Oh! if kind Heav'n had been fo much my Friend, To make my Fate upon my Choice depend;

All

my Ambition I would here confine, And only this Elezyum fhould be mine: Fond Men by Paffion wilfully betray'd, Adore thofe Idols which their Fancy made; Purchafing Riches, with our Time and Care, We lofe our Freedom in a gilded Snare; And having all, all to our felves refufe, Oppreft with Bleffings which we fear to use. Fame is at beft but an inconftant good, Vain are the boafted Titles of our Blood; We foonest lose what we most highly prise, And with our Youth our short-liv'd Beauty dies; In vain our Fields and Flocks increase our store, If our Abundance makes us wish for more, How happy is the harmless Country Maid, Who rich by Nature fcorns fuperfluous Aid! Whofe modeft Cloaths no wanton Eyes invite, But like her Soul preferves the native white; Whofe little ftore her well-taught Mind does please, Nor pinch'd with want, nor cloy'd with wanton ease, Who free from ftorms, which on the great ones fall, Makes but few Wishes, and enjoys them all;

Νο

No Care but Love can difcompofse her Breast,
Love, of all Cares the fweeteft and the best;

Whilft on sweet Grafs her bleating Charge does lye,
Our happy Lover feeds upon her Eye;

Not one on whom or Gods or Men impose,
But one whom Love has for this Lover chofe,
Under some fav'rite Mirtle's fhady Boughs,
They speak their Paffions in repeated Vows,
And whilft a Blush confeffes how the burns,
His faithful Heart makes as fincere Returns,
Thus in the Arms of Love and Peace they lye,
And whilst they live, their Flames can never dye.

PROLOGUE

TO HIS

ROYAL HIGHNESS,

Upon his first Appearance at the DUKE'S THEATRE fince his Return from Scotland, 1682.

Written by Mr. DRYDEN.

N those cold Regions which no Summers chear,

When brooding Darkness covers half the Year,

To hollow Caves the fhiv'ring Natives go;

Bears range abroad, and hunt in Tracks of Snow:
But when the tedious Twilight wears away,
And Stars grow paler at th' approach of Day,
The longing Crowds to frozen Mountains run;
Happy who firft can see the glimm❜ring Sun!
The furly falvage Off-fpring disappear,
And curfe the bright Succeffor of the Year.

Yet,

Yet, though rough Bears in Covert feek Defence,
White Foxes stay, with feeming Innocence:
That crafty Kind with Day-light can difpence.
Still we are throng'd fo full with Reynard's Race,
That Loyal Subjects scarce can find a place:
Thus modest Truth is caft behind the Crowd:
Truth speaks too low; Hypocrifie too lowd.
Let 'em be firft, to flatter in Success;

Duty can stay, but Guilt has need to prefs.
Once, when true Zeal the Sons of God did call,
To make their folemn Show at Heav'n's White-hall,
The fawning Devil appear'd among the rest,
And made as good a Courtier as the best.

The Friends of Job, who rail'd at him before,
Came Cap in hand when he had three times more.
Yet, late Repentance may, perhaps, be true;
Kings can forgive, if Rebels can but fue:

A Tyrant's Pow'r in Rigor is exprest;
The Father yearns in the true Prince's Breast.
We grant, an o'ergrown Whig no Grace can mend,
But most are Babes, that know not they offend,
The Crowd, to restless Motion still enclin❜d,
Are Clouds, that rack according to the Wind.

Driv'n by their Chiefs they ftorms of Hailstones pour:
Then mourn, and foften to a filent Show'r.

O welcome, to this much offending Land,
The Prince that brings Forgiveness in his hand!
Thus Angels on glad Meffages appear:

Their firft Salute commands us not to fear:
Thus Heav'n, that cou'd constrain us to obey,
(With Rev'rence if we might prefume to say,)
Seems to relax the Rights of fov'reign Sway:
Permits to Man the choice of Good and Ill,
And makes us Happy by our own Free-will.

The Salisbury Ghost.

}

A Brewer of Salisbury having Buried his firft Wife, upon the Marriage of fecond was over-perfwaded to wrong the Children of the former, by converting the Settlements upon her Iffue to the Advantage of the latter. This the firft Wife takes ill, and gets leave of Satan to walk, as they call it, for the relief of her injur'd Children. Her Applications to her Husband { were fruitless, as one that at the fame time had lying by his fide a Mother-in-Law, that is to fay, a Devil that was able to deal with a Devil. Thereupon she goes to an honest Godly Maiden Gentlewoman in the City, and frights her into the Sollicitation of her Caufe. The Virgin takes to her Affiftance a Minifter or two of her Acquaintance, by whofe Advice, you may be fure, she prov'd fo fuccessful in her Negotiation, that all Differences between the Husband and his Conjugal Ghoft were reconcil'd, and the Apparition departed in Peace. Which being an Accident fo remarkable, was thought to be a proper Subject for the enfuing BALLAD,

I'

LL tell you a Story, if it be true,

But look you to that, I am fure it is new,

And only in Salisbury known to a few.

Which no body can deny.

Some