My plaint, ye laffes, with this burden aid,

'Tis hard fo true a damfel dies a maid.

Ah! didft thou know what proffers I withstood, 75
When late I met the Squire in yonder wood!
To me he sped, regardless of his game,

While all my cheek was glowing red with shame;
My lip he kiss'd, and prais'd my healthful look,
Then from his purfe of filk a Guinea took,
Into my hand he forc'd the tempting gold,
While I with modeft ftruggling broke his hold.
He fwore that Dick in liv'ry strip'd with lace,

For what is lace or gold compar'd to thee?

Should wed me foon to keep me from Difgrace;
But I nor footman priz'd, nor golden fee,

85

My plaint, ye laffes, with this burden aid, 'Tis hard fo true a damfel dies a maid.

Now plain I ken whence Love his rife begun, Sure he was born fome bloody butcher's fon.

Bred

89. To ken. Seire Chaucero, to ken, and Kende notus A. S. cunnan Gath, Kunnan, Germanis Kennen, Danis Kiende.

Inlandis

Bred up in fhambles, where our younglings flain,
Erft taught him mischief and to fport with pain.
The father only filly sheep annoys,

The fon the fillier fhepherdess destroys,

Does fon or father greater mischief do?

95

The fire is cruel, fo the fon is too.

My plaint, ye laffes, with this burden aid, 'Tis hard fo true a damfel dies a maid.

100

Farewel, ye woods, ye meads, ye ftreams that flow; A fudden death fhall rid me of my woe. This penknife keen my windpipe shall divide, What, fhall I fall as fqueaking pigs have dy'd! No-To fome tree this carcase I'll suspend. But worrying curs find fuch untimely end!

99.

Iflandis Kunna. Belgis Kennen. This word is of general ufe, but not very common, though not unknown to the vulgar. Ken for profpicere is well known and used to dif Cover by the eye. Ray. F. R. S.

Nunc fcio quid fit Amor, &c.

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

vivite Sylva.

Præceps aeris fpeculâ de montis in undas

Deferar.

Virg.

Virg.

I'll

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

Ye laffes, ceafe your burden, ceafe to moan, And, by my cafe forewarn'd, go mind your own.

The fun was fet; the night came on apace,
And falling dews bewet around the place,
The bat takes airy rounds on leathern wings,
And the hoarfe owl his woful dirges fings;
The prudent maiden deems it now too late,
And till to-morrow comes defers her fate.

105

110

115

THURSDAY;

THURSDAY;

OR, THE

SPEL L.

H

HOBNELIA.

OBNELIA, feated in a dreary vale,
In penfive mood rehears'd her piteous tale,
Her piteous tale the winds in fighs bemoan,
And pining Echo anfwers groan for groan.

I rue the Day, a rueful day I trow, The woful day, a day indeed of woe!

5

When

When Lubberkin to town his cattle drove,
A maiden fine bedight he hapt to love;
The maiden fine bedight his love retains,
And for the village he forfakes the plains,
Return, my Lubberkin, thefe ditties hear;
Spells will I try, and spells shall ease my care.

With my fharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around.

When first the year, I heard the cuckow fing, And call with welcome note the budding spring, I ftraightway fet a running with fuch haste, Deb'rab that won the fmock scarce ran fo faft.

"Till spent for lack of breath, quite weary grown,
Upon a rifing bank I fat adown,

Then doff'd my fhoe, and by my troth, Ifwear,
Therein I spy'd this yellow frizled hair,
As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue,
As if upon his comely pate it grew,

Line

8. Dight or bedight, from the Saxon word dightan, which fignifies to fet in order.

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