Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets Part 91

1 In melancholic fancy, Out of myself, In the vulcan dancy, All the world surveying, Nowhere staying, Just like a fairy elf; Out o'er the tops of highest mountains skipping, Out o'er the hills, the trees, and valleys tripping, Out o'er the ocean seas, without an oar or shipping.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

2 Amidst the misty vapours, Fain would I know What doth cause the tapers; Why the clouds benight us And affright us, While we travel here below.

Fain would I know what makes the roaring thunder, And what these lightnings be that rend the clouds asunder, And what these comets are on which we gaze and wonder.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

3 Fain would I know the reason Why the little ant, All the summer season, Layeth up provision On condition To know no winter's want; And how housewives, that are so good and painful, Do unto their husbands prove so good and gainful; And why the lazy drones to them do prove disdainful.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go 1

4 Ships, ships, I will descry you Amidst the main; I will come and try you What you are protecting, And projecting, What's your end and aim.

One goes abroad for merchandise and trading, Another stays to keep his country from invading, A third is coming home with rich wealth of lading.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

5 When I look before me, There I do behold There's none that sees or knows me; All the world's a-gadding, Running madding; None doth his station hold.

He that is below envieth him that riseth, And he that is above, him that's below despiseth, So every man his plot and counter-plot deviseth.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

6 Look, look, what bustling Here I do espy; Each another jostling, Every one turmoiling, The other spoiling, As I did pa.s.s them by.

One sitteth musing in a dumpish pa.s.sion, Another hangs his head, because he's out of fashion, A third is fully bent on sport and recreation.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

7 Amidst the foamy ocean, Fain would I know What doth cause the motion, And returning In its journeying, And doth so seldom swerve!

And how these little fishes that swim beneath salt water, Do never blind their eye; methinks it is a matter An inch above the reach of old Erra Pater!

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

8 Fain would I be resolved How things are done; And where the bull was calved Of b.l.o.o.d.y Phalaris, And where the tailor is That works to the man i' the moon!

Fain would I know how Cupid aims so rightly; And how these little fairies do dance and leap so lightly; And where fair Cynthia makes her ambles nightly.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go!

9 In conceit like Phaeton, I'll mount Phoebus' chair; Having ne'er a hat on, All my hair a-burning In my journeying, Hurrying through the air.

Fain would I hear his fiery horses neighing, And see how they on foamy bits are playing; All the stars and planets I will be surveying!

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

10 Oh, from what ground of nature Doth the pelican, That self-devouring creature, Prove so froward And untoward, Her vitals for to strain?

And why the subtle fox, while in death's wounds is lying, Doth not lament his pangs by howling and by crying; And why the milk-white swan doth sing when she's a-dying.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou got

11 Fain would I conclude this, At least make essay, What similitude is; Why fowls of a feather Flock and fly together, And lambs know beasts of prey: How Nature's alchemists, these small laborious creatures, Acknowledge still a prince in ordering their matters, And suffer none to live, who slothing lose their features.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

12 I'm rapt with admiration, When I do ruminate, Men of an occupation, How each one calls him brother, Yet each envieth other, And yet still intimate!

Yea, I admire to see some natures further sundered, Than antipodes to us. Is it not to be wondered, In myriads ye'll find, of one mind scarce a hundred!

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

13 What mult.i.tude of notions Doth perturb my pate, Considering the motions, How the heavens are preserved, And this world served, In moisture, light, and heat!

If one spirit sits the outmost circle turning, Or one turns another continuing in journeying, If rapid circles' motion be that which they call burning!

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

14 Fain also would I prove this, By considering What that which you call love is: Whether it be a folly Or a melancholy, Or some heroic thing!

Fain I'd have it proved, by one whom love hath wounded, And fully upon one his desire hath founded, Whom nothing else could please though the world were rounded.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

15 To know this world's centre, Height, depth, breadth, and length, Fain would I adventure To search the hid attractions Of magnetic actions, And adamantic strength.

Fain would I know, if in some lofty mountain, Where the moon sojourns, if there be trees or fountain; If there be beasts of prey, or yet be fields to hunt in.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go?

16 Fain would I have it tried By experiment, By none can be denied; If in this bulk of nature, There be voids less or greater, Or all remains complete?

Fain would I know if beasts have any reason; If falcons killing eagles do commit a treason; If fear of winter's want makes swallows fly the season.

Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go;

17 Hallo, my fancy, hallo, Stay, stay at home with me, I can thee no longer follow, For thou hast betrayed me, And bewrayed me; It is too much for thee.

Stay, stay at home with me; leave off thy lofty soaring; Stay thou at home with me, and on thy books be poring; For he that goes abroad, lays little up in storing: Thou'rt welcome home, my fancy, welcome home to me.

'Alas, poor scholar!

Whither wilt thou go?'

or 'Strange alterations which at this time be, There's many did think they never should see.'

THE FAIRY QUEEN.

1 Come, follow, follow me, You, fairy elves that be; Which circle on the green, Come, follow Mab, your queen.

Hand in hand let's dance around, For this place is fairy ground.

2 When mortals are at rest, And snoring in their nest; Unheard and unespied, Through keyholes we do glide; Over tables, stools, and shelves, We trip it with our fairy elves.

3 And if the house be foul With platter, dish, or bowl, Up-stairs we nimbly creep, And find the s.l.u.ts asleep; There we pinch their arms and thighs; None escapes, nor none espies.

4 But if the house be swept, And from uncleanness kept, We praise the household maid, And duly she is paid; For we use, before we go, To drop a tester in her shoe.

5 Upon a mushroom's head Our tablecloth we spread; A grain of rye or wheat Is manchet which we eat; Pearly drops of dew we drink, In acorn cups filled to the brink.

6 The brains of nightingales, With unctuous fat of snails, Between two c.o.c.kles stewed, Is meat that's easily chewed; Tails of worms, and marrow of mice, Do make a dish that's wondrous nice.

7 The gra.s.shopper, gnat, and fly, Serve us for our minstrelsy; Grace said, we dance a while, And so the time beguile; And if the moon doth hide her head, The glow-worm lights us home to bed.

8 On tops of dewy gra.s.s So nimbly do we pa.s.s, The young and tender stalk Ne'er bends when we do walk; Yet in the morning may be seen Where we the night before have been.

END OF VOL. II.

SPECIMENS WITH MEMOIRS OF THE LESS-KNOWN BRITISH POETS.

With an Introductory Essay,