[Excerpt from Description of a Journey to Marlborough, Bath, Portsmouth etc.]
WHEN CANCER fiercely glow'd with PHOEBUS' Heat,
And Clouds of Dust flew ev'n in Brentford-street;
O'er Hounslow-heath my early Course I steer,
For Robbers fam'd; but I no Robbers fear:
Let Gold, like Guilt, increase the Miser's Grief;
A Poet's Purse, like Virtue, dares a Thief.
Colebrook I quickly pass, and soon my Eyes
Survey the Royal Tow'rs of Windsor rise:
Charm'd with the Theme of POPE's harmonious Song,
I check my Steed, and slowly move along;
As ling'ring Mariners contract their Sails,
To feast on Odours of Arabian Gales.
But lest, my Lord, your Patience should accuse
The dull Narration of a tedious Muse,
I will not sing each Trifle that occurr'd,
How much I eat, and drank, and whipp'd, and spurr'd:
How oft my Palfry stumbled in the Way,
Till Hatford ends the Travel of the Day;
Where kind MENALCAS, Partner of my Soul,
Revives me with his friendly, flowing Bowl;
Yet forces no intemp'rate Bumpers round,
Except when DELIA's Health the Glasses crown'd.
A thousand Labours past, we now run o'er,
What Scenes we acted, and what Toils we bore:
No Party Feuds, nor Politics we name;
The Joys of Friendship mostly were our Theme.
Warn'd by the Clock, we now retire to Rest,
Till rising PHOEBUS streak'd the purple East.
Breakfast soon o'er, we trace the verdant Field,
Where sharpen'd Scythes the lab'ring Mowers wield:
Straight Emulation glows in ev'ry Vein;
I long to try the curvous Blade again.
Part of a longer poem in which Duck travelled south-west from London and many places south and west of London. Other excerpts are also found via his author page on Poetry Atlas, including sections on Charlton, Bath, Old Sarum, Southampton and the Hampshire estate of Duck's patron, Hans Stanley.
Duck used to be an agricultural worker (a thresher), which is why he longs to try the scythe again.