II.

And on the broken pavement here and there
Doth many a stinking fprat and herring lie;
A brandy and tobacco-shop is near,
And hens, and dogs, and hogs, are feeding
by;

And here a failor's jacket hangs to dry; At ev'ry door are fun-burnt matrons feen, Mending old nets to catch the scaly fry; Now finging fhrill,and fcolding oft between; Scolds anfwer foul-mouth'd fcolds; bad neighbourhood, I ween.

III.

The fnappifh cur (the paffengers annoy) Close at my heel with yelping treble flies; The whimp'ring girl and hoarfer-fcreaming boy

Join to the yelping treble fhrilling cries; The fcolding quean to louder notes doth rife,

And her full pipes thofe fhrilling cries confound;

To her full pipes the grunting hog replies; The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round,

And curs, girls, boys, and fcolds, in the deep base are drown'd.

IV.

IV.

Hard by a fty, beneath a roof of thatch, Dwelt Obloquy, who in her early days Baskets of fish at Billing/gate did watch, Cod, whiting, oyfter, mackrel, fprat, or plaice :

There learn'd fhe fpeech from tongues that never ceafe.

Slander beside her, like a magpye chatters, With Envy (fpitting cat) dread foe to peace; Like a curs'd cur, Malice before her clatters, And, vexing ev'ry wight, tears cloaths and all to tatters.

V.

Her dugswere mark'd by ev'ry collier's hand, Her mouth was black as bull-dogs at the

ftall:

She scratched, bit, and fpar'd ne lace ne band;

And bitch and rogue her anfwer was to all; Nay, e'en the parts of fhame by name wou'd call.

Whene'er the paffed by a lane or nook, Wou'd greet the man who turn'd him to the wall,

And by his hand obfcene the porter took, Norever did afkance like modeft virgin look. VI. Such

F

VI.

Such place hath Deptford, navy-building

town;

Woolwich and Wapping, fmelling ftrong of pitch:

Such Lambeth, envy of each band and gown; And Twick'nam fuch, which fairer scenes enrich,

Grots, ftatues, urns, and Jo--n's dog and bitch:

Ne village is without, on either fide,

All

up the filver Thames, or all a-down; Ne Richmond's felf, from whose tall front are ey'd

Vales, fpires, meandring ftreams, and Windfor's tow'ry pride. `

* THE CAPON's TALE,

To a Lady who father'd her Lampoons upon her Acquaintance.

IN

N Yorkshire dwelt a fober yeoman,
Whofe wife, a clean, pains-taking wo-

man,

Fed num'rous poultry in her pens,

And faw her cocks well ferve her hens.

I

A hen

A hen fhe had, whofe tuneful clocks Drew after her a train of cocks; With eyes fo piercing, yet fo pleafant, You wou'd have fworn this hen a pheasant. All the plum'd beau-monde round her ga

thers;

Lord! what a brustling up of feathers! Morning from noon there was no knowing, There was fuch flutt'ring, chuckling, crowing:

Each forward bird muft thruft his head in,
And not a cock but wou'd be treading.
Yet tender was this hen fo fair,

And hatch'd more chicks than fhe could rear.
Our prudent dame bethought her then
Of fome dry-nurse to fave her hen :
She made a capon drunk; in fine
He eat the fopps, fhe fipp'd the wine;
His rump well pluck'd with nettles ftings,
And claps the brood beneath his wings.
The feather'd dupe awakes content,
O'erjoy'd to fee what God had fent;
Thinks he's the hen, clocks, keeps a pother,
A foolish fofter-father-mother.

Such, lady Mary, are your tricks;

But fince you hatch, pray own your chicks; You fhou'd be better skill'd in nocks,

Nor like

your capons ferve your cocks.

F 2

VERSES

Written in a Lady's Ivory Table-Book.

PERUSE

ERUSE my leaves through ev'ry part, And think thou fee'ft my owner's heart, Scrawl'd o'er with trifles thus, and quite As hard, as fenfelefs, and as light; Expos'd to ev'ry coxcomb's eyes, But hid with caution from the wife. Here you may read, dear charming faint; Beneath, a new receipt for paint : Here in beau-fpelling, tru tel deth; There in her own, far an el breth: Here, lovely nymph, pronounce my doom : There, a fafe way to use perfume: Here a page fill'd with billet-doux; On t'other fide, laid out for fhoes ; Madam, I die without your grace ; Item, for half a yard of lace. Who that had wit wou'd place it here For ev'ry peeping fop to jeer? In pow'r of spittle, and a clout, Whene'er he please, to blot it out; And then, to heighten the disgrace, Clap his own nonfenfe in the place. Whoe'er expects to hold his part In fuch a book, and fuch a heart,