VIII. But thou, lorn ftream, whofe fullen tide And fee, the fairy valleys fade, Dun Night has veil'd the folemn view! Yet once again, dear parted fhade, Meek Nature's Child, again adieu! X. The genial meads affign'd to blefs Long, long, thy ftone, and pointed clay THE CHILD BIRTH. IN THE MANNER OF GAY. TH HE doleful dumps I fing, and tearful woes, Of MARIAN teeming with unlawful throes: The fheenest lafs in Berkshire was fhe known, Of all that butter fell to Reading town: Not the feven fifters could o'er her prevail, The golden farmer's daughters of the vale, Tho' every Oxford muse their charms has fung And gravest doctors * join'd the tuneful throng Ye peers who careless of ambition, chufe Nine months fucceffive now had rolled round, Since MARIAN firft the pleasing mischief found; In vain her hands had cull'd th' abortive weed, Nor aught avail'd the 'pothecary's aid. *The Rev. Dr. WILKES wrote a poem upon them. Her womb began with fatal fize to fwell, And fick'ning qualms the blushful secret tell : Then all in fad despair she made her moan, Lodona's waters echoed groan for groan. "Ah! faithless COLIN CLOUT! ah, lucklefs I! "And canft thou, cruel! from thy MARIAN fly? "How often haft thou fuck'd my panting breath?' "How often fwore to love me true till death? "But to the Justice I'll reveal my plight, "And with a conftable purfue thy flight. "Ah! how unequal, as our parfon preaches, "Are this world's goods! and fure he rightly teaches; "For what to maidens brings eternal stain, "(Sad management!) gives honour to the fwain. " 'Twas on the blitheft morn of all the year, "When new-born May bids every shepherd chear; “When artful maids their rival fancies thew, "And well-wrought garlands bloom on ev'ry bough; "When gaudy fairs bespangle every street, "And lowing cows the novel pasture greet; "Fresh rofe I, MARIAN hight, from ruftic bed, "The morning dream still hov'ring o'er my head; Gay fhews and fweethearts had employ'd my thought, "The kifs imprinted, and the fairing bought! "And donn'd the funday gown berob'd with red. "Thus all bedight, and ready for the fair, "I fat impatient with a wistful air, Expecting COLIN CLOUT, my perjur'd fwain, "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 fnails 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 fung, he whiftled to the lay, "Sweetly I fung the fong, and fung the day: "What beauteous fcenes began the tuneful tale! "And next I humm'd the fweets of Arno's vale ; "Then MOLLY MOGG, fair damfel of the Rose, "And lovely PEGGY, tafte of London beaux. "And now in view gay Reading strikes our eyes, "And all the dainties of the fair arife: "Here Birmingham its boafted ware displays, "There leather breeches hight, and bodice stays; "Here pofied garters flutter'd in the way, "There painted hobby-horfes feem 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 fhare, "Who fell the foreft, or who mow the mead, "Or drag in little boats the finny breed: K "Her wide-mouth'd fons low-feated Henley fends, "And fmoky Okingham it's tribute lends. "But far did MARIAN all the rest outvie, "No cheek fo ruddy, nor fo 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 ftrove, "Each gave fome chosen emblem of his love; "One queintly bought the garters for my thighs, "While fimple archness sparkled in his eyes. "But all their fairings unfuccefsful prove, "Still true to COLIN CLOUT I held my love. -Ah! fly deceiver! you enclafp'd my arm, "And feem'd my faviour, while you meant my harm; "Far too unequal was the high reward, 66 66 "My maidenhead muft pay thee for thy guard; Already warm'd with joy you win my heart, And ftamp a little COLIN e'er we part. "-Yet now, when nature fills my womb, to fly"Nor yet one tear to iffue from thine eye→ "My flighted love to quick refentment turns ; "Lo my blood rifes, and my cheek all burns! "O I could tear thee as I tear this glove"Go, horrid monfter! I defpife thy love, Thy oaths I quit, thy fairings I refign, Forget, renounce thee, hate whate'er was thine. |