Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A38586
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ErÅtopolis, the present state of Betty-land
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Cotton, Charles, 1630-1687.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing E3242; ESTC R31441
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51,925
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194
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made him restless for new discoveries which they resolved to prosecute the night following The Sun had now withdrawn himself and it was within an hour of night when Eucolpius and I said Eumolpus entring into one of the Gaming-Houses of the Syrens went up into a private Apartment calling to the chief Syren to bring us a Bowl of her most charming Liquor she that brought it was no sooner sate down by us but she began to talk of these Persons who were the Chiefest Husbandmen in Betty-land in their time at so familiar rate that we wondred how she came by so great an Acquaintance among the Nobler sort of Husbandmen being such an ordinary Syren her self for she can divison upon their Descents and Pedigrees as if she had been bred in the College of Heralds While we were thus taken up with Enchantments of her Discourse a strange lumbring noise invaded our Ears fâ—om the stairs which led into our Apartment The Syren when she heard it flew out of the Room with the swiftness of a shooting-Star clapping the door fast after her But we said Eumolpus big with Curiosity had a longing desire to know the reason of so much Clutter By and by peeping through the door we perceived an old Farmer of Betty-land coming up upon four Legs two Natural and two Artificial a pair of wooden Crutches with which he did so knock and bepestle the Boards that a Horse with 4 Iron shooes would have been thought to have walkt upon Velvet after him so weak and so decrepit so old so worn out with the Labor of â—hat Country that no greater pain could be imagined than the pain which he seemed to endure in his Engine-likeâ— motion with much ado at length he got to the inside of a Table and sate him down with his back against the Wainscot opposite to the Chimny Surely said Eumolpus were the seven Wise Men of Greece now alive it would puzzle their Understanding to know the strange and hidden deâ—ire of this old Farmer I warrant quoth Eucolpius this old Farmer had been an industrious workman in his time and now to see a fertil spot of ground to behold a pleasing Prospect is as delightful to him as the Tillage it self was formerly Age unfit for Action will delight it self in the Memory of what in Youth it has peâ—form'd whether we were addicted to Acts of Honesty or of Villany Repetition sooths the Fancy and dandles it with the remembrance of what a drooping performer has done so setling to our peeping Crannies we observed a young Syren come into the Room with two sable Pots of Enchanting Liquor in her hands which she set down before him The old Farmer drank not so lamely as he went but freely and made the Syren quaff her own Liquor as freely as himself she had a Brow as black as a new Beaver and her Cheeks were as ruddy as the Vermilionâ— Edges of a new Book In a short while betaking her self to the Chimny she stood bolt upright and having the Signal given as they draw the Curtain up from before the Scenes of a Theater she drew the Curtain gently up that was before it and showed the Prospect of a very fair Garden-plot of Maiden-hair not green as in other Countries but growing like a kind of black Fern or rather a spot of Ground looking like a sieve of black Cherries â—overed over with the tops of russet Fennel The Fields about were imbroidered over with white Dasies and yellow Pissabeds but the old Farmer who neither cared for Innocency and had been sufficiently plagued with Jealousie and consequently could endure neither of those Colours caused her to dâ—ub her hands with the Soot of the Chimny to dissigure the whole prospect of those more pleasant Colours not permitting her to leave any thing but what was black within the Horizon of his View Then he pleased his aged Eyes with beholding the whole commending what he thought fit to be commended and reading a Lecture of Betty-land Husbandry over every part till satiated with the Prospect and his Discourse the Curtain again was let down and the Syren sent away for more Enchanting Liquor to requite her kindness certainly said Eumolpus the Fancy of this Farmer was the most Extâ—avagant that was ever known There is some Reason for it said Eucolpius for Betty-land Love as it entâ—ed first into the Eye so at last goes out of the Eye The Eye is the Charriot wherein the Fancy Rides surveying past contents and if that be strong and juvenile it will imploy the Body in something of its former concerns how impotent how unwieldly soever for Reason you must know is not at all permitted to be so much as named in Betty-land where it is Death to make use of it And where the Husbandmen and Huswifes are guided only by Passion and follow only the perswasions of Appetite Again as there is no Reason so there is no Wisdom in Betty-land they seldom hear of it from one end of the Country to the otherâ— or if they chance to hear the least sound of it they count it as fatal as the Romans did to hear the Ravens croak upon the left hand like the young People of Betty-land that when the Bells ring to the Temple run to the Syrens Habitations at Islington believing that the Bells are hung in the City to ring them into the Country Should this Farmer have been so impotent again he would not have been a Rush the wiser and therefore 't is no wonder his predominating Superiors direct and govern him as they please themselves Eucolpius having thus said Eumolpus and he took their way towards a small part of Betty-land near the Temple of St. Buttolphs-Aldgate where upon the first call he was let into a fâ—ir Habitation belonging to one of those Elderly Syrens called Maquerelas The Apartments were fair and well adorn'd through one of which as we passed said Eumolpus we saw a Table spread and furnished as if it had been for the Supper of Trimalcio in Petronius being come into our own Retirement we askt the Syren what Vlysses was to be Entertain'd there that night she answered with a Smile but told Eucolpius more familiarly that we should have a sight of the pastime in due season â—eeing there was none but himself and one whom she saw to be his peculiar Friend tho with a most â—olemn Proviso of Secrecy enjoyn'd In the mean time we call'd for a Syren or two which were immediately call'd up Charming enough we had no sooner drank a Cup or two of the Syrens Liquoâ—s but one of them began to fall into the rehearsal of her Misfortunes that she was the Daughter of one of the Priests of Pan for the most common Huswives of Betty-land â—eign themselves to be either the Daughters Sisters or Huswifes of the Priests of Pan thereby to gain the greater pity of their Sufferings that she had been driven out of doors by the Shepherd whom of all others in
prevail but if she drinks she's thine Lady's must drink no Wine no Wine cry they Yet Lady's sure may drink a draught of Whey Has Whey such force no something she steals in For soon as drank it tickles all the Skin They appear in all Colours like Cameleons in all shapes like she Proteus's not that you are to think that these are of that sort of Shepherdesses which the Huâ—bandman Homer calls Syrens but of a far more queint and curious Ingenuity for those Syrens seem 〈◊〉 be a poor kind of Shepherdesses like those that were wont to haunt the Plains of Lutiners-Lane and Cole Yard by their ordinary language and impudent beckning to Vlysses as he passed by their doors who can otherwise expound the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Here Chuck Vlysses here come in and see What Pots of jet what nut-brown Ale have we For never Mariner return'd on shore But he came here to look him out a Whore Come in then Ioy and spend thy Pot with us We 'l sometimes sing a Song and sometimes buss As these words were translated in comes Eumolpus views them and swears there could be no other Interpretation of the words To make it out I will give you a description of these Syreâ—s and their Habitations which exceed the number of all others in Betty-land by the progress and experience of my own Travels when I was veâ—y young quoth Eumolpus I fell into the acquaintance of Eucolpius and Trimaley Husbandmen of laâ—ge Experience and who had been great Travellers in the Country of Betty-land gâ—owing familiar as one that had received Istum telis Veneris It was not long e're I discovered to them the great desire I had to know the Country of Betty-land of which I had heard and read so much They asked me what substance my friends had left me to bear Expences for the Journey would be tedious and chargeable I bid them take no care for that for I had Lands to â—ell and as long as that lasted there would be no want telling them withal that Knowledge is better than fine Gold Then replyed Eucolpius the place where we now are is one of the most remarkable Cities in all Betty-land and therefore dear Eumolpus rest thy self assured of the best Assistance I can befriend thee with so in the depth of the Winter-quarter within an hour after day-light shut in we set forward To remember the several by-ways and turnings through which we went it is as impossible as for a man to remember thingâ— done before he was born at length we came to a good large Habitation which seemed like an enchanted Castle for tho we understood that there were many of the Inhabitants of Betty-land in the house yet there was as a deep silence as in a Temple We were no sooner entred for the doors of these houses are seldom shut as being haunted with a continual sort of Strangers but there appeared to us a young Syren which put us in mind of that Verse in Ovid Monstra maris Syrenes erant The Syrens were strange Monsters bred out of the froth of the Sea or rather Monsteâ—s of the Sea Seeing that there are none of all That walk on Land which they can Father call She was as black as a Lobster before 't is boil'd and instead of hands had much such kind of Claws and her head lookt like a Gorgons Perâ—iwig with Snakes she lookt as if she had been eaten and spew'd up again or as if she had been one of those upon whom the Venifices of Betty-land were wont to try their Potions and yet she had the confidence to invite us to drink of her Cups Eumolpus did not much mind her Courtesie but askt Eucolpius whether that were not the Cumaean Witch that accompanied Aeneas through Hell How reply'd Eucolpius does she look old enough to be a Sybil yet there are some of the poor labouring Mechanick Inhabitants of Betty-land will be glad of â— worse than that Syren With that calling her by her name Quartilla said he where is Thelxinoe for so was the old Syren called She knew his Voice and streit appears the Great Bellua Leinae Horrendum stridens A ruinous piece of Antiquity with a Voice as hoarse as if her throat had been lin'd with Seal Skins she had as much flesh below her Chin as would have serv'd to have made another Face she was pufft up like a shoulder of Veal blown up with a Tobacco-Pipe yet was her Language as soft as Lambs-Wool to Eucolpius who enquir'd of her where such and such Syrens were and how they did shall I send for such a one quoth she do cries Eucolpius Fly then cry'd Thelxinoe to the deform'd Syren that first admitted us and bid Sylvagia appear hast her hither All this while said Eumolpus we were in the common-Room which put him in mind of that description of the Syrens habitation in Virgil Iamque adeo scopulos Syrenum advecta subibat Difficiles quondam multorumque oâ—ssibus albos Most dangerous Rocks which mortals never baulk Till all the walls grow white with score and Chalk But when the little Syren said he continuing his relation was gone forth Thelxinoe carried us into her own Apartment a place not very illustriously accoutred nor yet over meanly set forth There hung against the wall a good fair Looking-Glass and in the window were to be seen two dirty Combs the most peculiar Utensils belonging to a Syren The Bed which was the best thing in the Room as being a piece of Furniture of which they make the greatest use in Betty-land lay as if it had bâ—â—n but lately tumbled which Eucolpius perceiving quoth he smiling upon Thelxinoe who was here last There quoth she who dost think but my Vlysses and I your Vlysses quoth he who 's that for Eucolpius knew that she had had no Husbandman to manure her ground for many years together only day-Labourers that wrought at so much an hour But she to stop Eucolpius's mouth in a great rage demanded of him what sort of Liquor he would have and immediately fetcht in half a dozen Bottles of Stepony a most bewitching Juice which as soon as the Bottles were loose flew up with so much violence against the Ceeling as if they had bid defiance to the Clouds such a shower of spirited water rain'd upward against the course of nature so that a whole Bottle scarce yielded enough to wet the bottom of a Glass yet would the Syren not baâ—e a farthing of her price which was a round shilling for every Bottle After that she brought in six more Bottles which behav'd themselves after the same rude manner Eucolpius who well knew the Effects of the Syrens Charms call'd for the tamer Juice of Barley over which said Eucolpius after we had continued till it was very late enchanted with the pleasant Discourses of the Syrens on a sudden we heard a great noise in the room over head as if the Sky