THE CAROUSAL OF ODIN. F ILL the honey'd bev'rage high, Fill the fculls, 'tis ODIN's cry: Heard ye not the powerful call, Thund'ring thro' the vaulted hall? "Fill the meath, and spread the board, "Vaffals of the griefly Lord." The portal hinges grate, they come- In various armours, various veft, With helm and morion, targe and fhield, Some quivering launces couch, fome biting maces wield: All march with haughty flep, all proudly shake the creft. The feaft begins, the fcull goes round, The grim chief curls his cheek, and smooths his rugged brow. "Shame to your placed front, ye men of death!" Cries HILDA, with disorder'd breath. Hell echoes back her fcoff of shame To the inactive rev'ling Champion's name. "Call forth the fong," fhe fcream'd;-the minstrels came The theme was glorious, war the dear delight Joy to the foul," the Harpers fung, "The fleel-clad Knight, in vigour's bloom, "Of the bold determin'd hoft!" With greedy ears the guests each note devour'd; fword. The fury mark'd th' auspicious deed, And bad the Scalds proceed. "Joy to the foul! a joy divine! "When conflicting armies join; "When trumpets clang, and bugles found; The charm prevail'd, up rush'd the madden'd throng, SELDOME COMES THE BETTER: O R, An admonition to all forts of people, as hufbands, wiues, mafters, and feruants, &c. to auoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they posesse. You IN TWO PARTS. PART THE FIRST. OU men that are well wiued, With a good wife, if you get her, I once had a wife, O would to God fhe had liued! For while the Lord lent me her life, Indifferent well I thriued: Yet cause that she would chide at me, She would tell me for my good, Her counfell of high price: But fince I haue got a worse in her stead, I now haue one that's not content The others tongue did me torment, But now I fee, when one wife's gone, That wife would only me reproue For walling of my flore; But this, as well as I, doth loue The good als-pot, and more: She'll fit at the alchoufe all the day, And if the house will let her, She'll run on the score, and I must pay; Thus feldome comes the better. The other was a hufwife good, It went from her like drops of bloud, And if I doe rebuke her, as A husband ought and will, |