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Fair Hebe

My lyre I tune, my voice I raise;

But with my numbers mix my sighs:
And while I sing Euphelia's praise,

I fix my soul on Chloe's eyes.

Fair Chloe blushed: Euphelia frowned:

I sung, and gazed: I played, and trembled:
And Venus to the Loves around

Remarked, how ill we all dissembled.

721

Matthew Prior ]1664-1721]

PIOUS SELINDA

Prous Selinda goes to prayers,
If I but ask her favor;
And yet the silly fool's in tears
If she believes I'll leave her;
Would I were free from this restraint,
Or else had hopes to win her:
Would she could make of me a saint,

Or I of her a sinner.

William Congreve [1670-1729]

FAIR HEBE

FAIR Hebe I left, with a cautious design

To escape from her charms, and to drown them in wine,

I tried it; but found, when I came to depart,

The wine in my head, and still love in my heart.

I repaired to my Reason, entreated her aid;

Who paused on my case and each circumstance weighed,
Then gravely pronounced, in return to my prayer,
That "Hebe was fairest of all that was fair!"

"That's a truth," replied I, "I've no need to be taught; I came for your counsel to find out a fault."

"If that's all," quoth Reason, "return as you came; To find fault with Hebe, would forfeit my name."

1722

What hopes then, alas! of relief from my pain,

While, like lightning, she darts through each throbbing vein? My Senses surprised, in her favor took arms;

And Reason confirms me a slave to her charms..

John West [1693–1766]

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And yet it grieves my heart
So soon from her to part:

Death strike me with his dart! }

Phillada flouts me.

Thou shalt eat crudded cream

All the year lasting,

And drink the crystal stream

Pleasant in tasting;

Whig and whey whilst thou lust,
And bramble-berries,
Pie-lid and pastry-crust,

Pears, plums, and cherries.

Thy raiment shall be thin,

Made of a weevil's skin-
Yet all's not worth a pin!
Phillada flouts me.

In the last month of May
I made her posies;
I heard her often say

That she loved roses.
Cowslips and gillyflowers
And the white lily

I brought to deck the bowers
For my sweet Philly.

But she did all disdain,

And threw them back again;

Therefore 'tis flat and plain
Phillada flouts me.

Fair maiden, have a care,
And in time take me;

I can have those as fair
If you forsake me:
For Doll the dairy-maid
Laughed at me lately,
And wanton Winifred

Favors me greatly.

Contentions

One throws milk on my clothes,
T'other plays with my nose;

What wanting signs are those?
Phillada flouts me.

I cannot work nor sleep
At all in season:

Love wounds my heart so deep
Without all reason

I 'gin to pine away
In my love's shadow,
Like as a fat beast may,
Penned in a meadow,
I shall be dead, I fear,
Within this thousand year:
And all for that my dear

Phillada flouts me.

"WHEN MOLLY SMILES"

WHEN Molly smiles beneath her cow,
I feel my heart-I can't tell how;
When Molly is on Sunday dressed,
On Sundays I can take no rest.

What can I do? On worky days
I leave my work on her to gaze.
What shall I say? At sermons, I
Forget the text when Molly's by.

1

Unknown

Good master curate, teach me how
To mind your preaching and my plow;
And if for this you'll raise a spell,
A good fat goose shall thank you well.

CONTENTIONS

Unknown

Ir was a lordling's daughter, the fairest one of three,
That liked of her master as well as well might be;
Till looking on an Englishman, the fair'st that eye could see

Her fancy, fell a-turning.

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