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316

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A lady's laft farewel to her husband. Wrote a few days before her death.

TH

Hou who doft all my worldly thoughts employ,

Thou pleafing fource of all my earthly joy, Thou tendereft husband, and thou dearest friend,

To thee this laft, this fond adieu I fend..
At length the conqu'ror Death afferts his
right,

And will for ever vail me from thy fight.
He woos me to him with a cheerful grace,
And not one terror clouds his awful face.
He promifes a lafting reft from pain,
And fhews that all life's fleeting joys are vain,
Th' eternal fcenes of heav'n he fets in view,"
And tells me that no other joys are true.
But love, fond love, would yet refift his power,
Would fain a while defer the parting hour.
He brings thy weeping image to my fight,
And ftays my paffage to the realms of light.
But fay thou dearest, thou unwearied friend,
Say, fhouldst thou grieve to fee my forrows
end?

Thou know'ft a painful pilgrimage I've past, And can thou mourn that reft is come at laft?

Rather rejoice to fee me fhake off life,

And die, as I have liv'd, your faithful wife.

Daughter to the celebrated Dr. Welwood,

A

317

A memorable fong on the unhappy hunting of Chevy-chace, between Earl Douglas of Scotland, and Earl Piercy of England.

GOD profper long our noble king,

Our lives and fafeties all,

A woful hunting once there did
In Chevy-chace befal.

To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Piercy took his way,
The child may rue that was unborn,
The hunting of that day.
The ftout Earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,

His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three fummer days to take;
The choiceft harts of Chevy-chace
To kill and bear away..

Thefe tidings to Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay;
Who fent Earl Piercy prefent word,.
He would prevent the sport.
The English Earl not fearing him,
Did to the woods refort,
With twenty hundred bow-men bold,.
All chofen men of might,

Who knew full well, in time of need,
To aim their fhafts aright.
The gallant gray-hounds swiftly ran,
To chace the fallow-deer.
On Monday they began to hunt,
When day-light did appear;

And long before high noon they had
An hundred fat bucks flain.

Then having din'd, the drovers went.
To roufe them up again.
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The

The bow-men mufter'd on the hill,
Well able to endure.

Their backfides all with fpecial care,
That day were guarded fure.
The hounds ran fwiftly thro' the wood,
The nimble deer to take;

And with their cries the hills and dales
An eccho fhrill did make.
Earl Piercy to the quarry went,
To view the tender deer;
Quoth he, Earl Douglas promifed
This day to meet me here:
But if I thought he would not come,
No longer would I stay.

With that a brave young gentleman
Thus to the Earl did fay

:

Lo yonder doth Lord Douglas come,
His men in armour bright,
Full fifteen hundred Scottish fpears,
All marching in our fight;
All pleasant men of Teviotdale,
Dwell by the river Tweed.

Then ceafe your fports, Earl Piercy faid,
And take your bows with fpeed.
And now with me my countrymen,
Your courage to advance;

For there was ne'er a champion yet,
In Scotland or in France,
That ever did on horfe-back come,
But if my hap it were,

I durft encounter man for man
With him to break a spear.

Lord Douglas on milk-white fteed,

Moft like a baron bold,

Rode foremost of the company,

Whofe armour 'fhin'd like gold.

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Shew me (faid he) whofe men you be,.
That hunt, fo boldly here,

That, without my confent, do chace

And kill my fallow-deer.

The first man that did answer make,

was noble Piercy he,

Who faid, We lift not to declare,
Nor fhew whofe men we be;
Yet we will spend our dearest blood,
The choiceft harts to flay.
Then Douglas fwore a folemn oath,
And thus in rage did say,
Ere thus I will outbraved be,
One of us two fhall die.

I know thee well, an Earl thou art,
Lord Piercy, so am I.

But trust me, Piercy, pity it were,
And great offence to kill
Any of thofe our harmless men;
For they have done no ill:
Let thee and me the battle try;
And fet our men afide.

Accurft be he, faid Earl Piercy,.
By whom this is denied.
Then fteps a gallant Squire forth,
Witherington by name;

Who faid, He would not have it told
To Henry, his King, for fhame,
That ere my captain fought on foot,
And I ftood looking on.

You be two Earls faid Witherington,
And I a Squire alone.....

I'll do the beft that I may do,

While I have power to ftand;

While I have power to wield my fword,
I'll fight with heart and, hand.

Our

Our Scottish archers bent their bows,
Their hearts were good and true;
At the first flight of arrows fent,
Full fourfcore English flew.

To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Douglas bade on the bent,

A captain mov'd with meikle pride;
The fpears in fhivers went.
They clos'd full faft on every fide,
No flacknefs there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.
O but it was a grief to fee,
And likewife for to hear,

The cries of men lying in their gore,
Were fcatter'd here and there!
At laft, thefe two ftout Earls did meet,
Like chiftains of great might;
Like lions mov'd, they fear'd no lord,
And made a cruel fight.

They fought until they both did fweat,
With fwords of temp'red fteel,
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.
Yield thee, Lord Piercy, Douglas faid,
In faith I will thee bring

Where thou fhalt high advanced be,.
By James, our Scottish King.
Thy ransom I will freely give,
And this report of thee,

Thou art the most couragious knight
That ever I did fee.

No, Douglas, quoth Lord Piercy then,
Thy profer I do fcorn.

I will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born..

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