In peaked hoods and mantles tarnish'd,

Sour vifages, enough to scare ye,

High Dames of Honour once, that garnish'd The drawing-room of fierce Queen Mary!

The Peerefs comes: The Audience ftare, And doff their hats with due fubmiffion

She courtfies, as fhe takes his chair, To all the People of condition.

The Bard with many an artful fib, Had in imagination fenc'd him,

Difprov'd the arguments of Squib,

And all that Groom could urge against him,

Groom of the Chambers. § The Steward.

But foon his rhetorick forfook him, When he the folemn hall had seen ;

A fudden fit of ague shook him, He flood as mute as poor || Macleane.

Yet fomething he was heard to mutter, "How in the park beneath an old-tree << (Without defign to hurt the butter, "Or any malice to the poultry,)

;

"He once or twice had penn'd a fonnet "Yet hop'd, that he might fave his bacon :

"Numbers would give their oaths upon it, "He ne'er was for a conj'rer taken."

The

A famous highwayman hang'd the week before.

The ghoftly Prudes, with hagged face,
Already had condemn'd the finner.

My Lady rofe, and with a grace
She fmil'd, and bid him come to dinner.

Jefu-Maria! Madam Bridget,

Why, what can the Viscountess mean (Cry'd the fquare hoods in woeful fidget) "The times are alter'd quite and clean!

66

<< Decorum's turn'd to mere civility; "Her air and all her manners fhew it.

"Condemn'd me to her affability!

Speak to a Commoner and Poet !"

[Here 500 Stanzas are loft.]

And

And fo, God fave our noble King,

And guard us from long-winded Lubbers,

That to eternity would fing,

And keep my Lady from her Rubbers,

HYMN