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THE PEASANT in Search of his HEIFER.

A TALE, After M. De la Fontaine.

1 IT so befell: a silly Swain
2 Had sought his Heifer long in vain;
3 For wanton she had frisking stray'd,
4 And left the Lawn, to seek the Shade.
5 Around the Plain he rolls his Eyes,
6 Then, to the Wood, in Haste he hies;
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7 Where, singling out the fairest Tree,
8 He climbs, in Hopes to hear or see.
9 Anon, there chanc'd that Way to pass
10 A jolly Lad and buxom Lass:
11 The Place was apt, the Pastime pleasant;
12 Occasion with her Forelock present:
13 The Girl agog, the Gallant ready;
14 So lightly down he lays my Lady.
15 But so she turn'd, or so was said,
16 That she some certain Charms display'd,
17 Which with such Wonder struck his Sight,
18 (With Wonder, much; more, with Delight)
19 That loud he cry'd in Rapture, What!
20 What see I, Gods! What see I not!
21 But nothing nam'd; from whence 'tis guess'd,
22 'Twas more than well could be express'd.
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23 The Clown aloft, who lent an Ear,
24 Strait stopt him short in mid Career:
25 And louder cry'd, Ho! honest Friend,
26 That of thy seeing seest no End;
27 Dost see the Heifer that I seek?
28 If do'st, pray be so kind to speak.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): THE PEASANT in Search of his HEIFER. A TALE, After M. De la Fontaine.
Author: William Congreve
Themes:
Genres: tale

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Source edition

Congreve, William, 1670-1729. An impossible thing. A tale. London: printed: and sold by J. Roberts, 1720, pp. []-16. [4],16p. ; 4⁰. (ESTC T146495; OTA K113867.000)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.