VERTUMNUS AND POMONA.

Befides, he's lovely far above the rest,
With youth immortal, and with beauty blest.
Add, that he varies ev'ry shape with ease,
And tries all forms that may Pomona please.
But what fhould most excite a mutual flame,
Your rural cares and pleasures are the same.
To him your orchard's early fruits are due;
(A pleafing off'ring when 'tis made by you :)
He values thefe; but yet, alas! complains
That still the best and dearest gift remains.
Not the fair fruit that on yon' branches glows
With that ripe red the autumnal fun bestows;
Nor tafteful herbs, that in thefe gardens rife,
Which the kind foil with milky fap fupplies;
You, only you, can move the 'god's defire;
Oh! crown fo conftant and fo pure a fire!
Let foft compaffion touch your gentle mind;
Think 'tis Vertumnus begs you to be kind:
So may no froft, when early buds appear,
Deftroy the promife of the youthful year;

Nor winds, when firft your florid orchard blows, 110 Shake the light bloffoms from their blafted boughs!" This when the various god had urg'd in vain,

He ftraight affum'd his native form again :

90

[tur,

Ardor eris; folique fuos tibi devovet annos.
Adde, quòd eft juvenis: quòd naturale decôris
Munus habet; formafque aptè fingetur in omnes :
Et, quod erit juffus (jubeas licèt omnia) fiet.
Quid, quód amatis item: quod, quæ tibi poma colun-
Primus habet; lætâque tenet tua munera dextra? 98
Sed neque jam foetus defiderat arbore demptos,
Nec quas hortus alit, cum fuccis mitibus herbas; 100
Nec quicquam, nifi te. Miferere ardentis: et ipfum,
Qui petit, ore meo præfentem crede precari-
Sic tibi nec vernum nafcentia frigus adurat
Poma; nec excutiant rapidi florentia venti.
Hæc ubi nequicquam formas Deus aptus in omnes,
Edidit; in juvenem rediit: et anilia demit
Inftrumenta fibi. Talifque apparuit illi,

110

Such, and fo bright an aspect now he bears,

As when thro' clouds th' emerging fun appears, 115
And thence exerting his refulgent ray,

Difpels the darkness, and reveals the day.
Force he prepar'd, but check'd the rash design;
For when, appearing in a form divine,
The nymph furveys him, and beholds the grace
Of charming features and a youthful face,
In her foft breast consenting paffions move,
And the warm maid confefs'd a mutual love.

Qualis ubi oppofitas nitidiffima folis imago
Evicit nubes, nullaque obftante reluxit.
Vimque parat: fed vi non eft opus; inque figurâ
Capta Dei nympha eft, et mutua vulnera fentit.

120

123

115

OF ENGLISH POETS.

[Done by the Author in his Youth.]

I. CHAUCER.

WOMEN ben full of ragerie,

Yet fwinken nat fans fecrefie.
Thilke moral fhall ye understond,
From fchoole-boy's tale of fayre Irelond;
Which to the fennes hath him betake,
To filche the grey ducke fro the lake.
Right then there paffen by the way
His aunt, and eke her daughters tway.
Ducke in his trowses hath he hent,
Not to be fpy'd of ladies gent.
"But ho! our nephew," crieth one;
"Ho!" quoth another, "Cozen John;'
And stoppen, and lough, and callen out-
This fely clerke full low doth lout:
They aiken that, and talken this,

"

Lo, here is Coz, and here is Mifs." But, as he glozeth with fpeeches foote, The ducke fore tickleth his erfe roote: Fore-piece and buttons all-to-brest Forth thruft a white neck and red creft. "Te-hee!" cry'd ladies: clerke nought spake: Miss star'd, and grey ducke crieth “ quaake.' "O moder, moder!" quoth the daughter, "Be thilke same thing maids longen a'ter? "Bette is to pine on coals and chalke, "Then truft on mon whofe yerde can talke."

II. SPENCER.

5

10

15

20

26

The Alley.

I.

In ev'ry town where Thamis rolls his tyde,

A narrow pafs there is, with houses low,

Where

Where ever and anon the ftream is ey'd,

And many a boat foft fliding to and fro :
There oft' are heard the notes of infant woe,
The short thick fob, loud fcream, and fhriller fquall:
How can ye mothers vex your children fo?
Some play, fome eat, fome cack against the wall,
And as they crouchen low for bread and butter call.

II.

And on the broken pavement, here and there,
Doth many a ftinking sprat and herring lie;
A brandy and tobacco fhop is near,

10

15

And hens, and dogs, and hogs, are feeding by;
And here a failor's jacket hangs to dry.
At ev'ry door are funburnt matrons feen
Mending old nets to catch the scaly fry;
Now finging fhrill, and fcolding eft between;
Scolds anfwer foul-mouth'd fcolds; bad neighbour-
hood I ween.

III.

20

The fnappifh cur (the paffenger's annoy)
Clofe at my heel with yelping treble flies;
The whimp'ring girl, and hoarfer fcreaming boy,
Join to the yelping treble fhrilling cries;
The fcolding quean to louder notes doth rife,
And her full pipes thofe fhrilling cries confound:
To her full pipes the grunting hog replies:
The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round,
And curs, girls, boys, and fcolds, in the deep base
are drown'd.

IV.

Hard by a fty, beneath a roof of thatch,

Dwelt Obloquy, who, in her early days,
Baskets of fish at Billingsgate did watch,

25

30

Cod, whiting, oyfter, mackrel, fprat, or plaice:
There learn'd the speech from tongues that never cease.
Slander befide her like a magpie chatters,

With Envy (fpitting cat) dread foe to peace;
Like a curs'd cur, Malice before her clatters,

35

And vexing ev'ry wight tears clothes and all to

tatters.

V. Her

V.

Her dugs were mark'd by ev'ry collier's hand;
Her mouth was black as bull-dogs at the stall:
She fcratched, bit, and fpar'd ne lace ne band,
And bitch and rogue her answer was to all;

Nay, e'en the parts of fhame by name would call :
Yea, when the passed by lane or nook,
Would greet the man who turn'd him to the wall,
And by his hand obfcene the porter took,

Nor ever did afkance like modest virgin look.

VI.

40

45

Such place hath Deptford, navy-building town,
Woolwich and Wapping, fmelling ftrong of pitch;
Such Lambeth, envy of each band and gown,
And Twick'nam fuch, which fairer fcenes enrich,
Grots, ftatues, urns, and Jo-n's dog and bitch, 50
Ne village is without, on either fide,

All up the filver Thames, or all adown;

Ne Richmond's felf, from whofe tall front are ey'd Vales, fpires, meandring streams, and Windsor's tow'ry pride.

III. WALLER.

Of a Lady finging to her Lute.

54

5

FAIR charmer! ceafe; nor make your voice's prize A heart refign'd the conqueft of your eyes: Well might, alas! that threaten'd veffel fail, Which winds and lightning both at once affail. We were too blefs'd with these enchanting lays, Which must be heav'nly when an angel plays : But killing charms your lover's death contrive, Left heav'nly mufic should be heard alive. Orpheus could charm the trees; but thus a tree, Taught by your hand, can charm no lefs than he. 10 A poet made the filent wood pursue;

This vocal wood had drawn the

VOL. II.

poet too.

C

On