On

my

WIFE'S BIRTH-DAY.

BALLAD III.

I.

"TIS Nancy's birth-day-raise your strains,

Ye nymphs of the Parnaffian plains,
And fing with more than ufual glee
To Nancy, who was born for me.

II.

Tell the blithe Graces as they bound
Luxuriant in the buxom round;

They're not more elegantly free,
Than Nancy, who was born for me.
II.

Tell royal Venus, tho' fhe rove,
The Queen of the immortal grove;
That the must share her golden fee
With Nancy, who was born for me.

IV.

Tell Pallas, tho' th' Athenian school,.
And ev'ry trite pedantic fool,

On her to place the palm agree,
'Tis Nancy's, who was born for me..

V.

Tell fpotlefs Dian, tho' fhe range,
The regent of the up-land grange,
In chastity the yields to thee,
O, Nancy, who wast born for me..

VI.

Tell Cupid, Hymen, and tell Jove,
With all the pow'rs of life and love,
That I'd difdain to breathe or be,

If Nancy was not born for me.

My

The DECISION.

BALLAD IV.

I.

Y Florio, wildeft of his fex, (Who fure the verieft faint wou'd vex).

From beauty roves to beauty;

Yet, tho' abroad the wanton roam,
Whene'er he deigns to stay at home,
He always minds his duty.

II.

Something to every charming fhe,
In thoughtless prodigality,

He's granting ftill and granting,.
To Phyllis that, to Cloe this,.
And every madam, every miss;
Yet I find nothing wanting..

III.

If haply I his will displease,
Tempestuous as th' autumnal feas

He foams and rages ever;

But

But when he ceases from his ire,

I cry, fuch spirit, and fuch fire,
Is furely wond'rous clever.

IV..

I ne'er want reafon to complain;
But fweet is pleasure after pain,

And every joy grows greater.
Then trust me, damfels, whilft I tell,
Ifhould not like him half fo well,
If I cou'd make him better.

Tho TALKATIVE FAIR.

BALLAD V.

I.

FROM morn to night, from day to day

At all times and at every place,

You fcold, repeat, and fing, and say,
Nor are there hopes you'll ever cease.

Forbear, my Celia, oh! forbear,
If your own health, or ours you prize
For all mankind that hear you, fwear
Your tongue's more killing han your yes.

III.

Your tongue's a traitor to your face,
Your fame's by your own noife obfcur'd,
All are distracted while they gaze;

But if they liften, they are cur'd.

IV.

Your filence wou'd acquire more praise,.
Than all you fay, or all I write ;
One look ten thousand charms displays;
Then hufh--and be an angel quite.

FROM all her fair loquacious kind,

So different is my Rofalind,

That not one accent can I gain

To crown my hopes, or footh my pain.

II.

Ye lovers, who can conftrue fighs,
And are the interpreters of eyes,
To language all her looks tranflate,
And in her geftures read my fate.
III.

And if in them you chance to find
Aught that is gentle, aught that's kind,

Adieu mean hopes of being great,.

And all the littlenefs of ftate..

IV.

All thoughts of grandeur I'll defpife,
Which from dependence take their rife;
To ferve her fhall be my employ,.
And love's fweet agony my joy.

The FORCE of INNOCENCE.

To Mifs C

BALLAD VII,

I.

THE blooming damfel, whose defence

Is adamantine innocence,

Requires no guardian to attend.

Her fteps, for modefty's her friend:
Tho' her fair arms are weak to wield
The glitt'ring fpcar, and maffy shield;
Yet fafe from force and fraud combin'd,
She is an Amazon in mind.

II.

With this artillery fhe goes,

Not only 'mongst the harmless beaux:
But e'en unhurt and undismay'd,

Views the long fword and fierce cockade,

Tho'