IMITATIONS

OF

ENGLISH POETS.

DONE BY THE AUTHOR IN HIS YOUTH.

IMITATIONS

ENGLIS

OF

ENGLISH POETS.

CHAUCER.

WOMEN ben full of ragerie,
Yet swinken nat sans secresie.
Thilke moral shall ye understond,
From schoole-boy's tale of fayre Irelond:
Which to the fennes hath him betake,

To filche the gray ducke fro the lake.
Right then, there passen by the way
His aunt, and eke her daughters tway.
Ducke in his trowses hath he hent,
Not to be spied of ladies gent.
"But ho! our nephew, (crieth one)
"Ho! (quoth another,) cozen John ;"
And stoppen, and lough, and callen out,-
This sely clerk full low doth lout:
They asken that, and talken this,
"Lo here is coz, and here is miss."

But, as he glozeth with speeches soote,
The ducke sore tickleth his Erse roote:

U 3

5

10

15

Fore

Fore-piece and buttons all-to-brest,
Forth thrust a white neck, and red crest.
Te-he, cry'd ladies; clerke not spake :
Miss star'd; and gray ducke cried quaake.
"O moder, moder, (quoth the daughter)
"Be thilke same thing maids longer a'ter?
"Bette is to pyne on coals and chalke,

"Then trust on mon, whose yerde can talke."

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25

SPENSE R.

THE ALLEY.

I.

IN ev'ry town, where Thamis rolls his tyde,
A narrow pass there is, with houses low;
Where ever and anon, the stream is ey'd,
And many a boat soft sliding to and fro.
There oft are heard the notes of infant woe,

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The short thick sob, loud scream, and shriller squall:

How can ye, mothers, vex your children so?

Some play, some eat, some cack against the wall,

And as they crouchen low, for bread and butter call.

II.

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And on the broken pavement, here and there,
Doth many a stinking sprat and herring lie;
A brandy and tobacco shop is near,
And hens, and dogs, and hogs are feeding by;
And here a sailor's jacket hangs to dry.
At ev'ry door are sun-burnt matrons seen,
Mending old nets to catch the scaly fry;
Now singing shrill, and scolding eft between;
Scolds answer foul-mouth'd scolds; bad neighbour-

hood I ween.

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The