1You that love puppet plays,

masques,1

,

court buffoons2

—

2You that love cats, apes,

monks,3

, and baboons,

3Perhaps may pleasure take in these

raccoons.4

.

4It is the prettiest sport you ever saw

5To see these

witty,5

, nimble creatures

draw.6

.

6The first to bite the

timber7

doth not fail;

7The second pulls him backward by the tail;

8The third doth so by him; so on they go

9With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row.

10And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,

11The next relieves him, and he goes before.

12Thus, what the strength of one could ne’er attain,

13With force

united’s8

done with little pain.

14So London Bridge, that now on

woolpacks9

stands,

15Was never done alone by one man’s hands;

16Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,

17The stately structures in this kingdom build.

18That fane which for

Diana’s shrine’s renowned,10

,

19And

that11

wherein no axe nor hammer’s sound

20Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,

21Could never be composed by one alone.

22

Those elephants which serve the Indian king,12

23One never could into subjection bring.

24Nor one alone could curb so of their wills

25

Four thousand whales to make them draw in mills.13

26Nor could one man those numerous volumes write

27(Which now are extant) and much less

indite.14

.

28Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,

29The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain.

30Then let all hateful

Timons15

come and see

31The happy fruits of blesséd unity.