerotes' nose,
Which he thinks great; and so reads verses too, And that is done as he saw great men do.
He has timpanies of business in his face, And can forget men's names with a great grace.
He will both argue and discourse in oaths, Both which are great; and laugh at ill-made clothes—That's greater yet—to cry his own up neat. He doth, at meals, alone his pheasant eat,
Which is main greatness; and at his still board He drinks to no man; that's, too, like a lord.
He keeps another's wife, which is a spice Of solemn greatness.
And he dares, at dice,
Blaspheme God greatly, or some poor hind beat That breathes in his dog's way; and this is great.
Nay more, for greatness' sake, he will be one May hear my epigrams, but like of none,
Surly, use other arts; these only can Style thee a most great fool, but no great man.
Contextual notes:
L1 - 'Don Surly' - Don Surly was not a specific person.
Johnson was talking rather of surly people in general.
The Spanish title 'Don' was added because it was thought, at the time, that Spaniards were pompous and
L3 - 'trade' -
L4 - with a Rhinocerotes' nose' - with and upturned
L7 - 'timpanies' - sweelings, tumors; a figure for
L13 - 'still board' - his solitary dinner
L14 - 'spice' -
L17 - 'hind' - rustic
