Petition to the British Fair Mary's Page
POEMS OF A NOTTINGHAM LACE-RUNNER
PETITION
TO THE BRITISH FAIR
You ladies of Britain, we most humbly address,
And hope you will take it in hand,
And at once condescend on poor RUNNERS to think,
When dress'd at your glasses you stand.
How little you think of that lily-white veil
That shields you from gazers and sun;
How hard have we work'd, and our eyes how we've strain'd,
When those beautiful flowers we run.
O view the ball-room, where beauty beams round,
And shines with such elegant grace,
And think are you no ways indebted to us,
The RUNNERS Of NOTTINGHAM LACE.
Her dear little prattling tongue
Will soon my attention engage:
She's a comfort to me now she's young;
And may be the support of my age.
'Tis a boon our Creator has lent,
And 'tis right if he call it away:
Be it taken or spar'd I'm content;
But ne'er for its death can I pray.
Then, lady, forbear to advise,
Till a mother's affections you feel;
Then you'll own that to wound is unkind,
Where none have the power to heal.
The dress that a Queen or a Duchess becomes,
To us, owes its beauty, in part:
Then think of us, pray, in your elegant homes,
For we copy both nature and art.
If fair Venus could come from the skies,
And had ne'er seen a lace dress before,
She would deem it, with joy and surprize,
The most beautiful robe that is wore.
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MARY BAILEY
How pleasant's the task, whenever we're ask'd,
To work hard to beautify you;
Then I'm sure you will own, with candour, unmask'd,
Good food and good clothing's our due;
But the price is so low, that, sad to relate,
We cannot these blessings obtain;
But your kind exertions may soften our fate,
And, if not, we content must remain.
Now, should fortune prove kind, how hard will we strive,
Our kind interceders to deck
With caps for the head, and veils for the face,
And collars and frills for the neck.
May the quickest invention come forth,
Each beautiful feature to grace;
Yours, humbly, ourselves we devote—
The RUNNERS of NOTTINGHAM LACE.
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Contents
To a Lady who visited the author
when she was in great distress 14
To a Lady who desired me to pray
for the death of youngest child 17
Petition to the British Fair 19
On the Death of the Revd. Dr. Wylde,
late of Nottingham 21
Lines, Written in July, on Widow Hind's garden, at Hints, in Staffordshire 26
Lines On the Death of a Gentleman of Basford 31
The Author to Her Infant Twins 35
Appendix: Mary Bailey's Obituary 37
Index of titles and first lines 42
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[Work in Progess]
