Imatges de pàgina
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not refift the temptation of defiring the pleasure of her company to eat with me, which the readily accepted; and, on her obferving that the chickens were very finall and nice, and to be fure I must be hungry after my ride, I confented to have a couple of them done. She then asked me, in a moft bewitching manner, if I chofe to drink any thing; but, though I declared that I never touched a drop of any liquor before meals, yet fhe inticed me to tofs up a glafs of fherry, to get me an appetite, which, before, fhe had concluded I could not want, and fhe even had the complaifance to pledge me. When dinner was ferved up, I was surprised to see a dish of eels brought in; and on my faying, that I fancied the cook had made a mistake, the moft civilly begged ten thousand pardons, and faid fhe thought I had ordered them; but added, that indeed fhe did not doubt but I fhould like them, and for her own part fhe was exceffively fond of them. As that was the cafe, I could by no means consent to their being taken away; and, after we had done with the fish and the chickens, a difh of tarts fpontaneously made its appearance, without waiting for the word of command. My kind landlady intreated me to tafte this, and infifted upon helping me to another, which the affured me was moft excellent, till fhe had either forced upon me,

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or taken to herfelf, a bit out of each fort. I fhould have told you, that, during dinner, befides the ufual concomitants of a tankard of each, I was prevailed on to hob and nob with her in a variety of old beer, cyder, rhenish, mountain, Lisbon, &c. and, to crown all, my landlady would even rife from table herself to make me a cup, at which the declared fhe had a moft excellent hand. When the cloth was removed, I could not but afk her, what fhe chofe to drink; to which the modeftly anfwered, whatever I liked, at the fame time hinting to me, that nobody had better French wines than fhe had. However, I thought proper to difregard all her hints of that kind, and order a fimple bottle of port. When this was brought, I afked if I fhould help her; fhe told me fhe never touched that fort of wine; fo that I could not but call for a pint of Lisbon, which he liked better. She would fain, indeed, have prevailed on me afterwards to fuffer her to produce a bottle of claret, of which, fhe said, fhe could drink a glass or two herself; but finding me inflexible on that head, fhe compounded the matter with me, on bringing me over to confent to our having a flafk of Florence, the beft that ever was tafted. I need not tell you the agreeable chat, or the pleafing familiarities that paffed between us, till it was time for me to

mount

mount my horse; but I could not even then get away, without doing her the pleasure firft to drink a difh of tea with her, to which a pot of coffee was alfo added, though I did not touch a drop. In fhort, her behaviour was fo engaging, her looks fo inviting, and her artifices fo inveigling, that I quite forgot how dear I was to pay for my entertainment, till the dreadful reckoning was called for, which convinced me of the juftness of Bishop Corbet's remarks before quoted. Indeed, as I had ordered a fuperfluity of victuals that I could not eat, and of liquors that I could not drink, and all for the fake of my hoftefs's fweet company, I think that the bill, instead of the ufual articles of bread and beer, chicken,-wine, &c. might have been made out-for a fmile,-an ogle,—a fqueeze by the hand, a chuck under the chin, a kifs, &c.-fo much. For my part, I am determined, for the future, never to fet my foot in an inn, where the landlady is not as ugly as Mother Redcap.

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A PASTORAL ELEGY.

BY MR. BOYCE.

EEP in the grove, where tends this devious

DEEP

way,

Whofe various windings contradict themselves, May mortal footstep venture here to ftray, Or is it facred to the moon-light elves?

With cautious fear I tread the mossy maze;
Pardon, ye fairy pow'rs, if I intrude;
I come not envious on your rites to gaze,
Or mar your myft'ries with my prefence rude,

A gentle nymph I seek, whose wand'ring steps Perchance have ftray'd to hear these linnets

chaunt :

Beneath the oak where yonder turtle weeps,
In vain I fought her melancholy haunt.

The filver stream, by whofe meandring fide
So oft endearing converfe we have held,
All knowledge of her heedlefs course deny'd,
Nor happier anfwer did the meadows yield.

Ye

Ye fair inhabitants thefe boughs among,
Tell me, have you the pretty damfel seen?
Ceafe for a while your rapture-tuned fong,
lefs melodious teen.

And answer to my

But hark!-methinks the ruftling leaves declare Some near approach ;-may it my Delia prove? And now-a double voice invades mine ear Damon and Delia!-O forbid it, love!

This way fhe comes, well-acted innocence
Almost persuades me fhe is lovely still;
But paffion fure is void of influence

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To cheat the fenfes, tho' it charms the will.

In tears, my Delia! what has Damon done?

Say, did he force thee to this lonely grove? Has brutal violence thy virtue won,

Deaf to the loud laments of fuffering love?

No voice of anguish pierc'd this lift'ning ear;
Yet tell thy wrongs, and ftrait the fpoiler dies:
Vengeance shall poife the blood-defiring spear,
And ftrike the coward villain ere he flies.

She fpeaks-be mute, ye echoes to her voice, And let the tale in deep oblivion die"That Damon there the fates decree my choice; "This blufhing morn muft view the folemn tye.

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