"My murder'd fellow in this cart lies dead; "Vengeance and justice on the villain's head! "Ye magistrates! who sacred laws dispense, "On you I call, to punish this offence." 280 The word thus given, within a little space, The mob came roaring out, and throng'd the place. All in a trice they cast the cart to ground, 'And in the dung the murder'd body found; Though breathless, warm, and reeking from( • the wound. 285 'Good Heav'n, whose darling attribute we find "Is boundless grace, and mercy to mankind, 'Abhors the cruel; and the deeds of night, By wondrous ways, reveals in open light: • Murder may pass unpunish'd for a time, 'But tardy justice will o'ertake the crime. And oft a speedier pain the guilty feels: The hue and cry of heaven pursues him at the • heels, 290 Fresh from the fact, as in the present case. 'The criminals are seiz'd upon the place; 295 Carter and host confronted, face to face; • Stiff in denial :-as the law appoints, 'On engines they distend their tortur'd joints ; 'So was confession forc'd, th' offence was known, 'And public justice on th' offenders done. 300 'Here may you see that visions are to dread; And, in the page that follows this, I read 'Of two young merchants, whom the hope of gain 'Induc'd in partnership to cross the main : Waiting till willing winds their sails supply'd, 'One evening it befel, that looking out, The wind they long had wish'd was come about: Well-pleas'd they went to rest; and if the gale Till morn continued, both resolv'd to sail. 311 • But as together in a bed they lay, 'The younger had a dream at break of day. The vision said: and vanish'd from his sight: The dreamer waken'd in a mortal fright: 321 • Then pull❜d his drowsy neighbour, and declar'd What in his slumber he had seen and heard. • His friend smil'd scornful, and with proud con ⚫ tempt Rejects as idle what his fellow dreamt: 325 "Stay, who will stay: for me no fears restrain, "Who follow Mercury the god of gain; "Let each man do as to his fancy seems, "I wait not, I, till you have better dreams. "Dreams are but interludes which Fancy makes; "When monarch Reason sleeps, the mimic wakes "Compounds a medley of disjointed things, 33 "A mob of coblers, and a court of kings: "Light fumes are merry, grosser fumes are sad: "Both are the reasonable soul run mad; 335 "And many monstrous forms in sleep we see, "That neither were, nor are, nor e'er can be. "Sometimes forgotten things long cast behind "Rush forward in the brain, and come to mind. "The nurse's legends are for truths receiv'd, 340 "And the man dreams but what the boy believ'd. "Sometimes we but rehearse a former play, "The night restores our actions done by day; "As hounds in sleep will open for their prey. "In short, the farce of dreams is of a piece, 345 "Chimeras all; and more absurd, or less: "You, who believe in tales, abide alone; "Whate'er I get this voyage is my own." 'Thus while he spoke, he heard the shouting crew 'That call'd aboard; and took his last adieu. 350 The vessel went before a merry gale, And, for quick passage, put on every sail: But when least fear'd, and e'en in open day, The mischief overtook her on the way: • Whether she sprung a leak, I cannot find; 355 Or whether she was overset with wind; 'Or that some rock, below, her bottom rent; 'But down, at once, with all her crew, she went : Her fellow ships from far her loss descry'd; • But only she was sunk, and all were safe beside. By this example you are taught again, • That dreams and visions are not always vain: 361 VOL. V. But if, dear Partlet, you are still in doubt, • Another tale shall make the former out. Kenelm the son of Kenulph, Mercia's king,365 Whose holy life the legends loudly sing, • Warn'd in a dream, his murder did foretel 'From point to point, as after it befel; ́ ́ All circumstances to his nurse he told ." (A wonder from a child of seven years old): 370 The dream with horror heard, the good old wife • From treason counsel'd him to guard his life; • But close to keep the secret in his mind, For a boy's vision small belief would find. The pious child, by promise bound, obey'd, 375 Nor was the fatal murder long delay'd : By Quenda slain, he fell before his time, Made a young martyr, by his sister's crime. • The tale is told by venerable Bede, Which, at your better leisure, you may read.380 • Macrobius, too, relates the vision, sent To the great Scipio, with the fam'd event: Objections makes, but, after makes, replies, And adds, that dreams are often prophecies, 'Of Daniel you may read in holy writ, 385' 'Who, when the king his vision did forget, . Could word for word the wondrous dream repeat. Nor less of patriarch Joseph understand, Who, by a dream, enslav'd th' Egyptian land, The years of plenty and of dearth foretold, 390 ♦ When, for their bread, their liberty they sold. 'Nor must th' exalted butler be forgot, 395 Nor he whose dream presag'd his hanging lot. • And did not Croesus the same death foresee, Rais'd, in his vision, on a lofty tree? 'The wife of Hector, in his utmost pride, • Dreamt of his death the night before he dy'd; 'Well was he warn'd from battle to refrain, 'But men, to death decreed, are warn'd in vain: 'He dar'd the dream; and, by his fatal foe, was slain. 402 'Much more I know, which I forbear to speak, 'For see the ruddy day begins to break; • Let this suffice, that plainly I forsee • My dream was bad, and bodes adversity: • But neither pills nor laxatives I like, They only serve to make the well-man sick : Of these his gain the sharp physician makes, And often gives a purge, but seldom takes: "They not correct, but poison all the blood, And ne'er did any but the doctors good. • Their tribe, trade, trinkets, I defy them all; • With every work of 'pothecary's hall. • These melancholy matters I forbear : 405 410 But let me tell thee, (Partlet mine !) and swear, • That when I view the beauties of thy face, 415 ♦ I fear not death, nor dangers, nor disgrace. 'So may my soul have bliss, as, when I spy • The scarlet red about thy partridge eye, • While thou art constant to thy own true knight, While thou art mine, and I am thy delight, All sorrows at thy presence take their flight. |