And, was not Tom this Morning fent?
"I'd lay my Life he never went.
"Paft Six, and not a living Soul!
"I might, by this, have won a Vole."
A dreadful Interval of Spleen!
How shall we pass the Time between?
"Here, Betty, let me take my Drops,
"And feel my Pulfe, I know it stops:
"This Head of mine, Lord, how it swims?
"And fuch a Pain in all my Limbs."
Dear Madam, try to take a Nap
But now they hear a Footman's Rap!
"Go run, and light the Ladies up:
"It must be One before we fup."
THE Table, Cards, and Counters fet,
And all the Gamefter Ladies met,
Her Spleen and Fits recover'd quite,
Our Madam can fit up all Night,
"Whoever comes, I'm not within-
Quadrill the Word, and fo begin.
How can the Muse her Aid impart,
Unfkill'd in all the Terms of Art?
Or, in harmonious Numbers put
The Deal, the Shuffle, and the Cut?
The fuperftitious Whims relate,
That fill a Female Gamefter's Pate?
What Agony of Soul fhe feels
To fee a Knave's inverted Heels:
She draws up Card by Card to find
Good Fortune peeping from behind;
With panting Heart, and earneft Eyes,
In hope to fee Spadillo rife:
In vain, alas! her Hope is fed;
She draws an Ace, and fees it red.
In ready Counters never pays,
her Snuff-Box, Rings and Keys,
Ever with fome new Fancy ftruck,
Tries twenty Charms to mend her Luck.
"This Morning when the Parfon came,
"I faid, I'fhould not win a Game.
"This odious Chair, how came I ftuck in't?
"I think, I never had good Luck in't,
"I'm fo uneafy in my Stays;
"Your Fan a Moment, if you please.
"Stand further, Girl, or get you gone,
"I always lose when you look on.
Lord, Madam, you have loft Codill;
I never faw you play fo ill.
"Nay, Madam, give me leave to say,
'Twas you that threw the Game away;
"When Lady Trickfy play'd a Four,
"You took it with a Mattadore;
"I faw you touch your Wedding Ring,
"Before my Lady call'd a King.
"You spoke a Word began with H
"And I know whom you mean to teach,
Because you held the King of Hearts:
Fie, Madam, leave these little Arts.
That's not fo bad as one that rubs
Her Chair to call the King of Clubs,
And makes her Partner understand
A Mattadore is in her Hand.
"Madam, you have no Cause to flounce,
"I fwear, I faw you thrice renounce.
And truly, Madam, I know when
Instead of five you fcor'd me Ten.
Spadillo here has got a Mark,
A Child may know it in the Dark:
I guess the Hand, it feldom fails,
I wish fome Folks would pair their Nails.
WHILE thus they rail, and fcold, and ftorm, It paffes but for common Form;
And confcious that they all speak true,
They give each other but their Due;
It never interrupts the Game,
Or makes 'em fenfible of Shame.
THE Time too precious now to waste,
And Supper gobbled up in hafte :
Again a-fresh to Cards they run,
As if they had but just begun :
But, I fhall not again repeat
How oft they fquabble, fnarl and cheat,
At last they hear the Watchman knock,
Afrofty Morn paft Four o'Clock.
The Chairmen are not to be found,
Come, let us play the other Round.
Now, all in hafte they huddle on
Their Hoods, and Cloaks, and get them gone:
But, firft, the Winner must invite
The Company To-morrow Night.
UNLUCKY Madam, left in Tears,
(Who now again Quadrill forfwears,)
With empty Purfe, and aching Head,
Steals to her fleeping Spouse to Bed.
The Grand Question debated:
HAMILTON'S BAWN fhould be turned into a Barrack or a Malt-house.
The PREFACE to the English Edition.
HE Author of the following Poem is said to be Dr. J. S. D. S. P. D. who writ it, as well as feveral other Copies of Verfes of the like Kind, by Way of Amusement, in the Family of an honourable Gentleman in the North of Ireland, where he spent a Summer about two or three Years ago.
A certain very great † Perfon, then in that Kingdom, baving heard much of this Poem, obtained a Copy from the Gentleman, or, as fome fay, the Lady, in whose Houfe it was written, from whence, I know not by what Accident, feveral other Copies were transcribed, full of Errors. As I have a great Respect for the fuppofed Author, I have procured a true Copy of the Poem, the Publication whereof can do him less Injury than printing any of those incorrect ones which run about in Manufcript, and would infallibly be foon in the Prefs, if not thus prevented.
Some Expreffions being peculiar to Ireland, Ibave prevailed on a Gentleman of that Kingdom to explain them, and I have put the feveral Explanations in their proper Places.
*A BAWN was a Place near the Houfe, enclosed with Mud or Stone Walls, to keep the Cattle from being ftolen in the Night. They are now little ufed.
Lord CARTERET, then Lord Lieutenant.
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