Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON THE BOWMEETING AND FANCY FAIR, by ROWLAND EYLES EGERTON-WARBURTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ON THE BOWMEETING AND FANCY FAIR, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The tents are pitch'd in hawarden's peaceful vale
Last Line: No peril waits you save from beauty's eye.
Alternate Author Name(s): Egerton-warburton, R. E.
Subject(s): Archers & Archery


THE tents are pitch'd in Hawarden's peaceful vale,
And harmless shafts the platted targe assail;
While now the bow (by archers more intent
On making love than making war) is bent,
Beneath those towers, where erst their fathers drew,
In deadly conflict, bows of tougher yew.
The canvas stretch'd beneath th' o'erhanging wall,
Now Beauty lures us to her glittering stall;
While wares new fangled, shreds of motley hue,
Profusely spread, the chequer'd counter strew.

Beneath the magic of her touch, behold
Transform'd at once the warlike arms of old!
The mighty falchion to a pen-knife shrinks,
Mail armour's meshes form the purse's links;
The sturdy lance a bodkin now appears,
A bunch of tooth-picks once a hundred spears!
A painted toy behold the keen-edged axe!
See men of iron turn'd to dolls of wax!
The once broad shield, contracted now in span,
Raised as a screen or flutter'd as a fan;
The gleaming helm a hollow thimble proves,
And weighty gauntlets dwindle into gloves;
The plumes that wing'd the arrow through the sky,
Waft to and fro the shuttlecock on high;
Two trusty swords are into scissors cross'd,
And dinted breastplates are in corsets lost;
While dungeon chains, to gentler use consign'd,
Now silken laces, tighten stays behind.

Approach! nor weapons more destructive fear,
Where'er ye turn, than pins and needles here.
While hobbling Age along the pathway crawls,
By aid of crutch, to scale the Castle walls,
With eager step advance, ye generous youths!
Draw the long purse, and strip the loaded booths!
Bear each away some trophy from the steep!
Take each a keepsake ere ye quit the keep!
Come! every stranger, every guest draw nigh!
No peril waits you save from Beauty's eye.





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