Rich. Flecknoe's ænigmatical characters being rather a new work, than new impression of the old.

Character 11. Of a Dairy. Made in Bedfordshire, Anno 1664.

THou that of Milk the name dost bear, And Bourn's of water flowing thêre; And dost me with thy Name invite, Of low and humble things to write: Thy Dairy and thy Pastures fat, I'le onely chuse to celebrate; Let others celebrate the while Thy Parks, and Woods, and stately Pile: Such high things ask a higher strain, More low befits my lowly vain. In thy so rich and fertile Ground, There so much plenty does abound, You'd think fair Amalthea's horn From fruitful Archileos torn, Some God did from next River tear, And with like Bounty plac't it here. From t••is Rich source, that Milk does come, Which when the Cow does bring it home, As Bees do Honey to the hive, In Cheese and Butter they contrive:

And shud (as anciently) some Fairy Nightly come and haunt the Dairy, And but see how neat 'tis kept, The Shelves so clean, the Floor so swept, Money shud in their shooes be laid, Instead of pinching of the Maid. How happy shud we mortals be? Did all example take from Thee: Where all th' oppression ••hat there is, Is onely in their making Cheese; And where there's no p••rcussion, But onely to make Butter come. Idolat'ry that in ancient time Was their Religion, as their crime, With some excuse we might allow, Had they alone Ador'd the Cow, (From which such plenteous good does come) And let their other Beasts alone. From that comes Butter, Milk and Cheese, And Whey, and Curds so white from these▪ As t'wod the Milkie Way appear, Shud God•• look down and see us here, As we behold the Galaxy, In looking upwards to the Sky. And now if any curious are, To know why th'are more white and fair, Then ever Milk or Curds were yet, That from their Ladies hands they get;

So fair and white, we well may say, Nothing's more white and pure then they.