Or elfe the ways being foul, twenty to one,
He's here stuck in a flough, and overthrown.
'Twas fuch a fhifter, that if truth were known,
Death was half glad when he had got him down;
For he had any time this ten years full,
Dodg'd with him, betwixt Cambridge and the Bull.
And furely Death could never have prevail'd,
Had not his weekly course of carriage fail'd;
But lately finding him fo long at home,

And thinking now his journey's end was come,
And that he had ta'en up his latest inn,

In the kind office of a chamberlin

ΤΟ

14

Show'd him his room where he must lodge that night, Pull'd off his boots, and took away the light:

If

any afk for him, it shall be faid,

Hobfon has fupt, and's newly gone to bed.

ERE lieth one, who did moft truly prove

HERE lieto od never die

That he could never die while he could move;

So hung his destiny, never to rot

While he might still jog on and keep his trot,
Made of sphere-metal, never to decay
Until his revolution was at ftay.

Time numbers motion, yet (without a crime
'Gainst old truth) motion number'd out his time:
And like an engin mov'd with wheel and weight,
His principles being ceas'd, he ended strait.
Reft that gives all men life, gave him his death,
And too much breathing put him out of breath;
Nor were it contradiction to affirm

Too long vacation haften'd on his term.

Merely to drive the time away he ficken'd,

5

JO

15

Fainted, and died, nor would with ale be quicken'd;

Mr. Ray in his Collection of Eng- "carrier between London and this

"town,

20

Nay, quoth he, on his fwooning bed out-stretch'd,
If I mayn't carry, fure I'll ne'er be fetch'd,
But vow, though the cross doctors all stood hearers,
For one carrier put down to make fix bearers.
Eafe was his chief disease, and to judge right,
He dy'd for heaviness that his cart went light:
His leisure told him that his time was come,
And lack of load made his life burdenfome,

That ev'n to his laft breath (there be that fay't) 25
As he were prefs'd to death, he cry'd more weight;
But had his doings lafted as they were,

He had been an immortal carrier.
Obedient to the moon he spent his date
In courfe reciprocal, and had his fate
Link'd to the mutual flowing of the seas,

Yet (ftrange to think) his wain was his increase:
His letters are deliver'd all and gone,
Only remains this fuperfcription.

town, in his life time was at the "fole charge of erecting this "ftructure A. D. 1614. He de"parted this life January 1, 1630, "and gave by will the rent of "feven Lays of pafture-ground "lying in St. Thomas's Lays to"wards the maintenance of this VOL. II.

30

XIII.

* L'ALLEGRO,

ENCE loathed Melancholy,

Of Cerberus and blackeft Midnight born,

In Stygian cave forlorn

'Mongft horrid fhapes, and fhrieks, and fights

unholy,

“

Find

"jolly paftimes that will fetch the day about from fun to fun, and rock the tedious year as in a delightful dream." Vol. 1. p. 1542 155. Edit. 1738.

1. Hence loathed Melancholy, &c.] The beginning of this poem is fomewhat like the beginning of Kal. Decembres Saturnales of Statius, Sylvarum Lib. I.

*This and the following poem are exquifitely beautiful in themfelves, but appear much more beautiful, when they are confidered, as" they were written, in contrast to each other. There is a great variety of pleafing images in each of them; and it is remarkable, that the poet reprefents feveral of the fame objects ás exciting both mirth and melancholy, and affecting us differently according to the different difpofitions and affections of the foul. This is nature and experience. He derives the title of both poems from the Italian, which language was then principally in vogue. L'Allegro is the chearful merry man; and in this poem he defcribes the courfe of mirth in the country and in the city from morning till noon, and from noon till night: and poffibly he might have this in his thoughts, when he faid afterwards in his Areopagitica "there be de

lights, there be recreations and

Et Phoebus pater, & fevera Pallas,
Et Mufæ procul ite feriata:
Jani vos revocabimus Kalendis.
Saturnus mihi compede exoluta,
Et multo gravidus mero De-
cember,

Et ridens jocus, et fales protervi
Adfint, dum refero diem beatam
Læti Cæfaris, ebriamque partem.
2. Of Cerberus and blackeft Mid-

night born,] The poet in making Melancholy the daughter of Cerberus might perhaps intend to inflnuate, that the has fomething of the cynic, as well as fomething monftrous and unnatural, in her

com