Brisk Susan whips her linnen from the rope, While the first drizzling show'r is borne aflope: Such is that sprinkling, which fome careless quean Flirts on you from her mop, but not so clean : Ah! where must needy poet feek for aid, Stays till 'tis fair, yet feems to call a coach. The tuck'd-up femftrefs walks with hasty ftrides, While ftreams run down her oil'd umbrella's fides. 'Twas doubtful which was fea, and which was sky. 2 Garth's Difp. Here various kinds, by various fortunes led, And bear their trophies with them as they go: They, as each torrent drives, with rapid force, From Smithfield or St. 'Pulchre's fhape their courfe, Andin hugeconfluence join'dat Snowhill ridge, Fall from the conduit prone to Holborn-bridge. Sweepings from butchers ftalls, dung, guts, and blood, * Drown'd puppies, ftinking fprats, all drench'd in mud, Dead cats, and turnip-tops, come tumbling down the flood. Now Betty from her master's bed had flown, And foftly stole to discompofe her own : The flipfhod 'prentice from his master's door Had par'd the dirt, and sprinkled round the floor. Now Moll had whirl'd her mop with dextrous airs, Prepar'd to fcrub the entry and the ftairs. The youth * with broomy ftumps began to trace The kennel's edge, where wheels had worn the place. The small-coal man was heard with cadence deep, Till drown'd in fhriller notes of chimneyfweep: Duns at his lordship's gate began to meet ; And brick-duft Moll had fcream'd through half the ftreet. The turnkey now his flock returning fees, Duly let out a-nights to fteal for fees: The watchful bailiffs take their filent ftands, And school-boys lag with fatchels in their hands. * To find old nails. HORACE, Imitated, and Addressed to THE EARL OF OXFORD, HA In the Year 1713 †. 5 ARLEY, the nation's great fupport, 1 Returning home one day from court, (His mind with publick cares poffeft, All Europe's bus'ness in his breast) Obferv'd a parfon near Whitehall Cheap'ning old authors on a stall. The priest was pretty well in case, And fhew'd fome humour in his face; Look'd with an easy, careless mein, A perfect stranger to the spleen; 1. Strenuus et fortis, cauffifque Philippus agendis Clarus, ab officiis octavam circiter boram Dum redit 5. Confpexit, ut aiunt, Adrafum quendam vacuâ tonforis in umbrá * Robert Harley, efq; three times speaker of the house of commons, once in king William's reign, and twice in queen Anne's created baron Harley of Wigmore, earl of Oxford and earl Mortimer, the 24th of April 1711, and lord IO high treasurer of England, on the 29th of the faid month. + In this year the author was made dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin. See an account of his first interview with mr. Harley, in his letter to dr. King, Oct. 10, 1710. Vol. XII. Of . |