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REIGNS OF JAMES I. AND CHARLES I. 325 |
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Light god Cupid was mounted on Pegasus,
Lent by the Muses, by kisses and pray'rs; Strong Alcides, upon cloudy Caucasus,
Mounts a centaur, whieh proudly him bears;
Postilion of the sky,
Light-heeled Mercury Soon made his courser fly, fleet as the air;
Tuneful Apollo,
The kennel did follow, And whoop and halloo, boys, after the hare.
Drown'd Narcissus from his metamorphosis,
Rous'd by Echo, new manhood did take; Snoring Somnus upstarted from Cimmeris, Before, for a thousand years, he did not
There was club-footed [wake;
Mulciber booted, And Pan promoted on Corydon's mare;
Proud Pallas pouted,
Loud jEolus shouted, And Momus flouted, yet followed the hare. |
Hymen ushers the lady Astrsea,
The jest took hold of Latona the cold ; Ceres the brown, with bright Cytherea; Thetis the wanton, Bellona the bold;
Shame-fac'd Aurora,
With witty Pandora, And Maia with Flora did company bear;
But Jnno was stated
Too high to be mated, Although she hated not hunting the hare.
Three brown bowls to th' Olympical rector, The Troy-born boy presents on his knee; Jove to Phoebus carouses in nectar,
And Phoebus to Hermes, and Hermes to Wherewith infused, [me ;
I piped and I. mused, In language unused, their sports to declare: Till the house of Jove Like the spheres did move :— Health to those who love hunting the hare! |
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THE CROSSED COUPLE. This tune is referred to under three names, viz., The Grossed Couple, Hyde Park, and Tantara rara tantivee.
The ballad of " The Crbst Couple: to a new Northern tune much in fashion," is in the Roxburghe Collection, ii. 94. In the same volume, at p. 379, is " News from Hide Park," &c, " to the tune of The Orost Couple."
The burden of " News from Hide Park " (as will be seen by the verse printed below with the music) is Tantara rara tantivee; and in the Bagford Collection (p. 170), the tune is quoted under that name, in "A pleasant Dialogue betwixt two wanton Ladies of Pleasure; or, The Duchess of Portsmouth's woful farewell to her former felicity." This ballad is a supposed conversation between Nell Gwyn and Louise Renee de Penencourt de Querouaille (vulgarly, Madame Carwell), whom Charles II. created Duchess of Portsmouth.
Nell Gwynn was as popular with the ballad-singers, from her many redeeming qualities, as the Duchess of Portsmouth (being a Roman Catholic, and supposed to send large sums of money to her relations in France) was out of favour with them." The ballad commences thus:—
" Brave gallants, now listen, and I will you tell,
With a fa la la, la fa, la la, Of a pleasant discourse that I heard at Pell-Mell, With a fa la la, la fa, la la, &c. |
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» On the following page, in the same coUection, there is another Dialogue between the Duchess of Portsmouth and Nell Gwyn, on the supposed intention of the former to retire to France with the money she had acquired. It ii entitled, "Portsmouth's Lamentation: Or a Dialogue between two amorous Ladies, E. G. and D. P. " Dame Portsmouth was design'd for France But therein was prevented; Who mourns at this unhappy chance, And sadly doth lament it.
To the tune of Tom Iht Taylor, or Tilm Oates." |
It commences thus :—
" I prithee, Portsmouth, tell me plain, Without dissimulation, When dost thou home return again,
And leave this English nation t Your youthful days are past and gone,
You plainly may perceive it, Winter of age is coming on, 'Tis true—you may believe it." Nine stanzas," Printed for C. Dennisson, at the Stationers Anna, within Aldgate." |
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