Dar'st thou defile these sacred groves, Where passion does with interest barter, APPLICATION, WRITTEN LONG AFTER THE TALE. O DEAREST daughter,1 of two dearest friends, To thee my muse this little tale commends. Loving and lov'd, regard thy future mate, Long love his person, though deplore his fate; Lady Margaret Cavendish Harley Seem young when old in thy dear husband's arms, DOWN-HALL: a ballad,1 to the tUNE OF KING JOHN And THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY, 1715. I SING not old Jason, who travell'd through Greece, Derry down, down, hey derry down. 1 Down-Hall is in the county of Essex. It is three miles south-east from Hatfield Broad Oak Church, most beautifully seated on a rising ground, above a stream which runs through Hatfield town, having a fine prospect over the adjacent country. It was purchased for Mr. Prior by his generous friend Lord Harley, and after his death, that nobleman made many great improvements in it of vistoes, plantations, &c. and resided at it himself many years of his life. It now is, or was very lately, in the occupation of William Selwyn, Esq. Nor him who through Asia and Europe did roam, Hang Homer and Virgil! their meaning to seek, A man must have pok'd into Latin and Greek; Those who love their own tongue, we have reason to hope, Have read them translated by Dryden and Pope. But I sing of exploits that have lately been done By two British heroes, called Matthew and John:1 And how they rid friendly from fine London town, Fair Essex to see, and a place they call Down. Now ere they went out you may rightly suppose How much they discours'd both in prudence and prose; [certed, For, before this great journey was thoroughly conFull often they met, and as often they parted. And thus Matthew said, Look you here, my friend I fairly have travell'd years thirty and one; [John, And, though I still carried my sovereign's warrants, I only have gone upon other folks' errands. And now in this journey of life I would have 1 Mr. Prior, and Mr. John Morley, of Halstead. Where joyful to live, not unwilling to dieGadzooks! I have just such a place in my eye. There are gardens so stately, and arbours so thick, For things in this world must by law be made cerWe both must repair unto Oliver Martin; [tain For he is a lawyer of worthy renown, I'll bring you to see, he must fix you at Down. Quoth Matthew, I know, that, from Berwick to You've sold all our premises over and over: But a word to the purpose: to-morrow, dear friend, : Then answer'd Squire Morley; Pray get a calash, That in summer may burn,and in winter may splash; 1 Lord Coningsby was one of the members of the Committee of the Privy Council, who examined Mr. Prior at the accession of George I. From the account given by Mr. Prior of what then passed, he appears to have been very ungenteelly and roughly treated by that nobleman. I love dirt and dust; and 'tis always my pleasure, To take with me much of the soil that I measure. But Matthew thought better: for Matthew thought right, And hired a chariot so trim and so tight, [pass: That extremes both of winter and summer might For one window was canvas, the other was glass. Draw up, quoth friend Matthew; pull down, quoth friend John, We shall be both hotter and colder anon. Thus talking and scolding, they forward did speed; And Ralpho pac'd by, under Newman the Swede. Into an old inn did this equipage roll, At a town they call Hodson, the sign of the Bull, Near a nymph with an urn, that divides the high And into a puddle throws mother of tea. [way, Come here, my sweet landlady, pray how d'ye do? Where is Cicily so cleanly, and Prudence, and Sue? And where is the widow that dwelt here below? And the ostler that sung about eight years ago? And where is your sister, so mild and so dear? Whose voice to her maids like a trumpet was clear. By my troth! she replies, you grow younger, I think: And pray, Sir, what wine does the gentleman drink? |