Woods and groves are of thy dreffing, Hill and dale doth boast thy bleffing. Thus we falute thee with our early fong, And welcome thee, and wish thee long. X. ON SHAKESPEAR. 1630. HAT needs my Shakespear for his honor'd WHA bones The labor of an age in piled stones, Or that his hallow'd reliques should be hid, Under a star-ypointing pyramid ? Dear fon of memory, great heir of fame, What need'st thou fuch weak witness of thy name? Haft built thyself a live-long monument. For whilst to th' fhame of flow-endevoring art ON THE UNIVERSITY CARRIER. XI. 99 On the UNIVERSITY CARRIER; Who ficken'd in the time of his vacancy, being forbid to go to London, by reafon of the plague. HERE lies old Hobfon; Death hath broke his girt, And here, alas, hath laid him in the dirt, Or elfe, the ways being foul, twenty to one, He's here stuck in a flough, and overthrown. 'Twas fuch a fhifter, that if truth were known, Death was half glad when he had got him down; For he had any time this ten years full Dodg'd with him, betwixt Cambridge and the Bull. And furely death could never have prevail'd, Had not his weekly courfe of carriage fail'd; But lately finding him so long at home, And thinking now his journey's end was come, In the kind office of a chamberlin 5 Show'd him his room where he muft lodge that night, Pull'd off his boots, and took away the light: If any ask for him, it fhall be faid, Hobfon has fupt, and 's newly gone to bed. XII. Another on the fame. ERE lieth one, who did moft truly prove HE That he could never die while he could move; So hung his deftiny, never to rot While he might ftill jog on and keep his trot, H 2 Made Made of sphere-metal, never to decay Time numbers motion, yet (without a crime Reft, that gives all men life, gave him his death, Too long vacation hasten'd on his term. 5 ΙΟ Merely to drive the time away he ficken'd, 15 Fainted, and died, nor would with ale be quicken'd; But vow, though the cross doctors all stood hearers, 20 25 As he were prefs'd to death, he cry'd, More weight! He had been an immortal carrier. Yet (ftrange to think) his wain was his increase: Only remains this fuperfcription. 30 L'ALLEGRO. XIII. L'ALLEGRO. ENCE, loathed Melancholy, Η Ε Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born, In Stygian cave forlorn 'Mongft horrid shapes, and shrieks, and fights unholy, Find out fome uncouth cell, Where brooding darkness spreads his jealous wings, And the night-raven fings; There under ebon fhades, and low-brow'd rocks, In dark Cimmerian defert ever dwell. The frolic wind that breathes the spring, 'As he met her once a Maying, 15 There on beds of violets blue, And fresh-blown roses wash'd in dew, Hafte thee, Nymph, and bring with thee H 3 25 Quips Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles, And love to live in dimple fleek; 30 And Laughter holding both his fides. On the light fantastic toe, And in thy right hand lead with thee, 35 The mountain nymph, fweet Liberty; To live with her, and live with thee, In unreproved pleasures free; 40 Then to come in fpite of forrow, 45 And at my window bid good-morrow, Stoutly ftruts his dames before: Oft liftening how the hounds and horn Through the high wood echoing fhrill: 55 Some |