nymphs and ye fhepherds that join in this throng,
7tarry a while, and attend to my fong:
ftory, tho' fimple, is true that I tell;
pe it will please you all wonderful well.
ent, t'other day, to a wake on the green,
met with a lafs fair as beauty's gay queen;
k'd for a kifs, but the damfel cry'd no;
Aftruggled and frown'd, and said, pray let me go.
nderly cry'd, Phillis, don't be a prude;

fill, the return'd, I'll cry out if you're rude :
: more that I prefs'd her, the more she cry'd no,
i ftruggled and frown'd, and faid, pray let me go.
und no intreaties would make her comply;
enever I touch'd her 'twas fye, Collin, fye.

157

So I fent for a parfon, and made her my wife,
And now I am welco ne to kifs her for life.
Ye virgins that hear, leara example from this,
Take care how too freely you part with a kifs;
Conceal for a time all the favours you can,[man.
For that's the best way to make fure of your
147-

PHILIRA's charms poor Damon took ;
How eager he for billing!
When lo! the nymph the fwain forfook,
To fhew her pow'r of killing:

In either eye the sheath'd a dart,
He felt it never doubt him:
Odzooks! a man were thro' the heart,
Ere he could look about him.

But mark the end-with fcythe fo fharp
Time o'er the forehead ftruck her;
And all her charms began to warp
Then the was in a pucker:
She then began to rave and curfe,

Her time the pass'd no better;
Yet still had hopes, ere bad grew worse,
Some comely fwain might get her.
Philira, ev'ry lad the meets,

Now makes an am'rous trial;

But each with fcorn her warmness treats;
Each frowns in cold denial.

Coquets, take warning; change your tune;
This woeful cafe remember:
The bed fellow you flight in June,
You'll with for in December.

148
COME, dear Amanda, quit the town,
And to the rural hamlets ply;
Behod the winter ftorms are gone,

A gentle radiance glads the fky.
The birds awake, the flow'rs appear,
Each spreads a verdant couch for thee;
'Tis joy and mufic all we hear,

"Tis love and beauty all we fee.

Come let us mark the gradual spring,
How peep the buds, the bloffom blows,
Till Philome! begins to fing,

And perfect May to fpread the rofe,
Let us fecure the short delight,

And wifely crop the blooming day; For foon, too foon, it will be night; Arife, my love, and come away.

149

ATTEND all ye fhepherds and nymphs to my lay
You may learn from my tale, and go wifer away:
A damfel once dwelt at the foot of the hill,
Well known by the name of the Maid of the Mill.
In her all the graces had jointly combin'd

Her face to improve, and embellish her nind
Nor pride or deceit e'er her bofom did fill-;..
'Twas nature alone in the Maid of the Mill.
The lord of the village beheld the fweet maid:
Each art to fubdue her was prefently laid;
With gold he endeavour'd to tempt her to ill,
But nought could prevail with the Maid of the Mill.
Her virtue the priz'd beyond fplendor and state;
Tho' poor, yet the never repin'd at her fare;
His proffers the flighted-in vain all his skill
To ruin the fame of the Maid of the Mill,
Young Collin addrefs'd her with hope and with fear,
His heart was right honest, his love was fincere;

With rapture his bofom each moment would thrill,

Of beauty is blefs'd with fo ample a share.
That men call her the lafs with the delicate air.
One ev'ning laft May when I travers'd the grove,
In thought:efs retirement, not dreaming of love,
I chanc'd to efpy the gay nymph, I declare,
And really fhe'd got a moft delicate air.

When'er he beheld his dear Maid of the Mill.
His paffion was founded in honour and truth-
The girl read his heart, & of courfe lov'd the youth;
At church little Patty foon anfwer'd, "I will.”
His lordship was bau k'd of the Maid of the Mill
What happiness waits on the chafte nuptial pair!
Content, they are rangers to forow and care!
The flame they fift rais'd in each other, burns ftill,
And Collin is blefs'd with the Maid of the Mill.
150

YOUNG Molly, who lives at the foot of the hill,
And whofe fame ev'ry virgin with envy docs fill,

By a murmuring brook, by a green moffy bed,
A chaplet compofing, the fair-one was laid:
Surpriz'd and tranfported, I could not forbear

With raptures to gaze on her delicate air.
That moment young Cupid selected a darty
And pierc'd, without pity, my innocent heart:
And from thence, how to win the dear maid was n
For a captive I fell to her delicate air. [card

As fhe faw me, the blufh'd, & complain'd I was ru
And begg'd of all things that I would not intrude
I anfwer'd, I could not tell how I came there,
But laid all the blame on her delicate air; [mai
Said her heart was the prize which I fought too
And hop'd the whold grant it to eafe my fond pain
She neither rejected, nor granted my pray'r,
But fir'd all my foul with her delicate air.
A thousand times o'er I've repeated my fuit;
But still the tormenter affects to be mute:
Then tell me, ye fwains, who have conquer'd
How to win the dear lafs with the delicate air.
ISI
WHILE fervile feriblers take the pen,

lo flatter fome great ruling men,

In hopes to get a dinner;
Not fo the bard who now invokes
The nine. ano fuch celestial folks,

In praife of Betfy Skinner.

Before my tongue thould frame a lye,
For wealth, or tame, I'd fooner die,
An unforgiven finner;

If truth direct me on my way,
Do thou approve my feeble lay,
Oh charming Betfy Skinner,

Th

Though Stella boasts a sparkling eye,
And Flavia's cheek a crimson dye,
A fhape and air, Corinna;

No more thofe fading charms fhall fhine
At court, when once compar'd with thine,
Oh lovely Betfy Skinner.

An angel's heav'nly form we find,
With reafon, fenfe, and wisdom join'd,
Such beauties dwell within her;
That Venus, though the fairest the,
Enrag'd fhould feek her native fea,
At fight of Betfy Skinner.
f happiness can be exprefs'd
n wedlock, bow fupremely blefs'd
The youth that's doom'd to win her;
le need not envy kings, who wear
The diadem of pain an care,
Poffefs'd of Betfy Skinner.

153

More lovely to fight are her looks, and more sweet
Is the fragrance hat dwells on the lips of my Kate.
Hush hush ye vain warblers no more croud the spray
Nor think to delight with your love liven'd lay;
With fuccefs each may tune a fhrill note to his mate,
But your notes are all barth to the voice of my Kate.
As the fits on the banks by the fide of the ftream,
The fish, without fear, feed & play by the bim;
And why thould they not? they can think no deceit,
Such truth is confeft in the looks of my Kate.
The fhepherds bring pofies of flow'rs: but the maid
Cries, thefe are but emblems that I too muft fade:
But myrtles I'll bring, and in their happy date,
Shew the unfading charms of the mind of my Kate.
154

DEAREST

Kitty, kind and fair,

Tell me when,, and tell me where,
Tell thy fond and faithful fwain.
When we thus fhall meet again?
When fhall Strephen fondly fee
Beauties only found in thee?
Kifs thee, preis thee, toy and play,
All the happy live long day?
Dearest Kitty! kind and fair,
Tell me when, and tell me where ?
All the happy day, 'tis true,
Bleis'd, but only when with you;
Nightly Strephon fings alone,
Sighs till Hymen makes us one.
Tell me then, and ease my pain,
Tell thy fond and faithful swain,
When the priest shall kindly join

AT Windfor, where Thames glides fo foftly along, Kitty's trembling hand to mine?

ives the with of my heart, the dear girl of my fong;
ler name all the day I with rapture repeat,
nd am bleft when the shepherds but talk of my Kate,
Then my fair-one is by, the whole village is gay,
r 'tis the, not the fun, that enlivens the day;
he lads are all happy when round her they wait,
nd the laffes learn beauty by watching my Kate.
Then I join the pale lily or blufhpainted rofe [pofe
ad with pinks & fweet woobdines a garland com-

Deareft Kitty! kind and fair,
Tell me when I care not where.

755

IN vain, dear Chloe, you fuggeft,
That I, unconftant, have poffefs'd,

Or lov'd a fairer the.
If that at once, you would be cur'd.
Of all the pains you've long endur'd,
Confult your glass and me.

P 2