For as our diff'rent Ages move,

"Tis so ordain'd, wou'd Fate but mend it, That I shall be past making Love,

When she begins to comprehend it.

Poetical Miscellanies, v, 1704

13 A Letter to the Honourable Lady Miss Margaret-Cavendish-Holles-Harley MY noble, lovely, little PEGGY,

Let this, my FIRST-EPISTLE, beg ye,

At dawn of morn, and close of even,
To lift your heart and hands to heaven:
In double beauty say your pray'r,
Our father first, then notre père;
And, dearest CHILD, along the day,
In ev'ry thing you do and say,
Obey and please my LORD and LADY,
So GOD shall love, and ANGELS aid, Ye.

If to these PRECEPTS You attend,

NO SECOND-LETTER need I send,
And so I rest Your constant Friend,

M. P. Miscellaneous Works, 1740

14 Written in the Beginning of Mezeray's

History of France

7HATE'ER thy Countrymen have done,

W

By Law and Wit, by Sword and Gun,

In Thee is faithfully recited:

And all the Living World, that view
Thy Work, give Thee the Praises due:

At once Instructed and Delighted.

15

Yet for the Fame of all these Deeds,

What Beggar in the Invalides,

With Lameness broke, with Blindness smitten,
Wished ever decently to die,

To have been either Mezeray,

Or any Monarch He has written?

It strange, dear Author, yet it true is,
That down from Pharamond to Loüis,
All covet Life, yet call it Pain;
All feel the Ill, yet shun the Cure:
Can Sense this Paradox endure?

Resolve me, Cambray, or Fontaine.

The Man in graver Tragic known,
Tho' his best Part long since was done,

Still on the Stage desires to tarry:
And He who play'd the Harlequin,
After the Jest still loads the Scene,
Unwilling to retire, tho' Weary.

Poems on Several Occasions, 1709

An Epitaph

'NTERR'D beneath this Marble Stone,

INT

Lie Saunt'ring JACK, and Idle Joan.
While rolling Threescore Years and One
Did round this Globe their Courses run;
If Human Things went Ill or Well;
If changing Empires rose or fell;
The Morning past, the Evening came,
And found this Couple still the same.

They Walk'd and Eat, good Folks: What then?
Why then They Walk'd and Eat again:
They soundly slept the Night away:
They did just Nothing all the Day:
And having bury'd Children Four,
Wou'd not take Pains to try for more.
Nor Sister either had, nor Brother:
They seem'd just Tally'd for each other.
Their Moral and Oeconomy
Most perfectly They made agree:
Each Virtue kept it's proper Bound,
Nor Trespass'd on the other's Ground.
Nor Fame, nor Censure They regarded:
They neither Punish'd, nor Rewarded.
He car'd not what the Footmen did:
Her Maids She neither prais'd, nor chid:
So ev'ry Servant took his Course;
And bad at First, They all grew worse.
Slothful Disorder fill'd His Stable;
And sluttish Plenty deck'd Her Table.

Their Beer was strong; Their Wine was Port;
Their Meal was large; Their Grace was short.
They gave the Poor the Remnant-meat,

Just when it grew not fit to eat.

They paid the Church and Parish-Rate;
And took, but read not the Receit:

For which They claim'd their Sunday's Due,
Of slumb'ring in an upper Pew.

No Man's Defects sought They to know;
So never made Themselves a Foe.

No Man's good Deeds did They commend;
So never rais'd Themselves a Friend.

Nor cherish'd They Relations poor:
That might decrease Their present Store:
Nor Barn nor House did they repair:
That might oblige Their future Heir.

They neither Added, nor Confounded:
They neither Wanted, nor Abounded.
Each Christmas They Accompts did clear;
And wound their Bottom round the Year.
Nor Tear, nor Smile did They imploy
At News of Public Grief, or Joy.
When Bells were Rung, and Bonfires made;
If ask'd, They ne'er deny'd their Aid:
Their Jugg was to the Ringers carry'd;
Who ever either Dy'd, or Marry'd.
Their Billet at the Fire was found;

Who ever was Depos'd, or Crown'd.

Nor Good, nor Bad, nor Fools, nor Wise;
They wou'd not learn, nor cou'd advise:
Without Love, Hatred, Joy, or Fear,

They led

-a kind of -as it were:

Nor Wish'd, nor Car'd, nor Laugh'd, nor Cry'd:
And so They liv'd; and so They dy'd.

Poems on Several Occasions, 1718

16

Answer to Cloe Jealous

EAR CLOE, how blubber'd is that pretty Face? Thy Cheek all on Fire, and Thy Hair all uncurl'd Pr'ythee quit this Caprice; and (as old FALSTAF says) Let Us e'en talk a little like Folks of this World.

Bottom] skein.

How can'st Thou presume, Thou hast leave to destroy The Beauties, which VENUS but lent to Thy keeping? Those Looks were design'd to inspire Love and Joy: More ord❜nary Eyes may serve People for weeping. To be vext at a Trifle or two that I writ,

Your Judgment at once, and my Passion You wrong: You take that for Fact, which will scarce be found Wit: Od's Life! must one swear to the Truth of a Song? What I speak, my fair CLOE, and what I write, shows

The Diff'rence there is betwixt Nature and Art:

I court others in Verse; but I love Thee in Prose:

And They have my Whimsies; but Thou hast my Heart. The God of us Verse-men (You know Child) the SUN, How after his Journeys He sets up his Rest:

If at Morning o'er Earth 'tis his Fancy to run,
At Night he reclines on his THETIS's Breast.
So when I am weary'd with wand'ring all Day,
To Thee my Delight in the Evening I come:
No Matter what Beauties I saw in my Way:

They were but my Visits; but Thou art my Home.

Then finish, Dear CLOE, this Pastoral War;

And let us like HORACE and LYDIA agree:

For Thou art a Girl as much brighter than Her,
As He was a Poet sublimer than Me.

17

Poems on Several Occasions, 1718

Love and Reason

'REAT Heav'n! how frail thy Creature Man is made!

G How by Himself insensibly betray'd!

In our own Strength unhappily secure,
Too little cautious of the adverse Pow'r,