ONGS of Sonnets and ruftical Roundelays,
Forms of Fancies are whill'd on Reeds,
Songs to folace young Nymphs upon Holidays,
Are too unworthy for wonderful Deeds;
Phœbus ingenious,
With witty Silenus,

His haughty Genius taught to declare,
In Words better coin'd,

And Verfe better join'd,

How Stars divined the Hunting the Hare.

Stars enamour'd with Paftimes Olympical,
Stars and Planets yet beautiful fhone,
Would no longer endure that mortal Men only
Should fwim in Pleafures, while they but look on.
Round about horned
Lucina they fwarmed,

And her informed, how minded they were,
Each God and Goddess,

To take human Bodies,

As Lords and Ladies, to follow the Hare.

Chafte Diana applauded the Motion,
And pale Proferpina fate in her Place,
Which guides the Welkin, and governs the Ocean,
While the conducted her Nephews in Chase;
Till by her Example,
Their Father to trample,

The Earth old and ample, leave they the Air;
Neptune the Water,

And Wine Liber Pater,

And Mars the Slaughter, to follow the Hare.

Young

Young God Cupid mounted on Pegafus,
Beloved of Nymphs, with Kiffes and Praife;
Strong Alcides upon cloudy Caucafus,

Mounted a Centaur, which proudly him bare;.
Poftilion of the Sky,

Swift-footed Mercury,

Makes his Course fly, fleet as the Air;
Yellow Apollo

The Kennel doth follow,

With Whip and Hallow after the Hare.

Young Amintas thought the Gods came to breathe After their Battel, themselves on the Ground, Thirfis did think the Gods came here to dwell be

(neath, And that hereafter the World would go round.

Corydon aged,

With Phillis engaged,

Was much enraged with jealous Despair;

But Fury was faded,

And he was perfuaded,

When he found they applauded the Hunting the

Cunning Melampur, and fortunate Lelaps,

Hare.

:7

Fowler, and Tyger, and Harper, the Skies
Rend with Roaring, while Hunter-like Hercules
Winds his plentiful Horn to their Cries:
Till with Varieties,

Their

To folace their Deities,
weary Pieties refreshed were;
We Shepherds were feated,
Whilft we repeated,

1

How we conceited the Hunting the Hare.

Stars but Shadows were, Joys were but Sorrows,
They without Motion, these wanting Delight;

Joys are jovial, Delights are the Marrows

Of Life and Motion, the Axle of Might.

Pleasure depends,

Upon no other Friends,

But ftill freely lends to each Virtue a fhare
Alone is Pleasure,

The measure of Treasure ;

Of Pleafure, the Treasure is hunting the Hare.

Drowned Narciffus from his Metamorphofis,
Rowzed by Eccho new Manhood did take:
And fnoring Somnus up ftarted from Cimmery,
The which this Thousand Year was not awake,
To fee club-footed

Old Mulciber booted,

And Pan promoted on Corydon's Mare;
Proud Pallas pouted,

And Eolus fhouted,

And Momus flouted, yet followed the Hare.

Hymen ufhers the Lady Aftrea,

The Jeft takes hold of Minerva the old,
Ceres the Brown, with bright Cytherea,
With Thetis the wanton, Bellona the bold,
Shamefac'd Aurora,
With witty Pandora,

And Maia with Flora did company bear:
But Juno was ftated,

Too high to be mated,

Altho' fhe hated not hunting the Hare.

Three broad Bowls to th' Olympical Rector,
The Troy-born Boy prefents on his Knee,
Jove to Phoebus caroufes in Nectar,

And Phoebus to Hermes, and Hermes to me:
Wherewith infufed,

I piped and mused,

In Language unufed, their sports to declare,
Till the Houfe of Jove;

Like the Spheres round do move,

Health to all thofe that love the Hunting of the Hare.

XXXVII.

XXXVII. Fair Maudlin: Or, the Merchant's Daughter of Bristol.

To the Tune of The Maiden's Joy:

Though I do not profefs myself an Admirer of the following Song, yet confidering its title to Antiquity, it may justly claim a place here; and feveral of my Readers have earnestly defired to have it inferted. There is one passage in it which petty Criticks have very much carp'd at, and that is the Time Maudlin's Lover lay under Condemnation; but if they bad confider'd that he was in one of the Inquifition Prifons, where People fometimes lay feveral Years, they would have found their Cavil very unjust. I must own, I cannot so easily anfwer another Objection, and that is the Mercy fhewn by the Fudges to the Three Prifoners, thofe very pious Men never having fince the firft Foundation of that Court given another Inftance of it.

B

Ehold the Touchftone of true Love,
Maudlin the Merchant's Daughter of Bristol

Whofe firm Affection nothing could move,

Her favour bears the lovely brown.

K 5

(Town,

A gallant

A gallant Youth was dwelling by,

Which long had born this Maiden great good Will, She loved him most faithfully,

But all her Friends withitood it ftill.

The young Man now perceiving well,

He could not get the Favour of her Friends, The Force of Sorrow to expel,

And view ftrange Countries he intends.

And now to take his laft Farewel

Of his true Love, his fair and constant Maudlin, With Mufick fweet that did excel,

He play'd under her Window then.

Farewel (quoth he) mine own true Love,
Farewel, the dear and chiefeft Treasure of

Thro' Fortune's Spite, that falfe did prove,
I am enforc'd from thee to part,

Into the Land of fair Italy:

There will I wail and weary out my Life in Woe, Seeing my true Love is kept from me,

I hold my Life a mortal Foe.

Fair Bristol Town therefore adieu,

For Padua fhall be my Habitation now, Although my Love doth reft in you,

To whom alone my Heart I vow.

With tickling Tears thus did he fing,

Sighs and Sobs defcending from his Heart full fore, He faid, when he his Hands did wring,

Farewel, fweet Love, for evermore.

Fair Maudlin from a Window high,

See her true Love with Mufick where he flood, But not a word she did reply,

Fearing her Parents angry Mood.