IN and
TE, as gossips tell, Were Lovers many a day;
IN the damsel lov'd so well, That folks pretend to
The silly, simple, doting Lad,
Was little less than loving mad:
A malady not known of late—Among the little-loving Great!
TE liked the youth; but woman-kind Are sometimes giv'n to range.
And oft, the giddy Sex, we find, (They know not why)When most they promise, soonest change, And still for conquest sigh:
So 'twas with
TE; she, ever roving Was never fix'd, though always loving!
EN was
IN'S rival; he A rustic libertine was known;
And many a blushing simple She, The rogue had left,—to sigh alone!
TE cared but little for the rover, Yet she resolv'd to have her way,
For
EN was the village Lover, And women pant for Sov'reign sway.
And he, who has been known to ruin,—Is always sought, and always wooing.
EN had long in secret sigh'd;
And
EN never was deny'd:
Now,
IN was a modest swain,
And therefore, treated with disdain:
For, it is said, in Love and War ,—The boldest, most successful are!
Vows, were to him but fairy
Borne on capricious Fancy's wings;
And promises, the Phantom's
Which falsehood form'd to cheat th' unwary;
For still deception was his trade,
And though his traffic well was known,
Still, every trophy was his own Which the proud Victor,
Love, display'd.
In short, this
EN was the
Of ev'ry maid,—and ev'ry swain!
TE had too often play'd the fool, And now, at length, was caught;
For she, who had been pleas'd to rule, Was now, poor Maiden, taught!
And
EN rul'd with boundless sway,
The rustic tyrant of his day.
IN had giv'n inconstant
TE, Ten pounds , to buy her wedding geer:
And now, 'tis said, tho' somewhat late, He thought his bargain rather dear.
For,
Lo ! The day before the
Had fix'd, the marriage chain to wear,
A
SY gang, a wand'ring set,
In a lone wood young
IN met.
All round him press with canting tale,
And, in a jargon, well
To cheat the unsuspecting mind, His list'ning ears assail.
Some promis'd riches; others swore He should, by women, be ador'd;
And never sad, and never poor— Live like a Squire, or Lord;—Do what he pleas'd, and ne'er be
To shame,—for what he did, or thought;
Seduce mens wives and daughters fair,
Spend wealth, while others toil'd in vain,
And scoff at honesty, and swear,—And scoff, and trick, and swear again!
NE roguish Girl, with sparkling eyes,
To win the handsome
IN tries;
She smil'd, and by her speaking glance,
Enthrall'd him in a wond'ring trance;
He thought her lovelier far than
TE,
And wish'd that she had been his mate;
For when the
CY is on wing,
TY'S a dangerous thing:
And
NS, when they learn to
Will seldom seldom keep the beaten way.
The gypsy-girl, with speaking eyes,
Observ'd her pupil's fond surprize,
She begg'd that he her hand would cross, With Sixpence; and that He should
His future scene of gain and loss, His weal and
IN complies. And straight he
That he had many long, long years;
That he a maid inconstant, loves,
Who, to another slyly roves.
That a dark man his bane will be—"And poison his domestic hours;"While a fair woman, treach'rously— "Will dress his brow—with thorns and flow'rs!"It happen'd, to confirm his
EN was dark ,—and
TE was fair!
Nay more that "home his bride would bring"A little, alien, prattling thing"In just six moons!" Poor
IN
All that confirms his jealous fears;
Perplex'd and frantic, what to
The cheated Lover scarcely knew.
He flies to
TE, and straight he
The wonder that in magic dwells!
Speaks of the Fortune-telling crew,
And how all things the Vagrants knew;
TE hears: and soon determines,
Will know her future destiny.
Swift to the wood she hies, tho'
To read the tablet of her Fate.
The Moon its crystal beam scarce
Upon the darkly shadow'd road;
The hedge-row was the
Where, round a little blazing wood,
The wand'ring, dingy, gabbling race, Crowded in merry mood.
And now she loiter'd near the scene.
Now peep'd the hazle copse between;
Fearful that
IN might be
The story of her Fate to hear.—She saw the feasting circle
By the stol'n faggot's yellow light;
She heard them, as in sportive play,
They chear'd the sullen gloom of night.
Nor was sly
TE by all
Peeping, the hazle copse between.
And now across the thicket sideA tatter'd, skulking youth she spied;
He beckon'd her along, and soon,
Hid safely from the prying moon,
His hand with silver, thrice she crosses—"Tell me," said she, "my gains and losses?""You gain a fool ," the youth replies,"You lose a lover too."The false one blushes deep, and sighs,
For well the truth she knew!"You gave to
EN, vows; nay more"You gave him favors rare:"And
IN is condemn'd to share"What many others shar'd before!"A false, capricious, guilty heart,"Made up of folly, vice, and art,"Which only takes a wedded mate"To brand with shame, an husband's fate.""Hush! hush!" cried
TE, for Heav'n's sake be"As secret as the grave—"For
IN means to marry me—"And if you will not me betray,"I for your silence well will pay;"Five pounds this moment you shall have."—"I will have
EN!" the gypsy cries—"The fearful, trembling girl complies.
But, what was her dismay, to find That
IN was the gypsy bold;
The cunning, fortune-telling
Who had the artful story told—Who thus, was cur'd of jealous pain,—"And got his
EN
DS back again!
Thus,
Fortune pays the
ER bold! But, gentle Maids, should
Have any secret yet untold,— Remember, simple
TE!
