Then ftraight the fhips with nimble fails Since she had lost her hearts delight. My patience I will put in ure, My charity I will extend; Since for my woe there is no cure, The helpless now I will befriend: The widow and the fatherless Thus fhe continued year by year In doing good to every one; 40 45 50 Her fame was noised every where, To young and old the fame was known, That she no company would mind, Who were to vanity inclin❜d. Mean while Ulyffes fought for fame, Came flocking for to tempt his wife: 3 55 60 With With coftly gifts and jewels fine, They did endeavour her to win; With banquets and the choiceft wine, For to allure her unto fin: Most persons were of high degree, Who courted fair Penelope. With modefty and comely grace, Her dearest husband's memorye; Her book her dayly comfort was, 65 70 75 Powder and paint fhe ne'er would use. I wish all ladies were as free From pride, as was Penelope. She in her needle took delight, Her maids about her every night Did ufe the distaff, and the reel : The spiders, that on rafters twine, Sometimes fhe would bewail the lofs And abfence of her dearest love: I fear my lord is flain, quoth fhe, At length the ten years fiege of Troy 85 90 Did end; in flames the city burn'd; And to the Grecians was great joy, To fee the towers to afbes turn'd: 95 3 Then came Ulyffes home to fee O blame her not if she was glad, A long time abient thou hast been: Fair ladies all example take; And hence a worthy leffon learn, All youthful follies to forfake, And vice from virtue to discern: 100 105 XI. TO LUCASTA, ON GOING TO THE WARS. By Col. Richard Lovelace: from the volume of his poems, intitled, "Lucafta, Lond. 1649.” 12m0. The elegance of this writer's manner would be more admired, if it had fomewhat more of fimplicity. ELL me not, fweet, I am unkinde, TE That from the nunnerie Of thy chate breast and quiet minde, To warre and armes I flie. True, a new mistreffe now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger faith imbrace Yet this inconftancy is fuch, I could not love thee, deare, fo much, 5 10 XII. VALENTINE AND URSINE. The old fory-book of Valentine and Orfon (which fuggefted the plan of this tale, but it is not ftrictly followed in it) was originally a tranflation from the French, being one of their earliest attempts at romance. See "Le Bibliotheque "de Romans, &c." The circumftance of the bridge of bells is taken from the old metrical legend of Sir Bevis, and has also been copied in the Seven Champions. The original lines are, "Over the ayke a bridge there lay, "That man and beeft might paffe away: Sign. E. iv. In the Editor's folio MS. was an old Poem on this fubject, in a wretched corrupt fate, unworthy the prefs: from which were taken fuch particulars as could be adopted. WH PART THE FIRST. HEN Flora 'gins to decke the fields Then holy clerkes their mattins fing The |