Presents flow'd in apace: with show'rs of gold, They made their court, like Jupiter of old. 65 If I but smil'd, a sudden youth they found, And a new palfy seiz'd them when I frown'd.

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Ye fov'reign wives! give ear, and understand, Thus fhall ye speak, and exercise command. For never was it giv'n to mortal man, To lye fo boldly as we women can : Forfwear the fact, tho' feen with both his eyes, And call your maids to witness how he lies.

Hark, old Sir Paul! ('twas thus I us'd to fay) 74 Whence is our neighbour's wife fo rich and gay? Treated, carefs'd, where'er fhe's pleas'd to roam-I fit in tatters, and immur'd at home.

Why to her house dost thou so oft repair?
Art thou fo am'rous? and is fhe fo fair?
If I but fee a coufin or a friend,

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Lord! how you fwell, and rage like any fiend!

But you reel home, a drunken beastly bear, Then preach till midnight in your eafy chair; Cry, Wives are false, and every woman evil, And give up all that's female to the devil.

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If poor (you fay) fhe drains her husband's purse; If rich, she keeps her priest, or something worse ; If highly born, intolerably vain, Vapours and pride by turns poffefs her brain,

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Now gayly mad, now fourly fplenetic,
Freakish when well, and fretful when she's fick.
If fair, then chafte fhe cannot long abide,
By preffing youth attack'd on ev'ry fide:
If foul, her wealth the lufty lover lures,
Or else her wit some fool-gallant procures,
Or else she dances with becoming grace,
Or fhape excuses the defects of face.
There swims no goofe fo grey, but foon or late,
She finds fome honeft gander for her mate.

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Horfes (thou fay'ft) and affes men may try, And ring fufpected veffels ere they buy: But wives, a random choice, untry'd they take, They dream in courtship, but in wedlock wake; Then, nor till then, the veil's remov'd away, And all the woman glares in open day.

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105 You tell me, to preserve your wife's good grace, Your eyes must always languish on my face, Your tongue with constant flatt'ries feed my ear, And tag each ference with, My life! my dear! If by strange chai, a modest blush be rais'd, Be fure my fine complexion must be prais'd. 111 My garments always must be new and gay, And feasts still kept upon my wedding-day. VOL. II.

K

Then must my nurse be pleas'd, and fav'rite maid;
And endless treats, and endless vifits paid, 115
To a long train of kindred, friends, allies;
All this thou fay'ft, and all thou say'st are lies.

On Jenkin too you caft a fquinting eye: What! can your 'prentice raise your jealoufy? Fresh are his ruddy cheeks, his forehead fair, 120 And like the burnish'd gold his curling hair. But clear thy wrinkled brow, and quit thy forrow, I'dfcorn your'prentice, fhould you die to-morrow,

your eyes-

Why are thy chests all lock'd? on what defign? Are not thy worldly goods and treasure mine? 125 Sir, I'm no fool: nor fhall you, by St. John, Have goods and body to yourself alone. One you shall quit, in spite of both I heed not, I, the bolts, the locks, the spies. If you had wit, you'd fay, "Go where you will, 130 "Dear spouse, I credit not the tales they tell "Take all the freedoms of a marry'd life; "I know thee for a virtuous, faithful wife,"

Lord! when you have enough, what need you

care

How merrily foever others fare?
Tho' all the day I give and take delight,
Doubt not, fufficient will be left at night,

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'Tis but a juft and rational defire,
To light a taper at a neighbour's fire.
There's danger too, you think, in rich array,
And none can long be modeft that are gay: 141
The Cat, if you but finge her tabby skin,
The chimney keeps, and fits content within ;
But once grown fleek, will from her corner run,
Sport with her tail, and wanton in the fun; 145
She licks her fair round face, and frifks abroad,
To fhow her furr, and to be catterwaw'd.

Lo thus, my friends, I wrought to my defires Thefe three right ancient venerable fires. I told'em, Thus you fay, and thus you do, 150 And told 'em false, but Jenkin fwore 'twas true. I, like a dog, could bite as well as whine, And first complain'd, whene'er the guilt was mine. I tax'd them oft with wenching and amours, When their weak legs fcarce dragg'd 'em out of doors; 155

And swore the rambles that I took by night, Were all to spy what damfels they bedight. That colour brought me many hours of mirth; For all this wit is giv'n us from our birth. Heav'n gave to woman the peculiar grace 160 To fpin, to weep, and cully human race.

By this nice conduct, and this prudent course,
By murm'ring, wheedling, ftratagem, and force,
I ftill prevail'd, and would be in the right,
Or curtain-lectures made a restless night.
If once my
husband's arm was o'er my fide,
What! fo familiar with your spouse? I cry'd:
I levied first a tax upon his need;

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Then let him---'twas a nicety indeed!
Let all mankind this certain maxim hold, 170
Marry who will, our fex is to be fold.
With empty hands no taffels you can lure,
But fulfome love for gain we can endure;
For gold we love the impotent and old, 174
And heave, and pant, and kiss, and cling, for gold.
Yet with embraces, curses oft I mixt,

Then kiss'd again, and chid and rail'd betwixt.
Well, I
may make my will in peace, and die,
For not one word in man's arrears am I.
To drop a dear dispute I was unable,
Ev'n tho' the Pope himself had fat at table.
But when my point was gain'd, then thus I spoke,
Billy, my dear, how sheepishly you look ?
Approach, my spouse, and let me kiss thy cheek;
"Thou should'st be always thus, refign'd and

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"meek!

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