40

Her blubber'd lip by smutty pipes is worn,
And in her breath tobacco whiffs are borne!
The cleanly cheese-press she could never turn,
Her awkward fist did ne'er employ the churn;
If e'er she brew'd, the drink would straight go sour,
Before it ever felt the thunder's power;

No huswifery the dowdy creature knew ;

To sum up all, her tongue confess'd the shrew.
"My plaint, ye lasses, with this burthen aid,
'Tis hard so true a damsel dies a maid.'
"I've often seen my visage in yon lake,
Nor are my features of the homeliest make:
Though Clumsilis may boast a whiter dye,
Yet the black sloe turns in my rolling eye;
And fairest blossoms drop with every blast,
But the brown beauty will like hollies last.
Her wan complexion's like the wither'd leek,
While Katharine pears adorn my ruddy cheek.
Yet she, alas! the witless lout hath won,
And by her gain poor Sparabell's undone!
Let hares and hounds in coupling straps unite,
The clucking hen make friendship with the kite;
Let the fox simply wear the nuptial noose,
And join in wedlock with the waddling goose;

Ver. 49.

50

50

61

Nec sum adeo informis, nuper me in littore vidi. Ver. 53.

VIRG.

VIRG.

Alba ligustra cadunt, vaccinis nigra leguntur. Ver. 59. Jungentur jam gryphes equis; ævoque sequenti Cum canibus timidi venient ad pocula damæ.

For love hath brought a stranger thing to pass,
The fairest shepherd weds the foulest lass.

"My plaint, ye lasses, with this burthen aid, ''Tis hard so true a damsel dies a maid.'

"Sooner shall cats disport in waters clear, And speckled mackrel graze the meadows fair; Sooner shall screech-owls bask in sunny day, And the slow ass on trees, like squirrels, play; 70 Sooner shall snails on insect pinions rove; Than I forget my shepherd's wonted love. "My plaint, ye lasses, with this burthen aid, ''Tis hard so true a damsel dies a maid.'

"Ah! didst thou know what proffers I withstood, When late I met the squire in yonder wood! To me he sped, regardless of his game,

80

While all my cheek was glowing red with shame;
My lip he kiss'd, and prais'd my healthful look,
Then from his purse of silk a guinea took,
Into my hand he forc'd the tempting gold,
While I with modest struggling broke his hold.
He swore that Dick, in livery strip'd with lace,
Should wed me soon, to keep me from disgrace;
But I nor footmen priz'd, nor golden fee;
For what is lace or gold, compar'd to thee?
"My plaint, ye lasses, with this burthen aid,
''Tis hard so true a damsel dies a maid.'

Ver. 67.

Ante leves ergo pascentur in æthere cervi,
Et freta destituent nudos in littore pisces -
Quàm nostro illius labatur pectore vultus.

VIRG.

"Now plain I ken whence Love his rise begun ; Sure he was born some bloody butcher's son, 90 Bred up in shambles, where our younglings slain Erst taught him mischief, and to sport with pain. The father only silly sheep annoys,

The son the sillier shepherdess destroys.
Does son or father greater mischief do?
The sire is cruel, so the son is too.

"My plaint, ye lasses, with this burthen aid, ''Tis hard so true a damsel dies a maid.'

"Farewell, ye woods, ye meads, ye streams that flow;

A sudden death shall rid me of my woe.

100

This penknife keen my windpipe shall divide.
What! shall I fall as squeaking pigs have dy'd?
No-To some tree this carcass I'll suspend.
But worrying curs find such untimely end!

Ver. 89. To ken.

Scire. Chaucer, to ken, and kende; notus A. S. cunnam. Goth. kunnam. Germanis kennen. Danis kiende. Islandis kunna. Belgis kennen. This word is of general use, but not very common, though not unknown to the vulgar. Ken, for prospicere, is well known, and used to discover by the eye. Ray, F. R. S.

Nunc scio quid sit amor, &c.

Crudelis mater magis an puer improbus ille ?
Improbus ille puer, crudelis tu quoque mater.

Ver. 99.

VIRG.

vivite sylvæ :

VIRG.

Præceps aërii speculâ de montis in undas
Deferar.

I'll speed me to the pond, where the high stool
On the long plank hangs o'er the muddy pool;
That stool, the dread of every scolding quean;
Yet, sure a lover should not die so mean!
There plac'd aloft, I'll rave and rail by fits,
Though all the parish say I've lost my wits;
And thence, if courage holds, myself I'll throw,
And quench my passion in the lake below.

110

"Ye lasses, cease your burthen, cease to moan, And, by my case forewarn'd, go mind your own.' The Sun was set; the night came on apace, And falling dews bewet around the place; The bat takes airy rounds on leathern wings, And the hoarse owl his woeful dirges sings; The prudent maiden deems it now too late, And till to-morrow comes defers her fate.

120

THURSDAY; OR, THE SPELI

HOBNELIA.

HOBNELIA, seated in a dreary vale,

In pensive mood rehears'd her piteous tale;
Her piteous tale the winds in sighs be noan,
And pining echo answers groan for groan.
"I rue the day, a rueful day, I trow,
The woeful day, a day indeed of woe!
When Luberkin to town his cattle drove,
A maiden fine bedight he hapt to love;

Ver. 8. Dight, or bedight, from the Saxon word aight, which signifies to set in order.

The maiden fine bedight his love retains,
And for the village he forsakes the plains.
Return, my Lubberkin, these ditties hear;
Spells will I try, and spells shall ease my care.

10

With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,

And turn me thrice around, around, around.'

"When first the year I heard the cuckoo sing, And call with welcome note the budding spring, I straightway set a running with such haste, Deborah that won the smock scarce ran so fast; Till spent for lack of breath, quite weary grown, Upon a rising bank I sat adown,

Then doff'd my shoe, and, by my troth, I swear,
Therein I spy'd this yellow frizzled hair,

As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue,
As if upon his comely pate it grew.

20

With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,

And turn me thrice around, around, around.

30

"At eve last Midsummer no sleep I sought, But to the field a bag of hemp-seed brought; I scatter'd round the seed on every side, And three times in a trembling accent cry'd, This hemp-seed with my virgin hand I sow, Who shall my true-love be, the crop shall mow.' I straight look'd back, and, if my eyes speak truth, With his keen scythe behind me came the youth.

Ver. 21. Doff and don, contracted from the words do off and do on.