Nowe understande,-to Weftmarlande, which is myne
I wyll you bringe; and with a rynge, by way of ma
I wyll you take, and lady make, as shortely as I can : Thus have ye won an erlys fon, and not a banyfhed
Here may ye fe, that women be, in love, meke, kynde, and ftable:
Late never man reprove them than,
But, rather, pray God, that we may to them be comfortable,
Which fometyme proved fuch as he loved, yf they be charytable.
Forfoth, men wolde that women fholde be meke to them ech one ;
Moche more ought they to God obey, and serve but hym alone.
UPON THE MODEL OF THE NUT-BROWN MAID.
THOU, to whofe eyes I bend, at whose command
(Though low my voice, though artless be my hand)
I take the sprightly reed, and fing, and play ;
Careless of what the cenfuring world may say:
Bright Cloe, object of my conftant vow,
Wilt thou awhile unbend thy ferious brow?
Wilt thou with pleasure hear thy lover's strains,
And with one heavenly fmile o'erpay his pains?
No longer fhall the Nut-brown Maid be old;
Though fince her youth three hundred years have roll'd:
At thy defire, fhe fhall again be rais'd;
And her reviving charms in lasting verse be prais'd.
No longer man of woman fhall complain,
That he may love, and not be lov'd again:
That we in vain the fickle fex pursue,
Who change the conftant lover for the new.
Whatever has been writ, whatever said,
Of female paffion feign'd, or faith decay'd :
Henceforth fhall in my verse refuted ftand,
Be faid to winds, or writ upon the fand.
And, while my notes to future times proclaim
Unconquer'd love and ever-during flame;
O fairest of the fex! be thou my Mufe:
Deign on my work thy influence to diffuse.
Let me partake the bleffings I rehearse,
And grant me, Love, the just reward of verfe!
As Beauty's potent queen, with every grace
That once was Emma's, has adorn'd thy face;
And as her fon has to my bofom dealt
That conftant flame, which faithful Henry felt :
O let the story with thy life agree :
Let men once more the bright example fee;
What Emma was to him, be thou to me.
Nor fend me by thy frown from her I love,
Distant and fad, a banish'd man to rove.
But oh! with pity long-intreated crown
My pains and hopes; and, when thou fay'ft that one
Of all mankind thou lov'ft, oh! think on me alone.
WHERE beauteous Isis and her husband Tame
With mingled waves for ever flow the fame,
In times of yore an ancient baron liv'd;
Great gifts beftow'd, and great refpect receiv'd..
When dreadful Edward with fuccefsful care
Led his free Britons to the Gallic war;
This lord had headed his appointed bands,
In firm allegiance to his king's commands;
And (all due honours faithfully difcharg'd)
Had brought back his paternal coat enlarg'd
With a new mark, the witness of his toil,
And no inglorious part of foreign spoil.
From the loud camp retir'd and noisy court,
In honourable eafe and rural sport,
The remnant of his days he fafely past ;
Nor found they lagg'd too flow, nor flew too fast.
He made his wish with his estate comply,
Joyful to live, yet not afraid to die.
One child he had, a daughter chafte and fair,
His age's comfort, and his fortune's heir.
They call'd her Emma; for the beauteous dame,
Who gave the Virgin birth, had borne the name:
The name th' indulgent father doubly lov'd;
For in the child the mother's charms improv'd.
Yet as, when little round his knees fhe play'd,
He call'd her oft' in fport his Nut-brown Maid,
The friends and tenants took the fondling word
(As ftill they please, who imitate their lord);
Ufage confirm'd what fancy had begun;
The mutual terms around the lands were known;
And Emma and the Nut-brown Maid were one.
As with her ftature, ftill her charms increas'd;
Through all the ifle her beauty was confefs'd.
Oh! what perfections must that Virgin share,
Who faireft is esteem'd, where all are fair!
From diftant fhires repair the noble youth,
And find report for once had leffen'd truth.
By wonder firft, and then by paffion mov'd,
They came; they faw; they marvel'd; and they lov'd.
By public praises, and by fecret fighs,
Each own'd the general power of Emma's eyes.
In tilts and tournaments the valiant ftrove
By glorious deeds to purchase Emma's love.
In gentle verfe the witty told their flame,
And grac'd their choicest fongs with Emma's name.
In vain they combated, in vain they writ:
Useless their ftrength, and impotent their wit.
Great Venus only muft direct the dart,
Which elfe will never reach the fair-one's heart,
Spite of th' attempts of force, and soft effects of art.
Great Venus must prefer the happy one:
In Henry's cause her favour must be shown:
And Emma, of mankind, muft love but him alone.
While these in public to the caftle came,
And by their grandeur juftified their flame;
More fecret ways the careful Henry takes ;
His fquires, his arms, and equipage forfakes:
In borrow'd name and falfe attire array'd,
Oft' he finds means to fee the beauteous maid.
When Emma hunts, in huntsman's habit dreft,
Henry on foot purfues the bounding beast.
In his right hand his beechen pole he bears:
And graceful at his fide his horn he wears.
Still to the glade, where she has bent her way,
With knowing skill he drives the future prey ;
Bids her decline the hill, and shun the brake ;
And fhews the path her steed may fafeft take;
Directs her spear to fix the glorious wound;
Pleas'd in his toils to have her triumph crown'd;
And blows her praises in no common found.
|