The farmers, fummon'd to his room,
Bowing with awkward reverence come.
In his great chair his worship fate,
A grave and able magistrate :
Silence proclaim'd, each clack was laid,
And flippant tongues with pain obey’d.
In a short speech, he first computes
The vast expence of law-difputes,
And everlasting chancery-suits.
With zeal and warmth he railly'd then
Pack'd juries, fheriffs, tales-men ;
And recommended in the close,
Good-neighbourhood, peace, and repose.
Next weigh'd with care each man's pretence,
Perus'd records, heard evidence,

With great activity and parts,

Inform'd their judgements, won their hearts :
And, without fees, or time mispent,

By strength of ale and argument,

Dispatch'd them home, friends and content.
Trufty, who at his elbow fate,

And with furprize heard the debate,
Astonish'd, could not but admire
His ftrange dexterity and fire;

His wife difcernment and good fense,
His quickness, eafe, and eloquence.

"Lord! fir," said he, "I can't but chide :
"What useful talents do you hide!

}

"'Tis true,

"In half an hour you have done more
"Than Puzzle can in half a score,
"With all the practice of the courts,
"His cafes, precedents, reports."
Jack with a fimile reply'd,
"This may feem odd, my friend, to you,
"But give me not more than my due.
"No hungry judge nods o'er the laws,
"But haftens to decide the caufe:

"Who hands the oar, and drags the chain,
"Will ftruggle to be free again.

"So lazy men and indolent,

"With cares opprefs'd, and business spent,
"Exert their utmost powers and skill,
"Work hard; for what? Why, to fit ftill.
"They toil, they sweat, they want no fee,
"For ev'n floth prompts to industry.
"Therefore, my friend, I freely own
"All this addrefs I now have flown,
"Is mere impatience, and no more,
"To lounge and loiter as before :
"Life is a fpan, the world an inn-
"Here, firrah, t' other nipperkin.”

THE YEOMAN

A

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OF KENT:

A TA L E.

Yeoman bold (fuppofe of Kent) Liv'd on his own, and paid no rent ; Manu'd his own paternal land,

Had always money at command,

Το

To purchase bargains, or to lend,
T'improve his stock, or help a friend:
At Creffy and Poitiers, of old,
His ancestors were bow-men bold;
Whofe good yew-bows, and finews strong,
Drew arrows of a cloth-yard long:
For England's glory, ftrew'd the plain
With barons, counts, and princes flain.
Belov'd by all the neighbourhood,
For his delight was doing good:
At every mart his word a law,
Kept all the fhuffling knaves in awe.
How juft is heaven, and how true,
To give to fuch defert its due!
'Tis in authentic legends faid,

Two twins at once had bless'd his bed;
Frank was the eldeft, but the other

Was honeft Numps, his younger brother;
That, with a face effeminate,

And fhape too fine and delicate,

Took after his fond mother Kate,

A Franklin's daughter. Numps was rough,
No heart of oak was half fo tough,

And true as fteel, to cuff, or kick,
Or play a bout at double-stick,

Who but friend Numps? While Frank's delight
Was more (they say) to dance, than fight;
At Whitfon-ales king of the May,
Among the maids, brifk, frolic, gay,
He tript it on each holyday.

}

}

Their genius different, Frank would roam
To town; but Numps, he ftaid at home.
The youth was forward, apt to learn,
Could foon an honest living earn ;
Good company would always keep,
Was known to Falstaff in East-cheap;
Threw many a merry main, could bully,
And put the doctor on his cully;

Ply'd hard his work, had learnt the way,
To watch all night, and fleep all day.
Flufh'd with fuccefs, new rigg'd, and clean,
Polite his air, genteel his mien :
Accomplish'd thus in every part,
He won a buxom widow's heart.
Her fortune narrow; and too wide,
Alas! lay her concerns, her pride:
Great as a dutchefs, the would fcorn
Mean fare, a gentlewoman born;
Poor and expenfive! on my life
'Twas but the devil of a wife.

Yet Frank, with what he won by night,
A while liv'd tolerably tight;

And spouse, who sometimes fate till morn
At cribbidge, made a good return.
While thus they liv'd from hand to mouth,
She laid a bantling to the youth;

But whether 'twas his own or no,
My authors don't pretend to know.
His charge enhanc'd, 'tis also true
A lying-in 's expenfive too,

In cradles, whittles, fpice-bowls, fack,
Whate'er the wanton goffips lack;
While fcandal thick as hail-fhot flies,
Till peaceful bumpers feal their eyes.
Frank deem'd it prudent to retire,
And vifit the good man his fire;
In the ftage coach he seats himself,
Loaded with madam and her elf;
In her right hand the coral plac'd,
Her lap a China orange grac'd:
Pap for the babe was not forgot;
And lullaby's melodious note,
That warbled in his ears all day,
Shorten'd the rugged, tedious way.
Frank, to the manfion-house now come,
Rejoic'd to find himself at home;
Neighbours around, and cousins went
By scores, to pay their compliment.
The good old man was kind, 'tis true,
But yet a little shock'd, to view

A fquire fo fine, a fight fo new.
But above all, the lady fair

Was pink'd, and deck'd beyond compare;
Scarce a fhrieve's wife at an affize

Was drefs'd fo fine, fo roll'd her eyes :
And mafter too in all his pride,
His filver rattle by his fide,

Would shake it oft, then shrilly scream,
More noify than the yeoman's team;
With taffels and with plumes made proud,

While jingling bells ring out aloud.
D d

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The