The First PART. I. O Salsbury People, give ear to my Song, And attention unto my new Ditty: For it is in the praise of your River Avon, Of your Bishop, your Church and your City. II. And you Maior and Aldermen all on a row, Who govern that a watered Mead, First b listen awhile, upon your c tipto, Then carry this home and d read. a The City of New Sarum built in the Bishops Meadow. b To the Ballad-singers. c In a posture of attention. d Here the Poet is in a good humour, and supposes that all of them can read. III. Therein you may find many an excellent e Lore, That unto your Wives you may teach; Though f perhaps once and more our Poet may soar Clear out of your Worships reach. e An old word frequent in Spenser, and (if we may join the best English Poet with the worst Rimers in the world) in Sternhold and Hop- kins, Thy law and eke thy lore, etc. I should cite the places, but that such Quotations would look strangely on the margin of a Ballad. It signifies Lesson or Doctrin. Vid. Skinners Lexicon. f I find now I praised the Poet too soon; for this is an impudent and unmannerly supposition, and I approve it not; though it is something mollified by those words perhaps and your Worships. IV. O g Clarendon Park, and O Clerbury Hill, Join with your old Friend the River, To inspire my Muse, and assist my Quill, In the great things I have to deliver. g This seems Heathenish to pray to Hills and Parks and Rivers; but 'tis no more than other Poets invoking Parnas- sus and Helicon; nevertheless I believe the Poet was a good Christian, for if you read to the end of this Part, you will find the Bishop was very much in his favour. V. School-Mistresses fine, to the number of h Nine, Ile call on no Muses but you; Nor no other help to enter my i Whelp, Unless it be k bouncing l Pru. h Not but that there are a greater number of School- Mistresses in the Close, but the Poet hath need of no more of them than there were Muses. i My young barking Muse. Ma Muse nourrie en Satire. Boi. k That word signifies fat or dancing. l A diminutive from Prudence, and seems to be put here for any Woman at large only to complete the Ryme, it being a name suitable enough; for most Women are wise, if not cunning. I confess some who pretend to have been intimately acquainted with the Poet in his life-time, are very positive, that this name did not only point out a particular Woman, but even the Poets Mistress; but I cannot agree to this, for had it been so, he would have given her a more honourable Epithet. VI. Encourage you m Ten, the most timorous Pen That e'r such a task did begin: When you find any wit, then in my mouth spit, And chuck me under the chin. m The nine School-Mistres- ses and this bouncing Pru. VII. I will not forget those n Stones that are set In a round, upon Salsbury Plains; Though who brought 'em there, 'tis hard to declare, The o Romans, Merlin or Danes. n Stonehenge the noblest piece of Antiquity in England. o Here the Poet briefly sums up the several opinions of Historians and Antiquarians concerning the Founders of Stonehenge. VIII. Nor those pretty Sheep, whom greater Beasts keep, Nor you Bustards that stalk thereby: You Bustards that chuse to do like my Muse, Who walks because she can't fly. p Shepherds. IX. Nor q you that know all the diseases of Eyes, And for all a sure remedy find; Who alone give light, after twenty years night, To those who are born r stone-blind. q Doctor Peter Turberville, the best Oculist of this Age or any before him. r The Daughter of George Turberville of Whitminster in Glocestershire, and one Peverel of Salsbury and divers others. X. Nor you the good s Bishop that came from the t West, And spared neither pains nor cost, To build up the u House, pull'd down by x Prick-louse, And fit it for such an Host. s If you can have patience till you come to the nine- teenth Stanza of the Second Part, you will know what this Bishops name is. t Exeter. u The Bishops Palace in Salsbury. x One Vanling a London-Tailor, who bought it of the sacrilegious Rebels. XI. 'Twas you that let in y St. Burien Streams To increase the small z River * Ex: 'Twas you brought again the a lost Badge and Chain, And did it to b Sarum annex. y This I suppose is one of those places our Poet threat- ens the Aldermen within the third Stanza; but I will not let him be obscure: He means the Deanry of St. Burien near the Lands-end in Cornwal, procured to be annext to the Bishoprick of Exeter, (by this Bishop before his Translation) upon the Death of Doctor Wykes, which happened in the time of Dr. Sparrow the present Bishop, who now enjoys it. z River for Sea, not without a conceit. * The name of the River upon which Exeter stands, put figuratively for the City. To increase the small River Ex, i.e. to augment the poor Bishop- rick of Exeter. a The Ensigns of the Chancellorship of the Garter, a Medal and a Gold-Chain. We are said to lose what we have been possessors of. The first Chancellor of the Garter was Bishop Beauchamp, A.D. 1450. and that honour was enjoyed by his Successors the Bishops of Salsbury, till the time of Cardinal Campegio, who having incurr'd the displeasure of K. Hen. VIII. for differing from him about the Match, retired to Rome and there died, A.D. 1539. and lies buried in Santa Maria Trastevere, that Office having continued in the Bishops of Salsbury 89 years. b Since which time it has been in lay hands, till it pleased K. Charles II. (upon the humble Petition and claim of the present Bishop of Salsbury) to restore it to him and his Successors; the Letters Patents bear date Nov. 25, 1671. so that it was out of that Sea 132 years. XII. You first made the Salsbury men c understand Their River might d eas'ly be taught To bear Ships up and down, and enrich the Town, e And you were the first at it wrought. c Beat it into their heads. d For a very few thousand pounds. So Horace speaking of a River, Doctus iter melius, and in another place, Multa mole docendus aprice parcere campo. e On the 20. of October, 1675. by a good token 'twas the very day and hour Northampton was burning. XIII. 'Twas you that kept up the Citizens f hearts, Or the g Giants had over-born 'em; For them you did h ride, for them you i replied, you brought their Vessels to k Harnham. f At the meeting of the Com- missioners for making the Ri- ver navigable at Salsbury, Mar. 22. 1675. g Divers great Gentlemen of Hampshire; the Poet alludes to Beavais and Ascabert, whose Pictures are upon Hampton-Gate. h To London to the King and Council. i Answered the Objections of the Opposers. k Harnham-Bridge, where the Key is, i.e. They ow the making their River navigable to your management. XIV. l But when will this paltry Poet begin, And shew us a touch of his Art? m With a cup of old Sack, he'l wind up his n Jack, And o twang it i' th' Second Part. l This is supposed to be ob- jected by the unattentive and irreverent Reader, as if the Poet had done nothing all this while. m The Poets mild answer. It should have been a Glass of Claret, if Ryme would have permit- ted. n His Engin wherewith he makes verses; so Chaucer, As winding up makes a Jack go, so good wine makes good verses flow. o Twang is a very emphatical word, but not easily tran- slated; it signifies as much as éclatter in French, or rimbombar in Italian. The Second PART to the same Tune.

I. OLd Sarum was built on a a dry barren Hill, A great many years ago. 'Twas a Roman Town of strength and renown, As its stately Ruins show. a Vide infra Stanza 17. ---From their hill, Where there was neither well nor spring. II. Therein was a Castle for men of Arms, And a Cloister for men of the Gown; There were Friers and Monks, and b Liers and c Punks, d Though not any whose names are come down. b Tradesmen. c Harlots. d This refers to Punks, none celebrated in History; as Thais, Messalina, and others since. III. The Soldiers and Church-men did not long agree, For the surly men with the e Hilt on Made f sport at the gate, with the Priests that came g late From h shriving the Nuns of Wilton. e Hilt for Sword, by a known Figure. f By asking of them roguish questions. g After the Watch was set. h From doing their daily drudgery. IV. i Whereupon Bishop Poor went to the k King, And told him his piteous tale, That rather than abide such a thorn in his side, He'd build a new Church in the Vale. i This Whereupon is a very comprehensive word, and yet seems more than it is; one would think the Poet here makes a leap from the Foundation of Old Sarum by the Romans to Bishop Poors time; but 'tis only from Herman the first Bishop of Salsbury, Anno 1083. to Richard Poor the seventh, 1217. This Whereupon there- fore is as much as to say, After 134 years suffering the affronts of the Garrison, their patience was worn out, flesh and bloud could endure no longer; but Bishop Poor being a stout man went to the King. k Henry III. V. Ile build a new Church in the Vale, said he, If your l Highness will give me m scope. Who I? said the King, n Ile not do such a thing, Without our old Father the Pope. l According to the stile of those times. m Leave. n Where note that King had no mind to incur the Popes displeasure. In those days he was a terrible Fellow in England. VI. Then Ile go to that o Whore, replied Bishop Poor, With a Purse full of good old Gold; For why should I beg and make a low leg, Where ev'ry thing is to be sold? o This is a very hard place, why Bishop Poor being a Pa- pist should call the Pope Whore? Some think the Bi- shop spoke it prophetically, knowing that in the succeeding times of Calvin and the Presbyterians, he should be proved to be the Whore. Others more acutely think this might be Pope Joane: But this ingenious solu- tion is against Chronology: For Pope Joane (if ever there was such a one) was in the year 853. 374 years before Bishop Poor. The best reason in my opinion is taken out of the Context, the last verse of this Stanza, Where everything is to be sold. Rome is a Whore, because it does kind- nesses for Money only, not for love, which is the very definition of a Whore. VII. He went, he prevail'd, he return'd in a trice, With ample Autority seiz'd, To remove p Sarums Stones, and q St. Osmunds Bones, And to build a new Church where he pleas'd. p The Walls of the City and Cathedral. q This S. Osmund was the se- cond Bishop of Old Sarum; he was also Earl of Dorset and Lord Chancellor of England, he died 1099. and was removed with great Pomp to New Sarum, where he lies buried in the middle of our Lady Chappel under a black Marble-stone bearing only this Inscription, ANNO MXCIX. He was Sainted by Pope Calixtus III. Anno 1456. The Process and charge thereof may be seen in Salsbury Muniments. VIII. To the Abbess of Wilton he shewed his Bull, And how much he was in the Popes grace; Though they two consulted their r bellies full, Yet they could not agree of a place. r A Proverbial Phrase used for Rymes sake; for I can- not believe what some of the wicked hint, that the Poet had any waggish meaning here. IX. One time as this Prelate lay on his Down-Bed, Recruiting his Spirits with rest, There appear'd, as 'tis said, a beautiful s Maid, With her own dear Babe at her brest. s Who that Maid and Babe were, the learned and devout understand. X. To him thus she spoke, (the day was scarce broke, And his eyes yet to slumber did yield) Go build me a Church | without any delay, Go build it in Merry-field. XI. He awakes and he rings, up ran Monks and Friers At the sound of his little Bell. I must know, said he, where Merry-field is, But the Devil a bit could they tell. XII. Full early he arose on a Morning gray, To meditate and to walk; And by chance over-heard a Soldier on the Guard As he thus to his fellow did talk. XIII. I will lay on the side of my good Yewen Bow, That I shoot clean over the Corn, As far as that Cow in Merry-field, Which grazes under the thorn. XIV. Then the Bishop cried out, Where is Merry-field? For his mind was still on his Vow. The Soldier reply'd, By the River-side, Where you see that brindle Cow. XV. Upon this he declared his pious intent, And about the t Indulgences ran, And brought in bad people to build a good u Steeple, And thus the Cathedral began. t Indulgences are a sort of Roman Coin the Popes use to give to pious uses, as buil- ding of Churches, maintain- ing Rebellion against Protestant Princes, etc. To which sometimes they add dead Bodies, Promises and Hopes; so one of their own Poets: Le Cose de la guerra andavan zoppe: I Bolognese richiedean danari Al Papa, ed egli respondeva coppe, E mandava Indulgenze per gli Altari. C. 12. And in ano- ther place: Part' eran Ghibelline, e favorite Da l'Imperio Aleman per suo interesse. Part' eran Guelfe, e oon la Chiesa unite, Che le pascea di speme, e di promesse. C.1. Which last Verses may be thus translated in our Authors stile and measure: * These held that the Emperor was in the right, Those that the Popes Cause was good. They that were for the Popes were fed with thin hopes, And Pardons and || pieces of Wood. Thus the Pope having promised twenty five thousand Crowns a Month towards carrying on the Rebellion in Ireland, paid them in this coin, and sent by the Irish Ambassadors, (the Bishop of Fern and Sir Nicolas Plunket) Anno 1647. from Rome two dead Bodies, which for ought anyone knew, might have been Heathens, instead of ready money. * The Ghibellines. The Guelfs. || Chips of the Cross. u Not that the Cathedral began by the Steeple, but Steeple is put here for Church, by the same Figure, as before Hilt for Sword.

XVI. The Principal Stones in a x fortunate hour, For the Pope, King and some of the y Peers, Were laid by z Pandulfos Legantine Power, And 'twas finish'd in * thirty years. x In an hour found out ac- cording to the rules of A- strology by the William Lil- lies of those times, this they took more care, because the Church built before by Bishop Osmund was founded in an ill hour; in an ill hour, I say, for the Steeple was burnt down by Lightning the day after 'twas finished. Vide Godw. y The five first Stones were laid by Pandulfo the Popes Legat, the first for the Pope, the se- cond for the King, the two next for the Earl and Countess of Salsbury, the fifth for the Bishop. z Signifies no more than Pandulfo himself, as by such a ones Lordship or Worship we mean their persons; but this expression is more antient and Poetical, being often used in Homer, åîç ò ÔåëåìÜ÷éï, etc. * And cost but forty thousand marks, Vid. The Account in Sals- bury Muniments. Upon this excellent Pile, see also the Verses of Daniel Rogers, in Godwin and Camdens Britannia, which begin thus, Mira cano, etc. XVII. Then the men of Old Sarum came down from their Hill, a Where there was neither Well nor Spring; That they might have a Mill, and water at b will, And hear the sweet c Fishes sing. b In the first Verse of this Part, he calls it, A dry bar- ren Hill. b At hand for all convenien- ces, as washing of dishes, drowning of children, etc. c This is another place wherein the Poet intended to walk incognito; but I'll pull off his mask, noble Citizens, he means Frogs. Aristophanes thought so well of their voices, that he makes 'em sustain the part of the Chorus in one of his Come- dies: the words of their Song are Âæå÷å÷å÷å÷åî, ÷ïî, ÷ïî, the meaning thereof, and the Tune I confess myself ignorant of. XVIII. But if I proceed, as I once had decreed, And d foolishly undertook, To let my e vein run, I shall never have done, And instead of a Song make a Book. d Here the Poet chides him- self for his fool-hardy un- dertaking in the first Part, and begins to take up. e Poetical. XIX. O pardon me, pardon me, Bishop f Ward, For putting thy name in my Song; For I am alas but a silly g Bard, And my Verses cannot live long. f Now I am out of your debt for what I promised in my Commentary upon the 9th Stanza of the first Part. g A Welsh Poet. XX. Though sometimes a lucky Ballad may hit, And in spight of times Iron h Fangs, Outlive greater Volumes stuft fuller of wit, And conceiv'd with more labour and pangs. h Teeth. XXI. But if I was owner of Virgils Tromp- Ette and Horaces well-tuned i Lyre, k I'd wear 'em out to the very stump, But I'd make thy great name to aspire. i An obsolete word signify- ing a Welsh Harp. k Here the Poet shews his good inclination towards the Bishop. XXII. Then answer'd my Muse, with a scornful smile Leave off such fond thoughts, l Poor heart, 'Tis fansie and skill, not love and good-will, Must fit thee for such a part. l How familiarly and obli- gingly the Muse speaks to the Poet. XXIII. I'l make it the care of the ages to come, When thou shalt be dead and rotten, To publish his fame, and embalm his name, That it never shall be m forgotten. m ------Sopra te non haura possa, Quel duro, eterno, ineccitabil sonno, D'havert chiusa in cosi poca fossa, Se tanto i versi miei prometter ponno. XXIV. While Lovers shall languish betwixt hopes and fears, With a visage pale, n blue and forlorn: And all the world round, any wife may be found, Whose o dear Husband drinks in a p Horn. A Poetical Description of a long time. n This seems to be taken out of Horace, Et tinctus violâ pallor amantium. I hope the Ghost of a Ballad-maker will not be offended with me for this discovery. I am sure the best French Poet now living reputes it an honour that it was said of him. N'est qu' un gueux, revestu des depoüilles d'Horace. o The Poet does not think it strange, if Women who hate their Husbands should let them drink in Horns. p The meaning of this is, This Bishops name shall not be forgotten, till all the world over all loving Wives shall be so rich as to be able to provide their Husbands Cups of more precious matter than Horn, and there shall be found no Horn in any loving Wifes House. XXV. While the River of Avon runs down to the Sea, And Grass grows on Salsbury Plain, While q Englishmen dance to the Musick of France, And Tradesmen mind nothing but gain. q While the English follow the French fashions. This sort of Description is frequent both in Antient and Modern Poets: So Virgil, Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum piscis amabit, Dumque thymo pascentur apes, dum rore cicadae, etc. So Ovid, ------Tenedos dum stabit & Ida. Dum rapidas Simois in mare volves aquas, etc. So the Italian Theocritus: Mentre per questi monti Andran le fere errando E gli alti pini hauran pungenti foglie. Mentre li vivi fonti Correran mormorando. Nel alto mar, che con amor gli accoglie, etc. And in another place: Mentre serpente in dumi Saranno, e pesci in fiumi, Ne Sol vivrai, ne la mia stanca lingua, Ma per Pastor diversi, In mille altre sampogne, e mille versi. But in mine opinion these are too general, whereas those of our Poet are particular and Sa- tyrical, and therefore more commendable. XXVI. But it is not for such weak r shoulders as thine To undergo such a s care: For that I design a Poet t Divine; u Wind thou up thy Song with a Prayer. r Alluding to that of Horace, Quid valeant humeri, quid fer- re recusent: And that of Vir- gil, Non tali auxilio & de- fensoribus istis. s Of eternizing the Bishops name. t As if she should say with Horace, ---Quibus ingenium est, & mens divinior atque os, Magna sonaturum, dabo NOMINIS HUIUS honorem. u Mark how precise the Muse is in observing old Customs. XXVII. She said, I x obey'd. The Queen and the King God bless, and their Brother JAMES, And y Old Christ-church Haven, and New Sarums Avon, And make it as good as the Thames. x The Poets ready obedi- ence is remarkable; She said, I obeyd: Dictum factum: It is a sign his Pegasus was well managed, that he stops so short, in his full career. y Christ-church is a very antient Town, by Ptolomy called Portus Alauni, by the Saxons Twinambourn, because it lies betwixt two Rivers, which answers to the Latin Interamnium, now Terni.