Lk. ! I I . S V ("* S L. in. ,U_-': n THE PEACOCK " A T HOME :" SEQUEL TO THE BUTT EH FLY'S BALL WRITTEN BY A LADY. A N D ILLUSTRATED WITH ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS. LONDON: 2'rinted for j. harris, successor to e. newrery at original juvenile library, the corner ( 51, paul's church-yaw*. 1808, H. JSryer, Printer, Bridge-Street, Blackfriars. THE PEACOCK "AT HOME." ± HE Butterfly's Ball, and the Grasshopper's Feasts, Excited the spleen of the Birds and the Beasts : For their mirth and good cheer — of the Bee was the theme. And the Gnat blew his horn, as he dane'd in the beam. J Twas humrn'd by the Beetle, 'twas buzz'd by the Fly, And sung by the myriads that sport through the sky. A 2 The Quadrupeds listen'd with sullen displeasu; But the tenants of Air were enraged beyond meast The Peacock displayed his bright plumes to the Sun* And addressing his Mates, thus indignant begun : M Shall we, like domestic inelegant Fowls, \s unpolished as Geese and as stupid as Owls, c < Sit tamely at home, hum drum with our Spouses, u While Crickets, and Butterflies, open their houses? u Shall such mean little Insects pretend to the fashion : u Cousin Turkey-cock, well may you be in a passion ! " If I suffer such insolent airs to prevail, " May Juno pluck out all the eyes in my tail ; i Fete I will give, and my taste I'll display, * And send out my cards for St. Valentine's Day." «— This determined, six fleet Carrier-pigeons went out, To invite all the birds to Sir Argus's Rout, The pen-loving Turtle-Dove sent an excuse; Dame Partlet lay in, as did good Mrs, Goose* The Turkey, poor soul ! was confined to the rip : For all her young Brood had just firiPd with the pip. The Partridge was ask'd ; but a Neighbour hard by, Had engaged a snug party to meet in a Pye ; And-thd Wheat-ear declined, recollecting her Cousins, Last year, to a feast were invited by dozens, A 3 6 But alas ! they returned not ; and she had no taste* To appear in a costume of vine-leaves or paste. The Woodcock prefer'd his lone haunt on the moor; And the Traveller, Swallow, was still on his tour. While the Cuckoo, who should have been one of the guests Wad rambling on visits to other Bird's Nests. But the rest, all ace the kind invitation, ad much bustle it causM in the plumed creation : Such ruffling of feathers, such pruning of coats ; Such chirping, such whistling, such clearing of throats; Such polishing bills, and such oiling of pinions ! Had never been known ia the biped dominions. VThe Taylor Bird offer'd to makeup new clothes ; t For all the young Birdlings, who wish'd to be Beaux s He made for the Robin a doublet of red, And a new velvet cap for the Goldfinch's head ; He added a plume to the Wren's golden crest, And spangled with sil ver the G u i n e a-Fo w l' s breas I While the Halcyon bent over the streamlet to vie- How pretty she look'd in her boddicc of blue 1 Thus adorn- d, they set off for th ock's L ; : With the Guide Indu: i road : * O Indicator, I in the inf< parts of A i it has a shrill no soft whistle, and th the note, th< yea ar* which ' g From all points of the compass, flock'd Birds of all feather; And the Parrot can tell who and who were together. There was Lord Cassowary and General Flamingo, And Don Perociueto, escaped from Domingo ; From his high rock-built eyrie the Eagle came forth, i the Duchess of Ptarm ig an flew from the North. The Grebe and the Eider Duck came up by water, With the Swan, who brought out the young Cygnet, her daughter. From his woodland abode came the Pheasant, to meet Two kindred, arriv'dbythe last India fleet: The one, like a Nabob, in habit most splendid, Where gold with each hue of the Rainbow was blended i In silver and black, like a fair pensive Maid, Who mourns for her love ! was the other array'd. The Chough came from Cornwall, and brought up his Wife ; The Grouse travell'd south, from his Lairdship in Fife j The Bunting forsook her soft nest in the reeds ; And the Widow-bird came, though she still wore her weeds; Sir John Heron, of the Lakes, strutted in % grand pas. But no card had been sent to the pilfering Daw, As the Peacock kept up his progenitors' quarrel, Which iEsop relates, about cast-off apparel ; For Birds are like Men in their contests together, And, in questions of right, ean dispute for a feather. 10 The Peacock, Imperial, the pride of his race, Received all his guests with an infinite grace, Ward high his blue neck, and his train he displayed, Embroidered with gold, and with em'ralds inlaid. Then with all the gay troop to the shrubb'ry repaired, Where the musical Birds had a conceit prepared y A holly bush formed the Orchestra, and in it t the Black-bird, the Thrush, the Lark, and the Linnet j A Bull-finch, a captive ! almost from the nest, Now escaped from his cage, and, with liberty blest, In a sweet mellow tone, join'd the lessons of art tcceflts of nature; wh ) w'& from his hear** I [The Canary, a much-admir'd foreign musician? Condescended to sing to the Fowls of condition. While the Nightingale warbled, and quaver'd so fine, That they all cb.pp'd their wings, and pronoune'd it divine I "J he Sky Lark, in extacy, sang from a cloud, And Chanticleer crow'd, and the Yaffil lauglrd loud* The dancing began, when the singing was over ; A Dotterell first open'd the ball with the Plover ; Baron Stork, in a waltz, v low'd to exctl> With his beautiful partner, the fair Demoiselle *T ! oni tin its singular carria the young Ladyj far this Bird wall ryiug to d-i 112 And a newly-ftedg'd Gosling, so fair and gente A minuet swam with The spruce Mr, Teal* A London-bred S farrow — a pert forward Cit ! Danc'd a reel with Miss Wagtail, and little Tom Tit, And the Sieur Guillemot next perform M zpas seul 9 While the elderly bipeds were playing a Pooh The Dowager Lady Toucan first cut in, With old Doctor Buzzard, and Adm'ral Penguin, From Ivy-bush towV came Dame Owlet the Wise, And Counsellor Crossbill sat by to advise. me Birds past their prime, o'er whose head! it was fat Should pas? many St. Valentines — -yet be uflmatedj r 13 Sat by s and remarked that the prudent and sage Were quite overlook'd in this frivolous age, When Birds, scarce pen-feather'd, were brought to a Forward Chits ! from the egg-shell but newly come out ; In their youthful days, they ne'er witnessed such frisking, Andhowwiong! in the Greenfinch tofiirt with the Sis k So thought Lady Mackaw, and her Friend Cockatoo, And the Raven foretold that no good could ensue ?" They censur'd the Bantam for strutting and crowing, In those vile pantaloons, which he fancied look'd knowing : And a want of decorum caused many demurs, /ainst the Game Chicken, for coming in t 14 Old Alderman Cor m'rant, for supper impatient, At the Eating-room door, for an hour had been station'd, Till a Magpie, at length, the banquet announcing, Gavethe signal, long wish'd for,of clamouringand pouncing; At the well-furnish'd board all were eager to perch, But the little Miss Creepers were left in the lurch. Description must fail ; and the pen is unable To recount all the lux Vies which covered the table. Each delicate viand that taste could denote, Wasps a la saace fiiquanie^ and Flies en compote ; Worms and Frogs enfriture, for the web-footed Fowl, And a barebecued Mouse was prepared for the Owl ; IS ftuts, grains, fruit, and fish, to regale ev'ry palate* And groundsel and chick- weed served up in a sallad* The Razor-Bill caiVd for the famishing group, And the Spoon-Bill obligingly ladled the soup ; So they fill'd all their crops with the dainties before 'em, And the tables were clear'd with the utmost decorum. When they gaily hadcaroll'd till peep of the dawn, The Lark gently hinted, 'twas time to be gone ; And his clarion, so shrill, gave the company warning, That Chanticleer scented the gales of- the morning. So they chirp'd, in full chorus, a friendly adieu ; And, with hearts beating light as the plumage that grew On their merry-thought bosoms, away they all flew 16 Then long live the Peacock, in splendour unmatched, Whose Hail shall be talk'd of, by Birds yet unhatch'd : His praise let the Trumpeter* loudly proclaim, And the Goose lend her quill to transmit it to Fame, * Tfee Agami, or Trumpeter, a native of America,, remarkab - nguiar noise, resemWing J&q instrument ftom which it ■ THE EXP, H. Bfyer, Printer, Bridge-Street, Bla r ishea, - Bvz ^y^vir i, and fh'e Grasshopper^ Feas *gs. Trice jfh* iel to iho Peacock \t\gx\ by a Lady; and il< d w\ Price is. plain . in!, , %4! and L r ings, •^ I v 5 Brazils. J Price U-. l-srrwgs. > ith elegant ii-n ving.v ifl • EMTLRTA5? ,«\ «>