The Union: Or, Select Scots And English Poems Part 14

XI.

Long, long, thy stone, and pointed clay Shall melt the musing Briton's eyes, O! vales, and wild woods, shall He say In yonder grave Your Druid lies!

FOOTNOTES:

[15] The harp of aeOLUS, of which see a description in the CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

[16] RICHMOND Church.

THE CHILD BIRTH.

IN THE MANNER OF GAY.

The doleful dumps I sing, and tearful woes, Of MARIAN teeming with unlawful throes: The sheenest la.s.s in Berkshire was she known, Of all that b.u.t.ter sell to Reading town: Not the seven sisters could o'er her prevail, The golden farmer's daughters of the vale, Tho' every Oxford muse their charms has sung And gravest doctors[17] join'd the tuneful throng.

Ye peers! who careless of ambition, chuse To court the labours of the past'ral muse; And all the wond'rous bards who try the lay Where black Cam rolls, or Isis' eddies play, a.s.sist the labours of an humble swain, Rude to the pipe, and novice on the plain.

Nine months successive now had rolled round, Since MARIAN first the pleasing mischief found; In vain her hands had cull'd th' abortive weed, Nor aught avail'd the 'pothecary's aid.

Her womb began with fatal size to swell, And sick'ning qualms the blushful secret tell: Then all in sad despair she made her moan, Lodona's waters echoed groan for groan.

"Ah! faithless COLIN CLOUT! ah, luckless I!

"And canst thou, cruel! from thy MARIAN fly?

"How often hast thou suck'd my panting breath?

"How often swore to love me true till death?

"But to the Justice I'll reveal my plight, "And with a constable pursue thy flight.

"Ah! how unequal, as our parson preaches, "Are this world's goods! and sure he rightly teaches; "For what to maidens brings eternal stain, "(Sad management!) gives honour to the swain.

"'Twas on the blithest morn of all the year, "When new-born May bids every shepherd chear; "When artful maids their rival fancies shew, "And well-wrought garlands bloom on ev'ry bough; "When gaudy fairs bespangle every street, "And lowing cows the novel pasture greet; "Fresh rose I, MARIAN hight, from rustic bed, "The morning dream still hov'ring o'er my head; "Gay shews and sweethearts had employ'd my thought, "The kiss imprinted, and the fairing bought!

"From lavander I drew the tucker'd smock, "And hosen boastful of a various clock; "The silver'd knot well scollop'd on my head, "And donn'd the sunday gown berob'd with red.

"Thus all bedight, and ready for the fair, "I sat impatient with a wistful air, "Expecting COLIN CLOUT, my perjur'd swain, "Who always follow'd MARIAN on the plain: "With him the moon-light walk I us'd to tread, "With him I danc'd upon the sportive mead; "That very morn had taught the snails to crawl, "And print mysterious letters on the wall.

"At length he came, and I with joyous meed "Mounted behind him on the pillion'd steed: "Sweetly I sung, he whistled to the lay, "Sweetly I sung the song, and sung the day: "_What beauteous scenes_ began the tuneful tale!

"And next I humm'd _the sweets of Arno's vale_; "Then MOLLY MOGG, fair damsel of the Rose, "And _lovely_ PEGGY, taste of London beaux.

"And now in view gay Reading strikes our eyes, "And all the dainties of the fair arise: "Here Birmingham its boasted ware displays, "There leather breeches hight, and bodice stays; "Here posied garters flutter'd in the way, "There painted hobby-horses seem to neigh; "Here belles in gingerbread all gilded over, "And little gew-gaw H----YS act the lover.

"Shepherds and nymphs from every part repair, "All who from Oxford hills direct the share, "Who fell the forest, or who mow the mead, "Or drag in little boats the finny breed: "Her wide-mouth'd sons low-seated Henley sends, "And smoky Okingham it's tribute lends.

"But far did MARIAN all the rest outvie, "No cheek so ruddy, nor so black an eye; "Scarce DOLLY C----K the daughter of the may'r, "With all the flaxen ringlets of her hair, "With all the snowy fulness of her breast, "In blithsome features might with me contest.

"All youths ambitiously around me strove, "Each gave some chosen emblem of his love; "One queintly bought the garters for my thighs, "While simple archness sparkled in his eyes.

"But all their fairings unsuccessful prove, "Still true to COLIN CLOUT I held my love.

"----Ah! sly deceiver! you enclasp'd my arm, "And seem'd my saviour, while you meant my harm; "Far too unequal was the high reward, "My maidenhead must pay thee for thy guard; "Already warm'd with joy you win my heart, "And stamp a little COLIN e'er we part.

"--Yet now, when nature fills my womb, to fly-- "Nor yet one tear to issue from thine eye-- "My slighted love to quick resentment turns; "Lo my blood rises, and my cheek all burns!

"O I could tear thee as I tear this glove-- "Go, horrid monster! I despise thy love, "Thy oaths I quit, thy fairings I resign, "Forget, renounce thee, hate whate'er was thine.

"[18]No christian mother bound thy infant head, "Some Turk begat thee, or some Papist bred; "Or dropt on Cambrian hills, a squalid brat, "Some she-goat suckled thee with savage teat.

"[19]--Go to thy drab, whoe'er has won thy heart, "And may the pox devouring make thee smart; "[20]My vengeful ghost shall haunt thee o'er the plain, "Yes, thou shalt suffer, villain, for my pain.

"--But ah! my rage relents, my sorrow flows; "Come COLIN! faithless shepherd! ease my woes.

"And must I in the sheet opprobrious stand?

"Thy plight is troth'd, ah! come and give thy hand: "My conscience starts, whene'er I hear a knell, "And is a little love deserving h.e.l.l?

"Too hard a penance for a sin so slight!

"Ah how my heart misgives me every night!

"When sleep has clos'd my sorrow-streaming eyes, "Then ghastly dreams, and hateful thoughts arise: "[21]All unaccompany'd methinks I go "O'er Irish bogs, a wilderness of woe!

"Ah! my wits turn! strange phantoms round me fly!

"Lo! I am chang'd into a goosb'ry pye!

"Forbear to eat me up, inhuman rabble!

"c.o.c.ks crow, ducks quake, hens cackle, turkies gabble."

Thus as she rav'd, her womb with rueful throes Did to the light a l.u.s.ty babe disclose: Long while she doubted of the smirking boy, Or on her knee to dandle, or destroy; Love prompted her to save, and Pride to drown, At length Pride conquer'd, and she dropt her son.

FOOTNOTES:

[17] The Rev. Dr. WILKES wrote a poem upon them.

[18] _Nec tibi diva parens, generis nec Darda.n.u.s auctor, Perfide, sed duris genuit te cautibus horrens Caucasus, Hyrcanaeque admorunt ubera tigres._

[19] _I, sequere Italiam ventis, &c.

Spero equidem mediis, siquid pia numina, &c._

[20] _Omnibus umbra locis adero, dabis, improbe, poenas._ aen. 4.

[21] _----Semperque relinqui Sola sibi, semper longam_ incomitata _videtur Ire viam, & Tyrios deserta quaerere terra, Eumenidum veluti demens videt agmina Pentheus, &c._ aen. 4.

ON A

LADY'S

PRESENTING A SPRIG OF MYRTLE

TO A

GENTLEMAN.

BY MR. HAMMOND.

What fears, what terrors does thy gift create!

Ambiguous emblem of uncertain fate!

The myrtle, ensign of supreme command, (Consign'd by VENUS to MELISSA'S hand) Not less capricious than a reigning fair, Oft favours, oft rejects the lover's care.

In myrtle groves oft sings the happy swain, In myrtle shades despairing ghosts complain; The myrtle crowns the happy lovers heads, Th' unhappy lovers graves the myrtle spreads; Oh! then the meaning of thy gift impart, And cure the throbbings of an anxious heart; Soon must this bough, as you shall fix his doom, Adorn PHILANDER'S head, or grace his tomb.

TO