If you, Fair Sister, ratifie the Accord,
And take him for your Husband, and your
Lord.

'Tis no Dishonour to confer your Grace
On one descended from a Royal Race: 1130
And were he less, yet Years of Service
past

From grateful Souls exact Reward at last: Pity is Heav'n's and yours; Nor can she find

A Throne so soft as in a Womans Mind.
He said; she blush'd; and as o'eraw'd by
Might,

Seem'd to give Theseus what she gave the
Knight.

Then turning to the Theban, thus he said: Small Arguments are needful to persuade Your Temper to comply with my Command;

And speaking thus, he gave Emilia's Hand.

Obtain the Conquest, though he lost the Fight,

And bless'd with Nuptial Bliss the sweet, laborious Night.

Eros, and Anteros, on either Side,
One fir'd the Bridegroom, and one warm'd
the Bride;

And long-attending Hymen from above
Showr'd on the Bed the whole Idalian Grove.
All of a Tenour was their After-Life,
No Day discolour'd with Domestick Strife;
No Jealousie, but mutual Truth believ'd,
Secure Repose, and Kindness undeceiv'd.
Thus Heavn, beyond the Compass of his
Thought,
1152

Sent him the Blessing he so dearly bought.
So may the Queen of Love long Duty bless,
And all true Lovers find the same Success.

Yore,

A Widow, somewhat old, and very poor:
Deep in a Cell her Cottage lonely stood,
Well thatch'd, and under covert of a Wood.
This Dowager, on whom my Tale I found,
Since last she laid her Husband in the
Ground,

A simple sober Life in patience led,
And had but just enough to buy her Bread:
But Huswifing the little Heav'n had lent,
She duly paid a Groat for Quarter-Rent; 10
And pinch'd her Belly, with her Daughters
two,

To bring the Year about with much ado.
The Cattel in her Homestead were three
Sows,

An Ewe called Mally, and three brinded Cows.

1128 Lord.] Some editors print Lord, The full stop of the original seems right.

THE COCK AND THE FOX. Text from the original and only contemporary edition, 1700. There are some very false stops in the original.

Ground.

A Maple-Dresser in her Hall she had,
On which full many a slender Meal she made:
For no delicious Morsel pass'd her Throat;
According to her Cloth she cut her Coat: 20
No paynant Sawce she knew, no costly Treat,
Her Hunger gave a Relish to her Meat:
A sparing Diet did her Health assure;
Or sick, a Pepper-Posset was her Cure.
Before the Day was done, her Work she sped,
And never went by Candle-light to Bed;
With Exercise she sweat ill Humors out;
Her Dancing was not hinder'd by the Gout.
Her Poverty was glad; her Heart content,
Nor knew she what the Spleen or Vapors

III

Or in a loathsom Dungeon end my Life. Know, Dame, I dreamt within my troubl'd)

Breast,

That in our Yard I saw a murd'rous Beast, That on my Body would have made Arrest.! With waking Eyes I ne'er beheld his Fellow, His Colour was betwixt a Red and Yellow: Tipp'd was his Tail, and both his pricking Ears

With black; and much unlike his other Hairs:

The rest, in Shape a Beagle's Whelp throughout,

120 With broader Forehead, and a sharper Snout: Deep in his Front were sunk his glowing Eyes,

That yet, methinks, I see him with Surprize. Reach out your Hand, I drop with clammy Sweat,

And lay it to my Heart, and feel it beat. Now fy for Shame, quoth she, by Heav'n above,

Thou hast for ever lost thy Ladies Love.
No Woman can endure a Recreant Knight,
He must be bold by Day, and free by Night:
Our Sex desires a Husband or a Friend, 130
Who can our Honour and his own defend;
Wise, Hardy, Secret, lib'ral of his Purse;
A Fool is nauseous, but a Coward worse:
No bragging Coxcomb, yet no baffled Knight.
How dar'st thou talk of Love, and dar'st not
Fight?

How dar'st thou tell thy Dame thou art affer'd?

Hast thou no manly Heart, and hasta Beard? If ought from fearful Dreams may be divin'd,

They signify a Cock of Dunghill-kind.
All Dreams, as in old Gallen I have read, 140
Are from Repletion and Complexion bred;
From rising Fumes of indigested Food,
And noxious Humors that infect the Blood:
And sure, my Lord, if I can read aright,
These foolish Fancies you have had to Night
Are certain Symptoms (in the canting Style)
Of boiling Choler and abounding Bile:
This yellow Gaul that in your Stomach floats,
Ingenders all these visionary Thoughts.

119 With] Warton and others wrongly give Were

bred 150 Of Flames, and all the Family of Red; Red Dragons, and red Beasts in Sleep we view;

For Humors are distinguish'd by their Hue. From hence we Dream of Wars and Warlike Things,

And Wasps and Hornets with their double Wings.

Choler adust congeals our Blood with fear; Then black Bulls toss us, and black Devils

tear.

Two Soveraign Herbs, which I by practise know,

Are both at hand (for in our Yard they grow ;)

On Peril of my Soul shall rid you wholly
Of yellow Choler, and of Melancholy:
You must both Purge, and Vomit; but obey,
And for the Love of Heav'n make no delay.
Since hot and dry in your Complexion join,
Beware the Sun when in a vernal Sign;
For when he mounts exalted in the Ram,
If then he finds your Body in a Flame, 180
Replete with Choler, I dare lay a Groat,
A Tertian Ague is at least your Lot.
Perhaps a Fever (which the Gods forefend)
May bring your Youth to some untimely End.
And therefore, Sir, as you desire to live,
A Day or two before your Laxative,
Take just three Worms, nor under nor above,
Because the Gods unequal Numbers love,
These Digestives prepare you for your Purge,
Of Fumetery, Centaury, and Spurge,

187 under] over 1700. A slip of the pen.

And of Ground-Ivy add a Leaf, or two,
All which within our Yard or Garden grow.
Eat these, and be, my Lord, of better Cheer;
Your Father's Son was never born to fear.
Madam, quoth he, Grammercy for your
Care,

But Cato, whom you quoted, you may spare
'Tis true, a wise, and worthy Man he seems,
And (as you say) gave no belief to Dreams:
But other Men of more Authority,
And, by th' Immortal Powers as wise as He,
Maintain, with sounder Sense, that Dreams
forebode;

201

For Homer plainly says they come from God. Nor Cato said it: But some modern Fool Impos'd in Cato's Name on Boys at School. Believe me, Madam, Morning Dreams foreshow

Th' Events of Things, and future Weal or Woe:

Some Truths are not by Reason to be try'd, But we have sure Experience for our Guide. An ancient Author, equal with the best, Relates this Tale of Dreams among the rest. Two Friends, or Brothers, with devout Intent, 211

On some far Pilgrimage together went.
It happen'd so that, when the Sun was down,
They just arriv'd by twilight at a Town;
That Day had been the baiting of a Bull,
'Twas at a Feast, and ev'ry Inn so full,
That no void Room in Chamber, or on
Ground,

And but one sorry Bed was to be found,
And that so little it would hold but one,
Though till this Hour they never lay alone.
So were they forc'd to part; one stay'd
behind,

221

At last he found a Stall where Oxen stood,
And that he rather chose than lie abroad.
'Twas in a farther Yard without a Door;
But, for his ease, well litter'd was the Floor.
His Fellow, who the narrow Bed had kept,
Was weary, and without a Rocker slept :
Supine he snor'd; but in the Dead of Night,
He dreamt his Friend appear'd before his
Sight,
230
Who, with a ghastly Look and doleful Cry,
Said, Help me, Brother, or this Night I die:
Arise, and help, before all Help be vain,
Or in an Oxes Stall I shall be slain.

So thinking chang'd his Side, and closed his Eyes.

His Dream returns; his Friend appears, again :

240

The Murd' rers come, now help, or I am slain :

'Twas but a Vision still, and Visions are, but vain.

He dreamt the third: But now his Friend appear'd,

Pale, naked, pierc'd with Wounds, with Blood besmear'd:

Thrice warn'd, awake, said he ; Relief is late, The Deed is done; but thou revenge my Fate:

Tardy of Aid, unseal thy heavy Eyes,
Awake, and with the dawning Day arise:
Take to the Western Gate thy ready wav,
For by that Passage they my Corps convey:
My Corps is in a Tumbril laid; among 251
The Filth and Ordure, and enclos'd with
Dung.

That Cart arrest, and raise a common Cry,
For sacred hunger of my Gold I die;
Then show'd his grisly Wounds; and last
he drew

A piteous Sigh; and took a long Adieu.

The frighted Friend arose by break of Day, And found the Stall where late his Fellow lay. Then of his impious Host inquiring more, Was answer'd that his Guest was gone before:

260

Muttring, he went, said he, by Morning-light, And much complain'd of his ill Rest by Night.

This rais'd Suspicion in the Pilgrim's Mind;' Because all Hosts are of an evil Kind, And oft, to share the Spoil, with Robbers join'd.

His Dream confirm'd his Thought: with troubled look

Straight to the Western-Gate his Way he took ;

There, as his Dream foretold, a Cart he found, That carry'd Composs forth to dung the Ground.

This when the Pilgrim saw, he stretch'd his Throat,

270 And cry'd out Murther with a yelling Note. My murther'd Fellow in this Cart lies dead, Vengeance and Justice on the Villain's Head.

You, Magistrates, who sacred Laws dispense, On you I call to punish this Offence.

The Word thus giv'n, within a little Space The Mob came roaring out, and throng'd the Place.

All in a trice they cast the Cart to Ground,) And in the Dung the murther'd Body found; Though breathless, warm, and reeking from the Wound.

280

Good Heav'n, whose darling Attribute we find

Is boundless Grace, and Mercy to Mankind, Abhors the Cruel; and the Deeds of Night By wond'rous Ways reveals in open Light: Murther may pass unpunish'd for a time, But tardy Justice will o'ertake the Crime And oft a speedier pain the Guilty feels, The Hue and Cry of Heav'n pursues him at the Heels,

Fresh from the Fact; as in the present Case; The Criminals are seiz'd upon the Place: 290 Carter and Host confronted Face to Face.. Stiff in denial, as the Law appoints,

On Engins they distend their tortur'd Joints:

So was confession forc'd, th' Offence was known,

And publick Justice on th' Offenders done. Here may you see that Visions are to dread:

And in the Page that follows this I read Of two young Merchants, whom the hope of Gain

Induc'd in Partnership to cross the Main : Waiting till willing Winds their Sails) supply'd, 300 Within a Trading-Town they long abide, Full fairly situate on a Haven's side.

One Evening it befel that looking out, The Wind they long had wish'd was come about:

Well pleas'd they went to Rest; and if the Gale

Till Morn continu'd, both resolv'd to sail.

279 found] bound 1700. This must be a misprint.

But as together in a Bed they lay,
The younger had a Dream at break of Day.
A Man, he thought, stood frowning at his
side,
309

Who warn'd him for his Safety to provide,
Not put to Sea, but safe on Shore abide.
I come, thy Genius, to command thy stay;
Trust not the Winds, for fatal is the Day,
And Death unhop'd attends the watry way.
The Vision said: And vanish'd from his
Sight;

The Dreamer waken'd in a mortal Fright; Then pull'd his drowzy Neighbour, and declar'd

What in his Slumber he had seen, and heard. His Friend smil'd scornful, and, with proud contempt,

Rejects as idle what his Fellow dreamt. 320 Stay, who will stay: For me no Fears restrain,

Who follow Mercury the God of Gain:
Let each Man do as to his Fancy seems,
I wait not, I, till you have better Dreams.
Dreams are but Interludes, which Fancy
makes ;

When Monarch-Reason sleeps, this Mimick

wakes:

Compounds a Medley of disjointed Things, A Mob of Coblers and a Court of Kings: Light Fumes are merry, grosser Fumes are sad;

Both are the reasonable Soul run mad: 330 And many monstrous Forms in Sleep we

see,

That neither were, nor are, nor e'er can be. Sometimes, forgotten Things long cast behind

Rush forward in the Brain, and come to mind.

The Nurses Legends are for Truths receiv'd, And the Man dreams but what the Boy believ'd.

Sometimes we but rehearse a former Play, The Night restores our Actions done by Day;

As Hounds in sleep will open for their Prey., In short, the Farce of Dreams is of a piece, Chimera's all; and more absurd, or less. 341 You, who believe in Tales, abide alone, What e'er I get this Voyage is my own.

Thus while he spoke he heard the shouting Crew

That call'd aboard and took his last adieu.