Stop, peevish particle, beware! I'm told you are not fuch a bear, But fometimes yield, when offer'd fair. Suffer yon' folks a while to tattle; 'Tis we who must decide the battle. Whene'er we war on yonder ftage With various fate and equal rage, The nation trembles at each blow, That no gives ay, and ay gives no : Yet in expenfive long contention We gain nor office, grant, or pension: Why then shou'd kinsfolks quarrel thus? (For two of you make one of us *.) To fome wife ftatesman let us go, Where each his proper ufe may know: He may admit two fuch commanders, And make thofe wait who ferv'd in Flanders. Let's quarter on a great man's tongue, A treas'ry lord, not master Y---g. Obfequious at his high command Ay fhall march forth to tax the land. Impeachments no can beft refift, And ay fupport the civil lift: Ay quick as Cæfar wins the day; And no, like Fabius, by delay. Sometimes, in mutual fly difguife, Let ay's feem no's, and no's feem I's;

* In English two negatives make an affirmative,

Ay's

>

Ay's be in courts denials meant,
And no's in bishops give confent.

Thus ay propos'd---and for reply No for the firft time anfwer'd I. They parted with a thousand kiffes, And fight e'er fince for pay, like Swiffes.

PHILLIS:

OR, THE

PROGRESS OF LOVE.

D

Written in the Year 1716.

Efponding Phillis was endu’d With ev'ry talent of a prude: She trembled when a man drew near; Salute her, and fhe turn'd her ear; If o'er against her you were plac'd, She durft not look above your waist: She'd rather take you to her bed, Than let you fee her drefs her head: In church you hear her, thro' the crowd, Repeat the abfolution loud;

In church, fecure behind her fan,

She durft behold that monster man;

There

There practis'd how to place her head,
And bit her lips to make them red;
Or, on the mat devoutly kneeling,
Wou'd lift her eyes up to the cieling,
And heave her bofom unaware,
For neighb'ring beaux to fee it bare.
At length a lucky lover came,
And found admittance to the dame.
Suppose all parties now agreed,

The writings drawn, the lawyer fee'd,
The vicar and the ring bespoke:
Guefs, how could fuch a match be broke?
See then what mortals place their bliss in!
Next morn betimes the bride was miffing:
The mother scream'd, the father chid;
Where can this idle wench be hid?

No news of Phil! the bridegroom came,
And thought his bride had fculk'd for shame;
Beause her father us'd to say
The girl had fuch a bashful way..

Now John the butler must be fent
To learn the road that Phillis went.
The groom was wifh'd to faddle Crop;
For John muft neither light, nor ftop,
But find her, wherefoe'er fhe fled,
And bring her back, alive or dead.

See here again the devil to do; For truly John was miffing too:

The

The horse and pillion both were gone!
Phillis, it feems, was fled with John.
Old madam, who went up to find·
What papers Phil had left behind,
A letter on the toilet fees,

To my much honour'd father---these,
('Tis always done, romances tell us,
When daughters run away with fellows)
Fill'd with the choiceft common-places,
By others us'd in the like cafes.

"That long ago a fortune-teller Exactly faid what now befel her; "And in a glafs had made her fee "A ferving-man of low degree. "It was her fate, must be forgiven ; "For marriages were made in heaven : "His pardon begg'd; but, to be plain, "She'd do't, if 'twere to do again: "Thank'd God, 'twas neither fhame nor fin; "For John was come of honeft kin. "Love never thinks of rich and poor: "She'd beg with John from door to door. Forgive her, if it be a crime; "She'll never do't another time. "She ne'er before in all her life "Once disobey'd him, maid nor wife. "One argument fhe fumm'd up all in, "The thing was done, and paft recalling;

« And

"And therefore hop'd she should recover
"His favour, when his paffion's over.
"She valu'd not what others thought her,
"And was---his most obedient daughter."
Fair maidens, all attend the muse,
Who now the wand'ring pair pursues:
Away they rode in homely fort,
Their journey long, their money fhort;
The loving couple well bemir'd;
The horse and both the riders tir'd;
Their victuals bad, their lodging worse;
Phil cry'd, and John began to curse :
Phil wifh'd, that fhe had ftrain'd a limb,
When firft fhe ventur'd out with him;
John wifh'd, that he had broke a leg,
When first for her he quitted Peg.

But what adventures more befel 'em, The mufe hath now no time to tell 'em : How Johnny wheedled, threaten'd, fawn'd, Till Phillis all her trinkets pawn'd: How oft fhe broke her marriage vows In kindness to maintain her spouse, Till fwains unwholesome spoil'd the trade; For now the furgeons must be paid, To whom thofe perquifites are gone, In chriftian juftice due to John.

When food and raiment now grew scarce, Fate put a period to the farce,

And