He dreamt the third: but now his friend appear'd Pale, naked, pierc'd with wounds, with blood befmear'd: Thrice warn'd, awake, faid he ; relief is late, Awake, and with the dawning day arise : The filth, and ordure, and inclos'd with dung, The frighted friend arose by break of day, And oft to share the spoils with robbers join'd. 7 } His dream confirm'd his thought: with troubled Straight to the western gate his way he took; The word thus giv'n, within a little space, The mob came roaring out, and throng'd the place. All in a trice they caft the cart to ground, ; And in the dung the murder'd body found Good heav'n, whofe darling attribute we find Fresh from the fact; as in the present case, On engines they diftend their tortur'd joints : Here may you fee that vifions are to dread; One ev❜ning it befel, that looking out, The wind they long had wish'd was come about: Well pleas'd they went to reft; and if the gale Till morn continu'd, both refolv'd to fail. But as together in a bed they lay, The younger had a dream at break of day. A man he thought ftood frowning at his fide: Who warn'd him for his fafety to provide, The vifion faid and vanish'd from his fight: The dreamer waken'd in a mortal fright : Then pull'd his drowsy neighbor, and declar'd What in his flumber he had seen and heard. His friend fmil'd fcornful, and with proud contempt Rejects as idle what his fellow dreamt. And many monstrous forms in fleep we see, That neither were, nor are, nor e'er can be. Sometimes forgotten things long caft behind Rufh forward in the brain, and come to mind. The nurfe's legends are for truths receiv'd, 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 fleep will for their prey. open In short the farce of dreams is of a piece, Thus while he spoke, he heard the shouting crew And for quick paffage put on ev'ry fail : But when leaft fear'd, and ev'n in open day, The mischief overtook her in the way: Whether she sprung a leak, I cannot find, Or whether she was overfet with wind, Or that fome rock below her bottom rent; But down at once with all her crew fhe went: Her fellow-fhips from far her lofs descry'd; But only she was funk, and all were fafe befide. By this example you are taught again, That dreams and vifions are not always vain: But if, dear Partlet, you are ftill in doubt, Another tale fhall make the former out. Kenelin the fon of Kenulph, Mercia's king, Whose holy life the legends loudly fing, Warn'd in a dream, his murder did foretel From point to point as after it befel: All circumftances to his nurfe he told, (A wonder from a child of fev'n years old :) |