Page:Poems of Anne Countess of Winchilsea 1903.djvu/309

 ���COUNTESS OF WINCHILSEA 171 �She to a Vault transports the Lumber, �And there expects his breaking Slumber. �A Table she with Meat provided, �And rob'd in Black, stood just beside it; 10 �Seen only, by one glim'ring Taper, �That blewly burnt thro' misty Vapor. �At length he wakes, his Wine digested, �And of her Phantomship requested, �To learn the Name of that close Dwelling, �And what offends his Sight and Smelling; �And of what Land she was the Creature, �With outspread Hair, and ghastly Feature ? �Mortal, quoth she, (to Darkness hurry'd) �Know, that thou art both Dead and Bury'd; 20 �Convey'd, last Night, from noisie Tavern, �To this thy still, and dreary Cavern. �What strikes thy Nose, springs from the Shatters �Of Bodies kill'd with Cordial Waters, �Stronger than other Scents and quicker, �As urg'd by more spirituous Liquor. �My self attend on the Deceas'd, �When all their Earthly Train's releas'd; �And in this Place of endless Quiet, �My Bus'ness is, to find them Diet; 30 �To shew all sorts of Meats, and Salades, �Till I'm acquainted with their Palates; �But that once known, then less suffices. �Quoth he (and on his Crupper rises) �Thou Guardian of these lower Regions, �Thou Provider for countless Legions, �Thou dark, but charitable Crony, �Far kinder than my Tisiphony, �Who of our Victuals thus art Thinking, �If thou hast Care too of our Drinking, 40 ��� �