Of fome great king and conqueror's death, Stays but to catch his utmost breath. I grieve, this nobler work moft happily begun, Which still the fooner it arrives, And by one mighty hero carried to its height, It loft fome mighty pieces through all hands it paft, Nor e'er call back again), The body, though gigantic, lies all cold and dead. XII. And thus undoubtedly 'twill fare, Shall (I forefee it) foon with Gothic fwarms come forth And with blind rage break all this peaceful government: Yet fhall these traces of your wit remain, Like a just map, to tell the vast extent Of conqueft in your short and happy reign; How ftrange a paradox is true, That men who liv'd and dy'd without a name Are the chief heroes in the facred lift of Fame. Written in a Lady's Ivory Table-book, 1699. ERUSE my leaves through every part, PERUS And think thou seest my owner's heart, Ia In power of fpittle and a clout, ; He's a gold pencil tipp'd with lead. MRS. HARRIS'S PETITION. то 1699. O their Excellencies the Lords Juftices of Ireland*,. the humble petition of Frances Harris, Who must starve, and die a maid, if it mifcarries; Humbly fheweth, That I went to warm myself in lady Betty's + chamber, because I was cold; And I had in a purse feven pounds, four fhillings, and fix pence, befides farthings, in money and gold: So, because I had been buying things for my Lady laft night, I was refolved to tell my money, to fee if it was right. *The earls of Berkeley and of Galway. Νόιν, Now, you must know, because my trunk has a very bad lock, Therefore all the money I have, which, God knows, is a very small stock, I keep in my pocket, ty'd about my middle, next to my fmock. So when I went to put up my purse, as God would have it, my fmock was unript, And, inftead of putting it into my pocket, down it flipt; Then the bell rung, and I went down to put my Lady to bed; And, God knows, I thought my money was as fafe as my maidenhead. So, when I came up again, I found my pocket feel very light: But when I fearch'd, and mifs'd my purfe, Lord! I thought I fhould have funk outright. Lord! Madam, fays Mary, how d'ye do? Indeed, fays I, never worfe : But pray, Mary, can you tell what I have done with my purfe? Lord help me! faid Mary, I never flirr'd out of this place: Nay, faid I, I had it in Lady Betty's chamber, that 's a plain cafe. So Mary got me to bed, and cover'd me up warm : However, fhe ftole away my garters, that I might do myfelf no harm. So I tumbled and tofs'd all night, as you may very well think, But hardly ever fet my eyes together, or slept a wink. So So I was a-dream'd, methought, that we went and fearch'd the folks round, And in a corner of Mrs. Dukes's * box, ty'd in a rag, the money was found. So next morning we told Whittle t, and he fell afwearing: Then my dame Wadgar ‡ came; and fhe, you know, is thick of hearing. Dame, said I, as loud as I could bawl, do you know what a lofs I have had ? Nay, faid fhe, my lord Colway's § folks are all very fad; For my Lord Dromedary || comes a Tuesday without fail. Pugh! said I, but that's not the business that I ail. Says Cary**, fays he, I have been a fervant this five and twenty years, come spring, And in all the places I liv'd I never heard of fuch a thing. Yes, fays the fteward ++, I remember, when I was at my Lady Shrewsbury's, Such a thing as this happen'd just about the time of goofeberries. *Wife to one of the footmen. + Earl of Berkeley's valet. The old deaf housekeeper. Galway. The earl of Drogheda, who with the primate was to fucceed the two earls. **Clerk of the kitchen. ++ Ferris. |