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 | Works of John Taylor the Water Poet not included in the folio volume of 1630 |  |
[The next succeeding month unto September]
The next succeeding month unto September,October was this yeare, (as I remember)
Without the charge of Proxey or Atturney,
My selfe in proper Person tooke this journey:
Two Gentlewomen (by two Maides attended)
Accompanied me till my travells ended.
We tooke one Coach, two Coach-men, and foure horses,
And merrily from London made our courses:
We wheel'd the top of th'heavy hill, call'd Holborne,
(Vp which hath been full many a sinfull soule borne:)
4
Which place from Brainford, six (or neere) seven miles is.
To Stanes that night at five a clock we coasted,
Where (at the Bush) we had bak'd, boyl'd, and roasted.
Bright Sols illustrious Rayes, the day adorning,
We past Bagshot and Bawwaw, Friday morning;
That night we lodg'd at the White Hart at Alton,
And had good meate, a table with a salt on:
Next morne w'arose, with blushing cheek'd Aurora;
The wayes were faire but not so faire as Flora:
For
Flora was a beautifull Courtezan in Rome, who gat great treasure by the prostitution of her body, which Wealth she gave to the Common Treasury, for which they did esteeme her a Goddes, and the Goddes of Flowers, and built a Temple to her.
And (like the high wayes) was to all men Common:
Our Horses, with the Coach, which we went into,
Did hurry us amaine through thick and thine to
With fiery speede, the foaming bits they champt on,
And brought us to the Dolphin at Southampton.
There found I friendship more then I expected
Or did deserve, so much to be respected:
The Gentlewomen both their husbands met there;
The Moone was mounted, and the Sun was set there;
And after two houres time, or some such matter
We turn'd our Coach t'a boat, and swam by water;
My entertainement was good wine and welcome,
The cups most kindly unto me pell mell come;
Southamptons Governour, much love did show me,
He was my old acquaintance, and did know me:
He gave me's passe, to passe me to the Island
And I tooke boate, and left him on the dry Land;
It was as bright a moonshine night, I say
As ever man saw in a Summers day;
Thus with a fore winde, and faire Cintha's light,
In foure houres time we came to the Isle of Wight:
We past Cowes Castle, and into the Towne went,
Where some short time we wandring up and downe went;
Thus being favour'd by men, windes and weathers,
At Cowes I landed, and lodg'd at the Feathers:
5
And on that Wight of Waight, I came to wait then.
Long live he blest internall, and externall.
And blest be England in his love paternall,
To guide and guard him, grace and power supernall,
Defend him from all trecherous traps infernall:
In imitation of him let us learne all
To live so heer that we may live eternall:
And thou, whose mercy nere can be exhausted,
In thy compassion thinke on England wasted:
The sword of wrath that's drawne is justly thine,
The Sinnes that made thee draw it forth are mine:
Jonas the storme did to himselfe apply;
Let each say so now, each man say tis I.
And now my story briefely Ile compose,
From harsh hard rugged rime, to smooth fac'd prose.
| Works of John Taylor the Water Poet not included in the folio volume of 1630 | |