And as they fell she wip'd from either eye
The drops (for women, when they list, can cry).
The knight was touch'd; and in his looks appear'd
Signs of remorse, while thus his spouse he chear'd:
Madam, 'tis past, and my short anger o'er !
Come down, and vex your tender heart no more;
Excuse me, dear, if aught amiss was said,
For, on my soul, amends shall soon be made
Let my repentance your forgiveness draw,
By heav'n, I swore but what I thought I saw.
Ah, my lov'd lord! 'twas much unkind (she cry'd)
On bare suspicion thus to treat your bride.
But till your sight's establish'd, for a while,
Imperfect objects may your sense beguile.
Thus when from sleep we first our eyes display,
The balls are wounded with the piercing ray,
And dusky vapours rise, and intercept the day : 800
So just recov'ring from the shades of night,
Your swimming eyes are drunk with sudden light, Strange phantoms dance around, and skim before
Then, Sir, be cautious, nor too rashly deem,
Heav'n knows how seldom things are what they seem! Consult your reason, and you soon shall find
'Twas you were jealous, not your wife unkind:
Jove ne'er spoke oracle more true than this,
None judge so wrong as those who think amiss. With that she leap'd into her lord's embrace 810 With well-dissembled virtue in her face.
He hugg'd her close, and kiss'd her o'er and o'er,
Disturb'd with doubts and jealousies no more :
Both, pleas'd and bless'd, renew'd their mutual vows,
A fruitful wife and a believing spouse.
815
Thus ends our tale, whose moral next to make,
Let all wise husbands hence example take;
And pray, to crown the pleasures of their lives,
To be so well deluded by their wives.
BEHOLD the woes of matrimonial life,
And hear with rev'rence an experienc'd wife!
To dear-bought wisdom give the credit due,
And think, for once, a woman tells you true.
In all these trials I have borne a part,
I was myself the scourge that caus'd the smart;
For, since fifteen, in triumph have I led
Five captive husbands from the church to bed.
Christ saw a wedding once, the scripture says,
And saw but one, 'tis thought, in all his days;
Whence some infer, whose conscience is too nice,
No pious christian ought to marry twice.
But let them read, and solve me, if they can,
The words address'd to the Samaritan:
Five times in lawful wedlock she was join'd;
And sure the certain stint was ne'er defin'd.
"Encrease and multiply," was heav'ns command,
And that's a text I clearly understand.
This too, "Let men their sires and mothers leave, "And to their dearer wives for ever cleave."
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