MISCELLANEOUS PIECES, viz.
ANNELIDA AND ARCITE,
COMPL. OF BLACKE KNIGHT,
COMPL. OF MARS AND VENUS,
LAM. OF M. MAGDALEINE,
FLOURE AND THE LEAFE,
COURT OF LOVE,
REMEDIE OF LOVE,
PROPHECIE,
I can right now no thrifty Tale fain,
But CHAUCER, (though he can but lewedly
On metres and on riming craftily)
Hath fayd hem in fwiche English as he can
Of olde time, as, knoweth many a man;
And if he have not fayd hem, leve brother,
In o book, he hath fayd hem in another....
Who fo that wol his large Volume feke. TALES, ver. 4465.
Dan CHAUCER, well of English undefil'd,
On Fame's eternal bead-roll worthy to be fil'd
Old Dan Geffrey, in whofe gentle spright
The pure well-head of poetry did dwell....
He whilft he lived was the foveraigne head
Of thepherds all.......
Old CHAUCER, like the morning ftar,
To us difcovers day from far;
His light thofe mifts and clouds diffolv'd
Which our dark nation long involv'd;
But he defcending to the fhades
Darkness again the age invades.
CHAUCER, him who firft with harmony inform'd
The language of our fathers...His legends blithe
He fang of love or knighthood, or the wiles
AT THE Apollo Press, BY THE MARTINS.
Anno 1782.
ANNELIDA AND FALSE ARCITE.
Arcite a Theban knight forfaketh Queen Annelida, who loved him entirely, and taketha nerv lady, whereupon Annelida maketh this great complaint.
Thou fiers god of Armis, Mars the Rede,
That in thy frostie countrey callid Thrace
Within thy grifly templis full of drede
Honourid art as patrone of that place,
With the Bellona, Palias full of grace,
Be prefent, and my fong continue' and gie;
At my beginnyng thus to the I crie.
For it fall depè is fonkin in mynde
With pitous herte in Englishe to endite
This olde ftorie, in Latine whiche I finde,
Of Quene Annelida and false Arcite,
That elde, whiche all thingis can frete and bite,
And it hath fretin many' a noble storie,
Hath nigh devourid out of our memorie.
Be favourable' eke thou Polymnia,
On Parnaffus that with thy fuftirs glade
By Helicon, and not ferre from Cirrha,
Singift with voice memoriall in the shade,
Undir the laurir, which that maie not fade,
And doe that I my ship to havin winne :
Firft followe' I Stace, and aftir him Corinne.
Jamque demos patrias, Scythicæ poft afpera gentis
Pralia, laurigero fubeuntem Thefea curru
Latifici plaufus, miffufque ad fidera vulgi, &c.
When Thefeus with warris long and grete
The afpre folke of Scythe hath ovircome,
The laurir crounid, in his chaire golde bete
Home to his countre houfis is icome,
For whiche the peple blisfull all and fome
So cridin that to the fterris it went,
And hym to honourin did all ther entent.
Before this duke in figne of victorie
The trompis come, and in his banir large
The' image of Mars; and in token' of glorie
Men mightin fe of trefure many' a charge,
Many' a bright helme, and many' a spere and targe, Many' a freshe knight, and many'a blisfull rout
On horfe and fote, in all the field about.
Hyppolyta his wife, the hardie Quene
Of Scythia, that he conquerid had,
With Emelie her youngè fuftir fhene,
Faire in a chare of golde he with him lad,
That al the ground about her chare she sprad
With brightneffe of the beautie in her face,
Fulfillid all of largeffe and of grace.
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