"Thus all bedight, and ready for the fair, "I fat impatient with a wiftful air, "Expecting COLIN CLOUT, my perjur'd fwain, "Who always follow'd MARIAN on the plain: "With him the moon-light walk I us'd to tread, "With him I danc'd upon the sportive mead; "That very morn had taught the fnails to crawl, "And print mysterious letters on the wall. "At length he came, and I with joyous meed "Mounted behind him on the pillion'd steed: "Sweetly I fung, he whistled to the lay, "Sweetly I fung the fong, and fung the day: "What beauteous fcenes began the tuneful tale! "And next I humm'd the fweets of Arno's vale; "Then MOLLY MOGG, fair damfel of the Rofe, "And lovely PEGGY, taste of London beaux. "And now in view gay Reading strikes our eyes, "And all the dainties of the fair arife: "Here Birmingham its boasted ware displays, "There leather breeches hight, and bodice stays; "Here pofied garters flutter'd in the way, "There painted hobby-horses seem to neigh; "Here belles in gingerbread all gilded over, "And little gew-gaw HYs act the lover. Shepherds and nymphs from every part repair, "All who from Oxford hills direct the share, "Who fell the foreft, or who mow the mead, "Or drag in little boats the finny breed: 66 K "Her wide-mouth'd fons low-feated Henley fends, "And fmoky Okingham it's tribute lends. "But far did MARIAN all the rest outvie, "No cheek fo ruddy, nor fo black an eye; "Scarce DOLLY c----K the daughter of the may'r, "With all the flaxen ringlets of her hair, "With all the fnowy fulness of her breast, "In blithsome features might with me conteft. "All youths ambitiously around me strove, "Each gave fome chofen emblem of his love; "One queintly bought the garters for my thighs, "While fimple archness sparkled in his eyes. "But all their fairings unfuccefsful prove, "Still true to COLIN CLOUT I held my love. -Ah! fly deceiver! you enclasp'd my arm, "And feem'd my faviour, while you meant my harm; "Far too unequal was the high reward, My maidenhead muft pay thee for thy guard; "My Already warm'd with joy you win my heart, "And ftamp a little COLIN e'er we part. "Yet now, when nature fills my womb, to fly"Nor yet one tear to iffue from thine eye 66 My flighted love to quick refentment turns ; "Lo my blood rises, and my cheek all burns! "O I could tear thee as I tear this glove"Go, horrid monfter! I defpife thy love, "Thy oaths I quit, thy fairings I refign, 66 Forget, renounce thee, hate whate'er was thine. * No christian mother bound thy infant head, "Some Turk begat thee, or fome Papist bred; "Or dropt on Cambrian hills, a squalid brat, "Some the-goat fuckled thee with favage teat. "Go to thy drab, whoe'er has won thy heart, "And may the pox devouring make thee fmart; "My vengeful ghoft fhall haunt thee o'er the plain, "Yes, thou fhalt fuffer, villain, for my pain. "-But ah! my rage relents, my forrow flows; "Come COLIN! faithlefs fhepherd! ease my woes. "And muft I in the fheet opprobrious stand? "Thy plight is troth'd, ah! come and give thy hand: "My conscience ftarts, whene'er I hear a knell, "And is a little love deferving hell? "Too hard a penance for a fin fo flight! "Ah how my heart mifgives me every night! "When fleep has clos'd my forrow-ftreaming eyes, "Then ghaftly dreams, and hateful thoughts arife: *Nec tibi diva parens, generis nec Dardanus au&tor, Perfide, fed duris genuit te cautibus borrens Caucafus, Hyrcanaque admorunt ubera tigres. + I, fequere Italiam ventis, &c. Spero equidem mediis, fiquid pia numina, &c. § Omnibus umbra locis adero, dabis, improbe, pœnas. Æn. 4. K 2 "* All unaccompany'd methinks I go "O'er Irish bogs, a wilderness of woe! "Ah! my wits turn! ftrange phantoms round me fly! "Lo! I am chang'd into a goofb'ry pye! "Forbear to eat me up, inhuman rabble! "Cocks crow, ducks quake, hens cackle, turkies gabble." Thus as fhe rav'd, her womb with rueful throes Did to the light a lufty babe disclose : Long while fhe doubted of the smirking boy, Love prompted her to fave, and Pride to drown, Semperque relinqui Sola fibi, femper longam incomitata videtur Eumenidum veluti demens videt agmina Pentheus, &c. En. 4. ON A LADY's PRESENTING A SPRIG OF MYRTLE то A GENTLEMAN. BY MR. HAMMOND. WH 7HAT fears, what terrors does thy gift create! Ambiguous emblem of uncertain fate! The myrtle, enfign of fupreme command, (Confign'd by VENUS to MELISSA's hand) Not lefs capricious than a reigning fair, Oft favours, oft rejects the lover's care. In myrtle groves oft fings the happy fwain, In myrtle fhades despairing ghofts complain; The myrtle crowns the happy lovers heads, Th' unhappy lovers graves the myrtle spreads; Oh! then the meaning of thy gift impart, And cure the throbbings of an anxious heart; Soon must this bough, as you shall fix his doom, Adorn PHILANDER's head, or grace his tomb. |