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DOWN-HALL: A BALLAD.

To the Tune of, King JOHN and the Abbot of

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CANTERBURY, 1715.

SING not old Jafon, who travel'd through Greece, To kifs the fair Maids, and poffefs the rich Fleece; Nor fing I Æneas, who, led by his mother,

Got rid of one Wife, and went far for another.

Derry down, down, hey derry down.

Nor him who through Afia and Europe did roam,
Ulyffes by name, who ne'er cry'd to go home,
But rather defir'd to fee cities and men,

Than return to his farms, and converfe with old Pen.

Hang Homer and Virgil their meaning to feek,
A man must have pok'd into Latin and Greek;
Those who love their own tongue, we have reafon to hope,
Have read them tranflated by Dryden and Pope.

But I fing of exploits that have lately been done
By two British Heroes, call'd Matthew and John *:
And how they rid friendly from fine London town,
Fair Effex to fee, and a place they call Down.

* Mr. Prior, and Mr. John Morley of Halstead.

Now ere they went out you may, rightly suppose How much they difcours'd both in prudence and profe; For, before this great journey was throughly concerted, Full often they met, and as often they parted.

And thus Matthew faid, Look you here, my friend John, I fairly have travel'd years thirty-and-one ; And, though I ftill carry'd my Sovereign's warrants, I only have gone upon other folks errands.

And now in this journey of life I would have A place where to bait, 'twixt the court and the grave; Where joyful to live, not unwilling to dieGadzooks! I have just fuch a place in my eye.

There are gardens fo ftately, and arbours fo thick, A portal of stone, and a fabrick of brick:

The matter next week fhall be all in your power; But the money, gadzooks! must be paid in an hour.

For things in this world muft by law be made certain: We both must repair unto Oliver Martin;

For he is a Lawyer of worthy renown

I'll bring you to fee, he must fix you at Down.

Quoth Matthew, I know, that, from Berwick to Dover, You've fold all our premiffes over and over: And now, if your buyers and fellers agree,

You

may throw all our acres into the South Sea.

But a word to the purpose: to-morrow, dear friend, We'll fee, what to-night you so highly commend.; And, if with a garden and house I am bleft, Let the Devil and Coning by go with the rest.

Then

Then anfwer'd 'Squire Morley; Pray get a calafh, That in fummer may burn, and in winter may splash;

I love dirt and duft; and 'tis always my pleasure,
To take with me much of the foil that I measure.

But Matthew thought better: for Matthew thought right,

And hired a chariot fo trim and fo tight,

That extremes both of winter and fummer might pass: For one window was canvass, the other was glass.

Draw up, quoth friend Matthew; pull down, quoth friend John,

We shall be both hotter and colder anon.

Thus, talking and fcolding, they forward did fpeed; And Ralpho pac'd by, under Newman the Swede.

Into an old inn did this equipage roll,

At a town they call Hodfon, the fign of the Bull,
Near a Nymph with an urn, that divides the high-way,
And into a puddle throws Mother of Tea.

Come here, my fweet Landlady, pray how d'ye do? Where is Cicily fo cleanly, and Prudence, and Sue? And where is the Widow that dwelt here below? And the Hoftler that fung about eight years ago?

And where is your Sifter, fo mild and so dear, Whofe voice to her Maids like a trumpet was clear? By my troth! fhe replies, you grow younger, I think: And pray, Sir, what wine does the gentleman drink?

Why now let me die, Sir, or live upon trust,
If I know to which question to answer you first :
Why things, fince I faw you, most strangely have vary'd,
The Hoftler is hang'd, and the Widow is marry'd.

And Prue left a child for the parish to nurse;
And Cicily went off with a gentleman's purfe;
And as to my fifter, fo mild and fo dear,
She has lain in the church-yard full many a year.

Well, peace to her afhes! what fignifies grief?
She roafted red Veal, and the powder'd lean Beef:
Full nicely the knew to cook up a fine difh;
For tough were her Pullets, and tender her Fish.

For that matter, Sir, be you 'Squire, Knight, or Lord,
I'll give you whate'er a good inn can afford:
I should look on myself as unhappily fped,
Did I yield to a fifter, or living, or dead.

Of Mutton a delicate neck and a breaft

Shall fwim in the water in which they were dreft:
And, because you great folks are with rarities taken,
Addle-eggs fhall be next courfe, tost up with rank Bacon.

Then fupper was ferv'd, and the sheets they were laid;
And Morley moft lovingly whifper'd the Maid.
The Maid! was the handfome? why truly fo-fo.
But what Morley whisper'd we never shall know.

Then up rofe thefe Heroes as brifk as the fun, And their horses, like his, were prepared to run. Now when in the morning Matt afk'd for the fcore, John kindly had paid it the evening before.

Their breakfast fo warm to be fure they did eat,

A custom in travelers mighty difcreet;

And thus with great friendship and glee they went on,
To find out the place you fhall hear of anon,

Call'd Down, down, hey derry down.

'But what did they talk of from morning till noon?
Why, of spots in the fun, and the man in the moon;
Of the Czar's gentle temper, the ftocks in the city,
The wife men of Greece, and the Secret Committee,

So to Harlow they came; and, hey! where are you all?
Shew us into the parlour, and mind when I call :
Why, your Maids have no motion, your Men have no

life;

Well, Mafter, I hear you have bury'd your Wife.

Come this very inftant, take care to provide
Tea, Sugar, and Toaft, and a Horfe and a Guide.
Are the Harrifons here, both the old and the young?
And where ftands fair Down, the delight of my fong?

O'Squire, to the grief of my heart I may fay,
I have bury'd two wives fince you travel'd this way;
And the Harrifons both may be prefently here;
And Down ftands, I think, where it ftood the last year.

Then Joan brought the Tea-pot, and Caleb the Toaft;
And the Wine was froth'd out by the hand of mine hoft
But we clear'd our extempore banquet so fast,

That the Harrisons both were forgot in the hafte.

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Now