}

The Royal Malady should rest unknown,
Both for her Husband's Honour, and her own.
But ne'ertheless the pin'd with Discontent;
The Counsel rumbled till it found a Vent.
The thing she knew she was oblig'd to hide ja
By Intrest and by Oath the Wife was tyd;
But if she toli itnot, the Wonin dy'd.
Loath to betray a Husband and a Prince,
But she niuft burst, or blab; and no Pretence
Of Honour tyd her Tongue from Self-Defence.
A Marshy Ground commodiously was near,
Thither she ran, and held her Breath for fear,
I eft if a Word she spoke of any Thing,
That Word might be the Secret of the King.
Thus full of Counsel to the Fen she went,
Grip'd all the way, and longing for a Vent:
Arriv'd, by pure neceflity compellid,
On her Majestick Marrow-Bones fhe kneeld:
Then to the Waters-brink she laid her head,
and, as a Bittour Bumps within a Reed,
To thee alone, O Lake, the faid, I tell
(And as thy Queen command thee to conceal)
Beneath his Locks the King my Husband wearsa,
A goodly Royal pair of Ajes Ears :
Now I have eas'd my Bosom of the Pain
Till the next longing fit Return again.

Dryden from Chaucer

CIX.

A Country Life..
How Sacred and how Innocent

A Country Life appears,
How free from Tumult, Discontent,

From Flattery or Fears !

This

This was the first and happiest Life,

When Man enjoy'd himself; 'Till Pride exchanged Peace for Strife,

And Happiness for Pelf.
'Twas here the Poets were inspir’d,

Here taught the Multitude;
The brave they here with Honour fir’dy.

And civiliz'd the Rude.
That Golden Age did entertain

No Paflion but of Love;
The Thoughts of Ruling and of Gain

Did ne'er their Fancies move.
None then did envy Neighbour's Wealthy

Nor Plot to wrong his Bed :-
Happy in Friendthip and in Health,

On Roots, not Beasts, they fed. They knew no Law nor Physick then,

Nature was all their Wit.
And if there yet remain to Man

Content, sure this is it.
What Blessings doth this World afford

To tempt or bribe Desire ?.
Her Courtship is all Fire and Sword,

Who would not then retire ?
Then welcome dearest solitude,

My great Felicity;
Tho' some are pleas'd to call thee rude,

Thou art not fo, but we.
Them that do covet only Reit,

A Cottage will fuffice:
It is not brave to be possest.

Of Earth; but to defpile.
Opinion is the rate of Things,

From hence our Peace doth low : I have a better Fate than Kings,

Because I think it fo.

When

When all the stormy World doth. roar,

How unconcern'd am I?
I cannot fear to tumble lower,

Who never could be high.
Secur'd in these unenvy'd Walls

I think not on the State,
And pity. no Man's Case that falls;

From his Ambition's Height..
Silence and Innocence are fafe;

A Heart that's nobly true
At all these little Arts can laugh,

That do the World fubdue.
While others Revel it in State,

Here I'll contented fit,
And think I have as good a Fate

As Wealth and Pomp admit.
Eet föme in Courtship take Delights:

And to th? Exchange refort;
Then Revel out a Winter's Night,

Not making Love, but Sport.
These never know a noble Flame,
+ 'Tis Luft, Scorn, or Defign,
While Vanity pays all their Game,

Let Peace and Honour mine.
When the inviting Spring appears,

To Hideapark let them go;
And, hafting thence, be full of Fears:

To lose Spring-Garden show.
Let others, nobler, seek to gain

In Knowledge, happy Fate, . And others busy them in vain,

To study Ways of State. But I resolved from within,

Confirmed from without In privacy intend to spin

My future Minutes out;

And And from this Hermitage of mine 4. Yet carelesly we run our Race,

I banish all wild Toys,
And nothing that is not Divine,

Shall dare to tempt my Joys.
There are below but two Things good,

Friendship and Honesty;
And only those, of all, I would

Ask for Felicity.
In this retir'd and humble Seat,

Free from both War and Strife,
I am not forc'd to make Retreat,

But chuse to spend my Life.

Mrs. Philips.

CX.

DEATH.

How weak a Star doth rule Mankind,

Which owes its Ruin to the fante
Causes, which Nature had design'd
To cherish and preserve the Frame!

2
As Common Wealths may be secure,

,
And no remote Invasion dreads:
Yet may a fadder Fall endure.
From Traytors in their Bosoni bred ::

3:
So while we feel no Violence,

And on our active Health do trust, A fecret Hand doth snatch us hence,

And tumbles us into the Dust..

As if we could Death's Summons waves And think not on the narrow Space Between a Table and a Grave.

5.
But since we cannot. Death reprieve,

Our Souls and Fame we ought to mindor,
For they our Bodies will survive,
That goes beyond, this:ftays behind.

6.
If I be sure my Soul is safe,

And that my Actions will provide
My Tomb another Epitaph,
Then that I only liv'd and dy'd.

7.So that in various Accidents

I Conscience may and Honour keep; 1 with that Eafe and Innocence Shall dye, as Infants go to sleep.

Mrs. Philips

CXI

Few Happy. Matches...

By the Reverend Mr. Wats.

I:
SAY
AY mighty Love; and teach my Song -
To whoin thy sweetest Joys belong,

And who the Happy Pairs,
Whose yielding Hearts and joyning Hands,
Find Bleflings twitted with their Bands,