Poems, and phancies written By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, And Excellent Princess The Lady Marchioness of Newcastle [i.e. Margaret Cavendish]. The Second Impression, much Altered and Corrected |
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The Pastime of the Queen of Fairies, when she comes upon the Earth out of the Centre.
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 | Poems, and phancies |  |
The Pastime of the Queen of Fairies, when she comes upon the Earth out of the Centre.
This Lovely, Sweet, and Beauteous Fairy Queen,Begins to Rise, when Hesperus is seen;
For she is Kin unto the God of Night,
Unto Diana, and the Stars so Bright;
And so to all the rest in some Degrees,
Yet not so near Relation as to these:
As for Apollo, she Disclaims him quite,
And Swears, she ne're will come within his Light;
For they fell out about some foolish Toy,
Where ever since in him she takes no Joy;
She says, he always doth more harm than good,
If but his Malice were well understood:
For he brings Dearths by Parching up the Ground,
And Sucks up Water, that none can be found;
He makes poor Men in Feav'rish Plagues to lye,
His Arrows hot make Men and Beasts to Dye,
So that to him she never will Come near,
But Hates to see, when as his Beams appear:
This makes the Cock give notice, as they say,
That when he Rises, she may go her way;
And makes the Owl her Favourite to be,
Because Apollo's Face she hates to see:
For Owls do Sleep all Day, and in the Night
They Shout and Hollow, that th'are out of Sight;
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But Lights his Taper-tail, when he's Abed,
To wait upon the Fairest Fairy Queen,
VVhilst she is Sporting on the Meady-Green:
Her Pastime only is, when She's on Earth,
To Pinch the Sluts, which make Hobgoblin mirth;
Or changes Children, while the Nurses sleep,
Making the Father Rich, whose Child they keep:
This Hobgoblin's the Queen of Fairies Fool,
Turning himself to Horse, Cow, Tree, or Stool,
Or any thing to Cross by harmless Play,
As to lead Travellers out of their way;
To Kick down Milk-pails, cause Curds not to turn
To Cheese, or hinder Butter in the Churn,
Which makes the Farmers Wife to Scold and Fret;
That she can neither Cheese nor Butter get;
And then he doth Hold up, as they do say,
Hens Rumps, lest they their Eggs too fast should lay;
The Good-wife Sad, squats down upon a Stool,
Not at all thinking it was Hob the Fool,
And frowning Sits, then Hob gives her a Slip,
And down she Falls, whereby she hurts her Hip:
Thus many Pranks doth Hob play on our Stage,
VVith Tom Thumb, his Companion, the Queen's Page,
VVho doth like Piece of Fat in Pudding lye,
And almost Choaks the Eater going awry;
And when he's down the Guts, he Wind blows out,
Putting the Standers by into a Rout,
And shames the Eater with a foul Disgrace,
That never after he dare shew his Face;
Besides, in many places puts himself
In Baggs, and Budgets, as a little Elf,
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To think that any thing Alive be there:
In this the Queen of Fairies takes delight,
In Summers even, and in Winters night;
And when as she is weary of these Plays,
She takes her Coach and doth go on her ways,
Unto her Paradise the Centre deep,
VVhere she the Store-house doth of Nature keep.
| Poems, and phancies | |