Toast church and queen, explain the news, * A TALE OF CHAUCER, Lately found in an Old Manufcript. WOMEN, though nat sans leacherie, swinken but with secrecie : This in our tale is plain y-fond, To filch the gray ducke fro the lake. But, But, as he gloz'd with speeches foote, The ducke fore tickleth his erse roote: Fore-piece and buttons all to-breft, Forth thrust a white neck and red creft. Te-he, cry'd ladies; clerke nought spake; Miss star'd; and gray ducke crieth quaake. “O moder, moder, (quoth the daughter) " Be thilke same thing maids longen a'ter? " Bette is to pyne on coals and chalke, "Then truston mon, whose yerde can talke. IN * THE ALLEY. An Imitation of SPENCER. I. N ev'ry town where Thamis rolls his tide A narrow pass there is, with houses low; Where ever and anon the stream is ey'd, And many a boat soft fliding to and fro : There oft' are heard the notes of infant woe, The short thick fob, loud scream, and shriller fquall: How can ye, mothers, vex your children so? Some play, fome eat, fome cack againft the wall, And, as they crouchen low, for bread and butter call. 2 II. And II. And on the broken pavement here and there 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 shrill, and scolding oft between; Scolds answer foul-mouth'd scolds; bad neighbourhood, I ween. III. The snappish cur (the passengers annoy) Close at my heel with yelping treble flies; The whimp'ring girl and hoarfer-fcreaming boy Join to the yelping treble shrilling cries; The scolding quean to louder notes doth rife, And her full pipes those shrilling cries con found; To her full pipes the grunting hog replies; The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round, And curs, girls, boys, and scolds, in the deep base are drown'd. IV. IV. Hard by a sty, beneath a roof of thatch, Dwelt Obloquy, who in her early days Baskets of fish at Billingsgate did watch, Cod, whiting, oyster, mackrel, sprat, or plaice: There learn'd she speech from tongues that never ceafe. Slander beside her, like a magpye chatters, With Envy (spitting 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'shand, Her mouth was black as bull-dogs at the stall: She scratched, bit, and spar'd ne lace ne band; And bitch and rogue her answer was to all; Nay, e'en the parts of shame by name wou'd call. Whene'er she passed by a lane or nook, Wou'd greet the man who turn'd him to the wall, And by his hand obscene the porter took, Nor ever did askance like modeft virgin look. VI. Such F VI. Such place hath Deptford, navy-building town; Woolwich and Wapping, smelling strong of pitch: SuchLambeth, envy of each band and gown; And Twick'nam fuch, which fairer scenes enrich, Grots, statues, urns, and Jo--n's dog and bitch: Ne village is without, on either fide, ey'd Vales, spires, meandring streams, and Windfor's tow'ry pride. * THE CAPON'S TALE, To a Lady who father'd her Lampoons upon her Acquaintance. IN Yorkshire dwelt a fober yeoman, Whose wife, a clean, pains-taking wo man, Fed num'rous poultry in her pens, I A hen |