No. XXXVIII.

EDWIN OF THE GREEN.

PARNELL.

IN Britain's ifle, and Arthur's days,
When midnight faeries daunced the maze,
Lived Edwin of the Green;

Edwin, I wis, a gentle youth,

Endow'd with courage, fenfe, and truth,
Though badly shaped he'd been.

His mountain back mote well be faid
To measure heighth against his head,
And lift itself above:

Yet fpite of all that nature did
To make his uncouth form forbid,

This creature dared to love.

He

He felt the charms of Edith's eyes,
Nor wanted hope to gain the prize,
Could ladies look within;

But one Sir Topaz drefs'd with art,
And, if a shape could win a heart,
He had a fhape to win.

Edwin (if right I read my fong,)
With flighted paffion paced along
All in the moony light :
"Twas near an old enchaunted court,
Where sportive faeries made refort,
To revel out the night.

His heart was drear, his hope was crofs'd,
'Twas late, 'twas far, the path was lost
That reach'd the neighbour-town;
With weary fteps he quits the fhades,
Refolved, the darkling dome he treads,
And drops his limbs adown.]

But fcant he lays him on the floor,
When hollow winds remove the door,
And trembling rocks the ground:
And (well I ween, to count aright,)
At once an hundred tapers light
On all the walls around.

Now founding tongues affail his ear,
Now founding feet approachen near,

And

And now the founds increase;
And, from the corner where he lay,
He fees a train profusely gay
Come prankling o'er the place.

But (trust me, Gentles!) never yet
Was dight a masking half so neat,
Or half fo rich before;

The country lent the sweet perfumes,
The fea the pearl, the sky the plumes,
The town its filken ftore.

Now, whilft he gazed, a gallant drefs'd
In flaunting robes above the rest,
With awful accent cried:

"What mortal of a wretched mind, "Whofe fighs infect the balmy wind, "Has here prefumed to hide ?"

At this the fwain, whofe vent'rous foul
No fears of magic art control,

Advanced in open fight:

"Nor have I caufe of dread," he said, "Who view (by no presumption led,) "Your revels of the night.

" "Twas grief, for scorn of faithful love, "Which made my steps unweeting rove

"Tis weil," the gallant cries again,

"We faeries never injure men

"Who dare to tell us true.

"Exalt thy love-dejected heart,
"Be mine the task, or ere we part,

"To make thee grief refign;

"Now take the pleasure of thy chaunce; "Whilft I with Mab, my partner, daunce,

"Be Little Mable thine "

"He spoke, and all a fudden there
Light mufic floats in wanton air;
The Monarch leads the Queen:
The reft their faerie partners found,
And Mable trimly tript the ground
With Edwin of the Green.

The dauncing past, the board was laid,
And fiker fuch a feast was made

As heart and lip defire;
Withouten hands the dishes fly,
The glaffes with a wish come nigh,
And with a wish retire.

But now to please the Faerie King,
Full every deal they laugh and fing,

And

And antick feats devife;

Some wind and tumble like an ape,
And other fome transmute their shape
In Edwin's wondering eyes.

Till one at laft, that Robin hight,
(Renown'd for pinching maids by night,)
Has bent him up aloof;

And full against the beam he flung,
Where by the back the youth he hung,
To spraul unneath the roof,

From thence," Reverse my charm," he cries, "And let it fairly now fuffice,

"The gambol has been shown."

But Oberon anfwers with a fmile,

-" Content thee, Edwin, for a while, "The vantage is thine own."

Here ended all the phantome play:
They fmelt the fresh approach of day,
And heard a cock to crow;

The whirling wind that bore the crowd
Has clapp'd the door, and whiftled loud,
To warn them all to go.

Then screaming all at once, they fly,
And all at once the tapers die;

Poor