They afken that, and talken this,
"Lo here is Coz, and here is Mifs.
But, as he glozeth with Speeches foote,
The Ducke fore tickleth his Erfe roote:
Fore-piece and buttons all-to-brest,
Forth thrust a white neck, and red crest. 20
Te-he, cry'd Ladies; Clerke nought spake:
Miss star'd; and gray Ducke cryeth Quaake.
"O Moder, Moder, (quoth the daughter)
"Be thilke fame thing Maids longer a'ter?
"Bette is to pyne on coals and chalke,
"Then truft on Mon, whofe yerde can talke.
N ev'ry Town where Thamis rolls his Tyde,
A narrow Pafs 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, 5 The short thick Sob, loud Scream, and shriller Squall:
How can ye, Mothers, vex your children fo? Some play, fome eat, fome cack against the wall, And as they crouchen low, for bread and butter call.
And on the broken pavement, here and there, I
Doth many a stinking sprat and herring lie;
A brandy and tobacco fhop is near,
And hens, and dogs, and hogs are feeding by;
And here a failor's jacket hangs to dry,
At ev'ry door are fun-burnt matrons seen,
Mending old nets to catch the fcaly fry;
Now finging fhrill, and fcolding eft between;
Scolds anfwer foul-mouth'd fcolds; bad neighbour-
hood I ween.
The fnappifh cur, (the paffengers annoy)
Close at my heel with yelping treble flies;
The whimp'ring girl, and hoarfer-fcreaming boy,
Join to the yelping treble, fhrilling cries;
The fcolding Quean to louder notes doth rife,
And her full pipes thofe fhrilling cries confound;
To her full pipes the grunting hog replies;
The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round,
And curs, girls, boys, and fcolds, in the deep base
are drown'd.
Hard by a Sty, beneath a roof of thatch,
Dwelt Obloquy, who in her early days
Batkets of fish at Billinfgate did watch,
Cod, whiting, oyster, mackrel, fprat, or plaice: There learn'd the speech from tongues that never
Slander befide her, like a Mag-pie, chatters, With Envy, (fpitting Cat) dread foe to peace; Like a curs'd Cur, Malice before her clatters, 35 And vexing ev'ry wight, tears clothes and all to tat
Her dugs were mark'd by ev'ry Collier's hand,
Her mouth was black as bull-dogs at the ftall:
She scratched, bit, and fpar'd ne lace ne band,
And bitch and rogue her anfwer was to all; 40
Nay, e'en the parts of fhame by name would call :
Yea, when the paffed by or lane or nook,
Would greet the man who turn'd him to the Wall,
And by his hand obfcene the porter took,
Nor ever did afkance like modeft Virgin look. 45
Such place hath Deptford, navy-building town, Woolwich and Wapping, fmelling ftrong of pitch; Such Lambeth, envy of each band and gown, And Twick'nam fuch, which fairer fcenes enrich, Grots, ftatues, urns, and Jo---n's Dog and Bitch,
Ne village is without, on either fide,
All up the filver Thames, or all adown;
Ne Richmond's felf, from whofe tall front are
Vales, fpires, meandring ftreams, and Windfor's tow'ry pride.
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