Nymphydia (pretty gossip) told
To Michael Drayton, once a story
Which happen’d to Queen Mab of old
And one Sir Knight Pig-wiggin bold!
Whom Oberon did bravely scold
For tarnishing his lady’s glory.
This fairy maid of honour still
Tho’ banish’d for her love of prating
Delights the moonlight hours to kill
Beside a gently murm’ring rill
Some favor’d mortals ear to fill
With anecdotes well worth relating
Now I, a poor love stricken wight
Had wander’d forth, on Cupid railing
’Twas sooth to say, a moonlight night
When I did meet this lady bright
Who as I said took much delight
In other ladies faults detailing.
An humbler theme, for me she chose
Than fairy queens and martial tilting
’Twas the flirtation of the rose
Her coquetry she would expose
And how she treated both her beaux
In short she call’d it downright jilting.
’Twas summer, fair Nymphydia cried,
“The flowers all around were blowing
But one above the rest in pride
Soft blushing like a youthful bride
Near whom fond zephyrs frequent sigh’d
The rose in all her beauty glowing”
“Near the vain flow’r upon a spray
The tuneful nightingale complaining
Soft warbled his harmonious lay
To her who turn’d another way.
No kind attention seem’d to pay
His plaintive melody disdaining.”
“But mark, what made her seem so shy
For me ’twas easy to discover
The cause of her averted eye
Zephyr might chance be passing by
And as he’s prone to jealousy
She’d not offend her fav’rite lover.”
And do you know! the forward thing!
Proud of her fragrance & her beauty
Requires that one, all night should sing
At noon, the other swain may bring
Refreshing gales on silken wing
And thus she keeps them both on duty.