COWLEY.

THE CHRONICLE.

A BALLA D.

MARGARITA first possess'd
If I remember well, my breast,
Margarita first of all;

But when a while the wanton maid

With my restless heart had play'd,

Martha took the flying ball.

Martha soon did it resign To the beauteous Katherine; Beauteous Katherine gave place, Tho' loath and angry she to part With the possession of my heart, To Elisa's conquering face.

Elisa till this hour might reign Had she not evil counsels ta'en; Fundamental laws she broke,

And stil new favourites she chose,

COWLEY.

LA CHRONIQUE.

BALLADE.

ROSE eut mes premières amours,
Rose de mes premiers beaux jours
Fut la séduisante héroïne;
Mais, par cette jeune beauté,
Mon cœur quelque tems balotté,
Vint tomber près de Joséphine.
Joséphine régna long-tems;
Enfin Geneviève, à mes sens,
Sut prouver qu'elle était jolie;
Je l'aimai; puis elle eut son tour,
Et vit, avec regret, l'amour

Me conduire aux pieds d'Amélie.

A ses pieds je fis le serment D'être le plus fidele amant; Mais elle devint infidelle.

Alors, ne pouvant l'arrêter,

up in arms my passions rose, And cast away her yoke.

Till

Mary then, and gentle Anne Both to reign at once began;

Alternately they sway'd;

And sometimes Mary was the fair,

And sometimes Anne the crown did wear,

And sometimes both I obey'd.

Another Mary then arose,
And did rigorous laws impose:
A mighty tyrant she!

Long, alas, should I have been
Under that iron-sceptred queen
Had not Rebecca set me free.

When fair Rebecca set me free,
'Twas then a golden time with me;
But soon those pleasures fled,
For the gracious princess dy'd,
In her youth and beauty's pride.
And Judith reigned in her stead.

One month, three days and half an hour
Judith held the sov'reign pow'r;
Wondrous, beautiful her face;
But so weak and small her wit,
That she to govern was unfit,
And so Susanna took the place.

Je crus qu'il fallait l'imiter,
Et je fus inconstant comme elle.
La blonde Eglé, la brune Iris,
Parurent à mes yeux surpris,
Et mon cœur palpita pour elles;
D'abord, chacune avait son tour;
Mais bientôt je trouvai plus court
De mener de front ces deux belles.

Maîtrisant alors mes desirs,
Henriette, par les plaisirs,
Devint ma belle souveraine.
De ce tyran voluptueux
Je serais encor amoureux,'
Mais Aglaé brisa ma chaîne.
Aglaé, quel charmant trésor!
Ce, fut pour moi, le siècle d'or.
Mais, ô coup affreux, ô disgrace!
Hélas! cette fleur de beauté
Fut moissonnée avant l'été!

Une autre Rose prit sa place.

Un mois entier et trois grands jours,

Rose seconde eut mes amours,
Elle était étonnament belle;

Mais elle avait si peu d'esprit,

Qu'un beau jour, mon cœur, de dépit,
La planta là pour Isabelle.

But when Isabella came

'Arm'd with a resistless flame,
And the artillery of her eye,
Whilst she proudly march'd about,
Greater conquests to find out,
She beat out Susan by the bye.

But in her place I then obey'd
Black-ey'd Bess, her vice-roi maid,
To whom ensu'd a vacancy.
Thousand worse passions then possess'd
The inter-regnum of my breast.
Bless me from such an anarchy!

Gentle Henrietta then

And a third Mary, next began;
Then, Joan and Jane and Audria
And then a pretty Thomasine
And then another Katherine,

And then a long et cætera.

But should I now to you relate The strength and riches of their state, The powder, patches, and the pins, The ribbons, Jewels and the rings The lace, the paint, and warlike things That make up all their magazines:

If I should tell the politic arts

To take and keep men's hearts,