While bulls bear horns upon their curled brow, Or laffes with foft ftroakings milk the cow; While paddling ducks the standing lake defire, Or batt'ning hogs roll in the finking mire; While moles the crumbled earth in hillocks raise;

156

So long shall swains tell Blouzelinda's praise.

Thus wail'd the louts, in melancholy ftrain,
Till bonny Sufan fped across the plain.
They feiz'd the lafs in apron clean array'd,
And to the ale-house forc'd the willing maid;
In ale and kiffes they forget their cares,
And Sufan Blouzelinda's lofs repairs.

160

THE FLIGHTS.

BOWZY BEUS.

SUBLIMER ftrains, O ruftick Muse, prepare ;
Forget a-while the barn and dairy's care;
Thy homely voice to loftier numbers raise,
The drunkard's flights require fonorous lays;

With Bowzybeus' fongs exalt thy verse,

5

While rocks and woods the various notes rehearse.

Line

153. Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum pifcis amabit, Dumque thymo pafcentur apes, dum rore cicada, Semper bonos, nomenque tuum, laudefque mainebunt.

VIRG.

'Twas in the season when the reaper's toil Of the ripe harvest 'gan to rid the foil; Wide through the field was feen a goodly rout, Clean damfels bound the gather'd sheaves about; The lads with fharpen'd hook, and fweating brow, Cut down the labours of the winter plow. To the near hedge young Sufan fteps afide, She feign'd her coat or garter was unty'd; What-e'er she did, fhe ftoop'd adown unfeen, 15 And merry reapers, what they lift, will ween. Soon fhe rose up, and cry'd with voice so shrill, That Eccho anfwer'd from the diftant hill; The youths and damfels ran to Sufan's aid, Who thought fome adder had the lass dismay'd.

When fast asleep they Bowzybeus spy'd,
His hat and oaken staff lay close befide;
That Bowzybeus who could sweetly fing,

Or with the rozin'd bow torment the string;
That Bowzybeus who with finger's speed

21

25

Could call foft warblings from the breathing reed;
That Bowzybeus who, with jocond tongue,
Ballads and roundelays and catches fung.
They loudly laugh to see the damfel's fright,
And in disport surround the drunken wight.

30

Ah, Bowzybee, why didft thou stay so long? The mugs were large, the drink was wondrous strong! Thou should'st have left the fair before 'twas night; But thou fat'ft toping till the morning light.

Li. 22. Sirta procul tantum capiti delapfa jacebant. VIRG.

Cic'ly, brifk maid, fteps forth before the rout, And kifs'd with smacking lip the snoring lout : For custom fays, Who-e'er this venture proves, For fuch a kiss demands a pair of gloves. By her example Dorcas bolder grows, And plays a tickling ftraw within his nose. He rubs his noftril, and in wonted joke The fneering fwains with ftamm'ring speech bespoke: To you, my lads, I'll fing my carrols o'er, As for the maids,—I've something else in store.

No fooner 'gan he raise his tuneful fong, But lads and laffes round about him throng. Not ballad-finger plac'd above the crowd Sings with a note fo fhrilling sweet and loud; Nor parish-clerk, who calls the pfalm so clear, Like Bowzybeus fooths th' attentive ear.

Of nature's laws his carrols first begun, Why the grave owl can never face the fun. For owles, as swains observe, deteft the light, And only fing, and feek their prey by night.

Line

40. Sanguineis frontem moris & tempora pingit.
43. Carmina quæ vultis, cognofcite, carmina vobis ;
Huic aliud mercedis erit.

45. Nec tantum Phabo gaudet Parnaffia rupes;

Nec tantum Rhodope mirantur & Ifmarus Orphea.

40

45

50

VIRG. 51. Our swain had poffibly read Tuffer, from whence he might have collected these philosophical observations: Namque canebat, uti magnum per inane coacta, &c.

VIRG

How turnips hide their fwelling heads below; 55
And how the clofing colworts upwards grow;
How Will-a-wifp mis-leads night-faring clowns
C'er hills, and finking bogs, and pathlefs downs.
Of stars he told that shoot with fhining trail,
And of the glowe-worm's heat that gilds his tail.
He fung where wood-cocks in the fummer feed,
And in what climates they renew their breed;
Some think to northern coasts their flight they tend,
Or to the moon in midnight hours afcend
Where swallows in the winter's season keep,
And how the drowfie bat and dormouse sleep:
How nature does the puppy's eyelid close,
Till the bright fun has nine times set and rose.
For huntsmen by their long experience find,
That puppys ftill nine rolling funs are blind.

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70

Now he goes on, and fings of fairs and shows, For ftill new fairs before his eyes arose. How pedlars ftalls with glitt'ring toys are laid, The various fairings of the country-maid. Long filken laces hang upon the twine,

75

And rows of pins and amber bracelets shine;
How the tight lafs, knives, combs, and fciffars spys,
And looks on thimbles with defiring eyes.

Of lott'ries next with tuneful note he told,
Where filver fpoons are won, and rings of gold.
The lads and laffes trudge the street along,
And all the fair is crouded in his fong.
The mountebank now treads the stage, and fells
His pills, his balfams, and his ague-spells;

81

Now o'er and o'er the nimble tumbler fprings, 85
And on the rope the vent'rous maiden swings;
Jack Pudding in his parti-coloured jacket
Toffes the glove, and jokes at ev'ry packet.
Of raree-shows he fung, and Punch's feats,
Of pockets pick'd in crowds, and various cheats.

Then fad he fung the Children in the Wood: Ah, barb'rous uncle, ftain'd with infant blood! How blackberrys they pluck'd in defarts wild, And fearless at the glittering fauchion fimil'd; Their little corps the robin-red-breasts found, And strow'd with pious bill the leaves around. Ah gentle birds! if this verse lasts so long, Your names shall live for ever in my song.

For Buxom Joan he sung the doubtful strife, How the fly failor made the maid a wife.

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100

To louder ftrains he rais'd his voice, to tell
What woeful wars in Chevy-chace befell,
When Piercy drove the deer with hound and horn,
Wars to be wept by children yet unborn!

Ah With'rington, more years thy life had crown'd,
If thou had'ft never heard the horn or hound!
Yet fhall the Squire, who fought on bloody stumps,
By future bards be wail'd in doleful dumps.

Line

97. Fortunati ambo, fi quid mea carmina possunt,

Nulla dies unquam memori vos eximet ævo.

VIRG.

99. A Song in the comedy of Love for Love, beginning A Soldier and a Sailor, &c.