DONE BY THE AUTHOR IN HIS YOUTH. 3!

. I.

CHAUCER. 7.
AZOMEN ben full of Ragerie,

Yet swinken not sans secresie.
Thilke Moral shall ye understond,
From Schoole-boy's Tale of fayre

Irelond;
Which to the Fennes hath him betake,
To filch the gray Ducke fro the Lake.
Right then, there passen by the Way
His Aunt, and eke her Daughters tway.
Ducke in his Trowses hath he hent,
Not to be spied of Ladies gent.
“But ho! our Nephew,” (crieth one)
“Ho!” quoth another, “ Cozen John;"
And stoppen, and lough, and callen out, -
This sely Clerke full low doth lout:
They asken that, and talken this,
“Lo, here is Coz, and here is Miss."
But, as he glozeth with Speeches soote,
The Ducke sore tickleth his Erse-roote :
Fore-piece and buttons all-to-brest,
Forth thrust a white neck, and red crest. 20

“ Te-hee !” cry'd Ladies : Clerke nought

spake : Miss star'd, and gray Ducke crieth Quake. “O Moder, Moder!” (quoth the daughter), “Be thilke same thing Maids longen a'ter ? Bette is to pine on coals and chalke, 25 Then trust on Mon, whose yerde can talke.”

II.

SPENSER.

THE ALLEY.

N ev'ry town where Thamis rolls his

Tyde,
A narrow pass there is, with Houses

low;
Where ever and anon, the Stream is oy'd,
And many a Boat soft sliding to and fro:
There oft are heard the notes of Infant Woe, 5
The short thick Sob, loud Scream, and

shriller Squall : How can ye, Mothers, vex your Children so ? Some play, some eat, some cack against the

wall, And as they crouchen low, for bread and

butter call.

T

And on the broken pavement, here and there,

10 Doth many a stinking sprat and herring lie; A brandy and tobacco shop is near,

And hens, and dogs, and hogs are feeding by;
And here a sailor's jacket hangs to dry.
At ev'ry door are sunburnt matrons seen 15
Mending old nets to catch the scaly fry;

Now singing shrill, and scolding eft between; Scolds answer foul-mouth'd scolds ; bad neigh

bourhood I ween.

III.

The snappish cur (the passengers' annoy) Close at my heel with yelping treble flies ; 20 The whimp'ring girl, and hoarser-screaming

boy, Join to the yelping treble shrilling cries ; The scolding Quean to louder notes doth rise, And her full pipes those shrilling cries con

found; To her full pipes the grunting hog replies: 25 The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours

round, And curs, girls, boys, and scolds, in the deep

base are drown'd.

IV. Hard by a Sty, beneath a roof of thatch, Dwelt Obloquy, who in her early days Baskets of fish at Billingsgate did watch, 30 Cod, whiting, oyster, mackrel, sprat, or

plaice : There learn'd she speech from tongues that

never cease. Slander beside her, like a Mag-pie, chatters, With Envy (spitting Cat), dread foe to

peace; Like a curs'd Cur, Malice before her clatters, And, vexing ev'ry wight, tears clothes and all

- 34

T.

Her dugs were mark'd by ev'ry Collier's

hand; Her mouth was black as bull-dog's, at the

stall: She scratched, bit, and spar'd ne lace ne

band, And bitch and rogue her answer was to all; 40 Nay, e'en the parts of shame by name would

call : Yea, when she passed by or lane or nook, Would greet the man who turn'd him to the

Wall, And by his hand obscene the porter took, Nor ever did askance like modest Virgin look. 45

VI.

Such place hath Deptford, navy-building

town, Woolwich and Wapping, smelling strong of

pitch; Such Lambeth, envy of each band and gown, And Twick’nam such, which fairer scenes

enrich, Grots, statues, urns, and Jo—n's? Dog and Bitch,

50 Ne village is without, on either side, All up the silver Thames, or all adown; Ne Richmond's self, from whose tall front

are ey'd Vales, spires, meand'ring streams, and Wind

sor's tow'ry pride.

III.
WALLER.

ON A LADY SINGING TO HER LUTE.

BANCAIR Charmer, cease, nor make your

Ja voice's prize,
EZ A heart resign'd, the conquest of

a your eyes : Well might, alas ! that threaten'd vessel fail, Which winds and light’ning both at once

- assail. We were too blest with these enchanting lays, 5 Which must be heav'nly when an Angel plays : But killing charms your lover's death contrive, Lest heav'nly music should be heard alive. Orpheus could charm the trees, but thus a tree, Taught by your hand, can charm no less than he:

10 A poet made the silent wood pursue, This vocal wood had drawn the Poet too.

ON A FAN OF THE AUTHOR'S DESIGN, In which was painted the story of Cephalus and Procris,

with the motto, * Aura veni.” “Come, gentle Air!” th' Æolian shepherd

said, While Procris panted in the secret shade; “ Come, gentle Air," the fairer Delia cries, While at her feet her swain expiring lies. Lo the glad gales o'er all her beauties stray, 5

Breathe on her lips, and in her bosom play! · In Delia's hand this toy is fatal found, Nor could that fabled dart more surely wound: