The muddy Spots that dry'd upon his Face,
Like Female Patches, heighten'd ev'ry Grace>
She gaz'd; fhe figh'd, for Love can Beauties fpy,
In what seem Faults to ev'ry common Eye.
Now had the Watchman walk'd his fecond Round,
When Cloacina hears the rumbling Sound
Of her brown Lover's Cart, for well she knows
That pleafing Thunder: Swift the Goddess rofe,
And thro' the Streets purfu'd the distant Noise,
Her Bofom panting with expected Joys.
With the Night-wandring Harlot's Airs fhe past,
Brufh'd near his Side, and wanton Glances caft;
In the black Form of Cinder-wench fhe came,
When Love, the Hour, the Place, had banish'd Shame,
To the dark Alley, Arm in Arm they move;
O may no Link-boy interrupt their Love!
When the pale Moon had nine Times fill'd her Space,
The pregnant Goddefs (cautious of Difgrace)
Defcends to Earth; but fought no Midwife's Aid,
Nor midft her Anguish to Lucina pray'd;
No chearful Goffip wifh'd the Mother Joy,
Alone, beneath a Bulk, fhe dropt the Boy.
The Child, thro' various Rifques, in Years improv❜d
At first a Beggar's-brat, Compaffion mov’d;
His Infant-tongue foon learnt the canting Art,
Knew all the Pray'rs and Whines to touch the Heart.
O happy unown'd Youths, your Limbs can beat
The fcorching Dog-ftar, and the Winter's Air,
While the rich Infant, nurs'd with Care and Pain,
Thirsts with each Heat, and coughs with ev'ry Rain !
The Goddess long had mark'd the Child's Diftrefs,
And long had fought his Sufferings to redress;
She prays the Gods to take the Fondling's Part,
To teach his Hands fome beneficial Art,
Practis'd in Streets: The Gods her Suit allow'd,
And made him ufeful to the walking Crowd,
To cleanse the miry Feet, and o'er the Shoe
With nimble Skill the gloffy Black renew.
Each Pow'r contributes to relieve the Poor:
With the ftrong Briftles of the mighty Boar
Diana forms his Brush; the God of Day
A Tripod gives, amid the crowded Way
To raise the dirty Foot, and cafe his Toil;
Kind Neptune fills his Vafe with fœtid Oil,
Prefs'd from th' enormous Whale; the God of Fire;
From whofe Dominion fmoaky Clouds afpire,
Among these gen'rous Prefents joins his Part,
And aids with Soot the new japanning Art:
Pleas'd the receives the Gifts; the downward glides,
Lights in Fleet-Ditch, and fhoots beneath the Tides.
Now dawns the Morn, the sturdy Lad awakes,
Leaps from his Stall, his tangled Hair he shakes,
Then leaning o'er the Rails, he mufing stood,
And view'd below the black Canal of Mud,
Where Common-Sewers a lulling Murmur keep,
Whofe Torrents rufh from Holbourn's fatal Steep:-
Penfive, thro' Idlenefs, Tears flow'd apace,
Which eas'd his loaded Heart, and wash'd his Face;
At length he fighing cry'd; That Boy was bleft,
Whofe Infant-Lips have drain'd a Mother's Breast ;
But happier far are those (if fuch be known)
Whom both a Father and a Mother own:
But I, alafs hard Fortune's utmoft Scorn,
Who ne'er knew Parent, was an Orphan born!
Some Boys are rich by Birth beyond all Wants,
Belov'd by Uncles, and kind good old Aunts;
When Time comes round a Christmas-Box they bear,
And one Day makes 'em rich for all the Year.
Had I the Precepts of a Father learn'd,
Perhaps I then the Coachman's Fare had earn'd;
For leffer Boys can drive; I thirsty stand,
And fee the double Flaggon charge their Hand,
See 'em puff off the Froth and gulp amain,
While with dry Tongue I lick my Lips in vain
While thus he fervent prays, the heaving Tide
In widen'd Circles beats on either Side ;
The Goddess rofe amid the inmoft Round,
With wither'd Turnip-Tops her Temples crown'd;
Low reach'd her dripping Treffes, lank and black
As the smooth Jet, or gloffy Raven's Back;
Around her Waift a circ'ling Eel was twin'd,
Which bound her Robe that hung in Rags behind.
Now beck'ning to the Boy; fhe thus begun :
Thy Pray'rs are granted; weep no more, my
Son
Go thrive. At fome frequented Corner ftand;
This Brush I give thee, grafp it in thy Hand,
Temper the Soot within this Vase of Oil,
And let the little Tripod aid thy Toil;
On this, methinks, I fee the walking Crew,
At thy Request support the miry Shoe; [brown'd,
The Foot grows black, that was with Dirt im-
And in thy Pocket jingling Ha'pence found.
The Goddefs plunges fwift beneath the Flood,
And dafhes all around her Show'rs of Mud:
The Youth ftrait chose his Poft; the Labour ply'd,
Where branching Streets from Charing-Crofs divide;
His Treble Voice refounds along the Meufe,
And Whitehall ecchoes clean your Honour's Shoes.
The latter Part of this Quotation, we think, bears a very strong Resemblance to fome Lines in the Dunciad.
The Comedy of Three Hours after Marriage, came out in Mr. Gay's Name, but Dr. Arbuthnot and Mr. Pope were both faid to be concern'd in it: It was levell'd at Dr. Woodward, who was pointed at in ft under the Name of Fofile, acted by the best Comedian, but could not fupport itself, for indeed it was
but a poor Performance; Mr. Pope never own'd to have had any Share in the Compofition of it: But a Letter from Mr. Gay to him, while it was yet under Condemnation, will give a little Light into this Affair.
OO late I fee, and confefs myself mistaken, in Relation to the Comedy, yet I do not think had I follow'd your Advice, and only introduc'd the Mummy, that the Absence of the Crocodile had fav'd it. I can't help laughing myfelf, (though the Vulgar do not confider that it was defign'd to look very ridiculous) to think how the poor Monster and Mummy were dash'd at their Reception, and when the Cry was loudeft, thought that if the Thing had been wrote by another, I fhould have deem'd the Town in fome Measure mistaken, and as to your Apprehenfion that this may do us future Injury, do not think it; the Doctor has a more valuable Name than can be hurt by any Thing of this Nature, and yours is doubly fafe; I will (if any Shame there be) take it all to myself, as indeed I ought, the Motion being firft mine, and never heartily approv'd of by you: As to what your early Enemy faid at the Duke of Dorfet's and Mr. Pulteney's, you will live to prove him a falfe Prophet, as you have already a Liar, and a Flatterer, and Poet in Spight of Nature; whether I fhall do fo or no, you can beft tell, for with the Continuance of your dear Friendship and Affistance, never yet withheld from me, I dare promife as much.
I beg of you not to fuffer this, or any Thing else, to hurt your Health. As I have publickly faid, that I was affifted by two Friends, I fhall ftill continue in the fame Story, profeffing obftinate Silence about
Dr. Arbuthnot and yourfelf,. I am going Tomorrow to Hampton Court for a Week, notwithstanding the Badness of the Weather, where, tho' I am to mix with Quality, I fhall fee nothing half so engaging as you my dear Friend.
1 am (not at all caft down)
Your fincere Friend,
This Comedy, Mr. Gay has not inferted in the Collection of his poetical Writings, which, though it met with the Disapprobation of the Town was foon forgot, he ftill following the Court, writing Verfes upon her Royal Highness the Princefs of Wales, afterwards Queen, and waiting in Expectation of fome Employment, as he was frequently promis'd by my Lord Oxford and others, before the Death of Queen Anne, and through his Means was nominated and appointed Secretary to the Embaffy to Hanover, in the Year 1714, the laft Year of the Reign of Queen Anne, when the Lord Paget, the Earl of Clarendon, and Mr. Harley, were all fent to Hanover, to affure that illustrious House, of her Majesty's Affection towards them, but at the fame Time to express her high Refentment at the Demand of a Writ for fummoning his Electoral Highness as Duke of Cambridge to the Houfe of Lords; by this Means (though the Profits arifing from the Employment were very small) he had the Honour of being perfonally known to the present Royal Family, to whom he had shown in many of his Writings, Loyalty and Affection enough to have ferv'd them in any Capacity, and it remains a great Queftion, if ever an honefter Man offered himself to the Service of a Court.
As foon as he arriv'd, Mr. Pope met him with a Letter, dated Sept. 23, 1714, than which nothing H 4
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