Dryden and Otway lived opposite to each other in
Queen-street. Otway coming one night from the tavern,
chalked upon Dryden's door, _Here lives John Dryden, he is a
wit_. Dryden knew his hand writing, and next day chalked on
Otway's door, _Here lives Tom Otway, he is oppo-site._
_Essex Register,_ 1802.
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Specimens of old time newspaper poetry.
To a LADY who admired dancing.
_MAY I presume in humble lays,
My dancing fair, thy steps to praise?
While this grand maxim I advance,
That all the world is but a dance,
That human-kind, both man and woman,
Do_ dance _is evident and common.
David himself, that God-like king,
We know could_ dance, _as well as_ sing.
_Folks who at court would keep their ground,
Must dance the year attendance round.
All nature is one_ ball, _we find:
The water dances to the wind;
The sea itself at night and noon
Rises and capers to the moon;
The moon around the earth does tread
A Cheshire round in buxom red;
The earth and planets round the sun_
Dance, _nor will their_ dance _be done
'Till nature in one mass is blended;
Then we may say the_ ball _is ended._
_Salem Mercury,_ July 29, 1788.
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