66

ODE.

IN IMITATION OF HORACE'S ODE,

Quis multa gracilis te puer in rosá "Perfusus," &c.

To whom

Lib. I. Od. 5.

now, Pyrrha, art thou kind?

To what heart-ravish'd lover

Dost thou thy golden locks unbind,

Thy hidden sweets discover,

And with large bounty open set All the bright stores of thy rich cabinet?

Ah, simple youth! how oft will he
Of thy chang'd faith complain!

And his own fortunes find to be
So airy and so vain,

Of so cameleon-like an hue,

That still their colour changes with it too!

How oft, alas! will he admire

The blackness of the skies!

Trembling to hear the wind sound higher,
And see the billows rise!

Poor unexperienc'd he,

Who ne'er, alas! before had been at sea!

He' enjoys thy calmy sun-shine now,

And no breath stirring hears;

In the clear heaven of thy brow

No smallest cloud appears.

He sees thee gentle, fair, and gay,

And trusts the faithless April of thy May.

Unhappy, thrice unhappy, he,

T'whom thou untry'd dost shine!
But there's no danger now for me,
Since o'er Loretto's shrine,

In witness of the shipwreck past,

My consecrated vessel hangs at last.

IN IMITATION OF

MARTIAL'S EPIGRAM,

"Si tecum mihi, chare Martialis," &c. L. 5. Ep. 21.

IF, dearest friend, it my good fate might be
T'enjoy at once a quiet life and thee;
If we for happiness could leisure find,
And wandering time into a method bind;

We should not sure the great-men's favour need,
Nor on long hopes, the court's thin diet, feed;
We should not patience find daily to hear

The calumnies and flatteries spoken there;

We should not the lords' tables humbly use,
Or talk in ladies' chambers love and news;
But books, and wise discourse, gardens and fields,
And all the joys that unmixt Nature yields;
Thick summer shades, where winter still does lie,
Bright winter fires, that summer's part supply;
Sleep, not control'd by cares, confin'd to night,
Or bound in any rule but appetite;

Free, but not savage or ungracious mirth,
Rich wines, to give it quick and easy birth;

A few companions, which ourselves should chuse,
A gentle mistress, and a gentler Muse.

Such, dearest friend! such, without doubt, should be
Our place, our business, and our company.
Now to himself, alas! does neither live,
But sees good suns, of which we are to give
A strict account, set and march thick away:
Knows a man how to live, and does he stay?

THE CHRONICLE.

A BALLAD.

MARGARITA first possest,

If I remember well, my breast,
Margarita first of all;

But when awhile the wanton maid

With my restless heart had play'd,
Martha took the flying ball,

Martha soon did it resign

To the beauteous Catharine.

Beauteous Catharine gave place

(Though loth and angry she to part With the possession of my heart) To Eliza's conquering face.

Eliza till this hour might reign,

Had she not evil counsels ta'en.
Fundamental laws she broke,

And still new favourites she chose,
Till up in arms my passions rose,
And cast away her yoke.

Mary then, and gentle Anne,

Both to reign at once began;

Alternately they sway'd;

And sometimes Mary was the fair,

And sometimes Anne the crown did wear, And sometimes both I' obey'd.

Another Mary then arose,

And did rigorous laws impose;
A mighty tyrant she!

Long, alas! should I have been
Under that iron-scepter'd queen,

Had not Rebecca set me free.

When fair Rebecca set me free,

"T was then a golden time with me; But soon those pleasures fled;

For the gracious princess dy'd,

In her youth and beauty's pride,

And Judith reigned in her stead.

One month, three days, and half an hour, Judith held the sovereign power: Wondrous beautiful her face!

But so weak and small her wit,

That she to govern was unfit,

And so Susanna took her place.

But when Isabella came,

Arm'd with a resistless flame,

And th' artillery of her eye;

Whilst she proudly march'd about,

Greater conquests to find out,

She beat out Susan by the bye.

But in her place I then obey'd

Black-ey'd Bess, her viceroy-maid;
To whom ensued a vacancy:

Thousand worse passions than possest
The interregnum of my breast;

Bless me from such an anarchy !

Gentle Henrietta then,

And a third Mary, next began;

Then Joan, and Jane, and Audria;

And then a pretty Thomasine,

And then another Katharine,

And then a long et cætera.