A BALLAD. ‘Christian Carstairs’ 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. T76883 Carstairs, Christian. Original Poems. By a Lady, Dedicated to Miss Ann Henderson. A Tribute to Gratitude and Friendships. Edinburgh Andrew Shortrede 1786 pp. 49-51.

This e-text is part of the Works section of the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA).

XML created for the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA).

Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This 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.

Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) text-indent: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; text-align: right; text-align: left; display: inline font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;
A BALLAD . I. IF Stella and Flavia , celebrated by Swift . — Stella , an amiable woman ; — Flavia , a silly beauty . Flavia's eyes , or Stella's soul , Were in my choice to take , I would not envy Flavia's eyes , But only for thy sake . II . But if a Stella please thee more , That Stella I would be ; For sure a Flavia could not gain , Or keep a swain like thee . III . But ah ! would Stella ever tell ? A stranger as thou art ; Would Stella envy Flavia's eyes ? Alone to gain thy heart . IV . I scarcely knew from whence thou came . Would Stella thought like me ? Too soon I thought — thou didst depart ; Would Stella told it thee . V. But sure my hand — thou ne'er hast seen , My name thou ne'er shalt know ; And while I praise thy nameless art , I can thy love forego . VI . My favourite pigeon too he prais'd . I mind each word he spake ; I'd give it him — but since he's gone , I'll keep it for his sake . VII . Go , gentle swain , and unconfin'd ; Or , if you think of me , Here I with pleasure can submit , If that's approv'd by thee . VIII . Long did I look down a' the way , As far as I could see ; And art thou gone — ah ! what are all The rustic swains to me ? IX . Go , gentle swain — and to our sex Polite attention pay ; Nor ever dangerous flattery try , Nor vain neglect essay . X. The giddy empty fluttering fool , May catch a Flavia's eyes ; But real good sense , and such as you , Alone can Stella please This Ballad was sent to the Rev. M. C. at his reading and reciting , under a feigned story . .