The SPARROW and DIAMOND. A SONG. Matthew Green Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T131163 K104099.001 Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764. A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes. By Several Hands. Vol. I. London printed by J. Hughs, for R. and J. Dodsley 1763 [1st ed. 1758] pp. 147-149. 6v.: music; 8⁰.

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The SPARROW and DIAMOND . A SONG . By the Same . I. I Lately saw , what now I sing , Fair Lucia's hand display'd : This singer grac'd a diamond ring , On that a sparrow play'd . II . The feather'd play-thing she caress'd , She stroak'd its head and wings ; And while it nestled on her breast , She lisp'd the dearest things . III . With chizzled bill a spark ill set He loosen'd from the rest , And swallow'd down to grind his meat , The easier to digest . IV . She seiz'd his bill with wild affright , Her diamond to descry : 'Twas gone ! she sicken'd at the sight , Moaning her bird would die . V. The tongue-ty'd knocker none might use , The curtains none undraw , The footmen went without their shoes , The street was laid with straw . VI . The doctor us'd his oily art Of strong emetick kind , The apothecary play'd his part , And engineer'd behind . VII . When physic ceas'd to spend its store To bring away the stone , Dicky , like people given o'er , Picks up , when let alone . VIII . His eyes dispell'd their sickly dews , He peck'd behind his wing ; Lucia recovering at the news , Relapses for the ring . IX . Mean-while within her beauteous breast Two different passions strove ; When av'rice ended the contest , And triumph'd over love . X. Poor little , pretty , fluttering thing , Thy pains the sex display , Who only to repair a ring Could take thy life away ; XI . Drive av'rice from your breasts , ye fair , Monster of foulest mien : Ye would not let it harbour there , Could but its form be seen . XII . It made a virgin put on guile , Truth's image break her word , A Lucia's face forbear to smile , A Venus kill her bird .