With Acting Plays, and Dancing Figgs,
The luckieft of all Love's Intrtigues :
And when they had them at their Pleasure,
Then talk'd of Love, and Flames, at leifure.
For after Matrimony's over,
He that holds out but Half a Lover,
Deferv's, for ev'ry Minute, more
Than half a Tear of Love before:
For which the Dames, in Contemplation
Of that best way of Application,
Prov'd Nobler Wives than e'er were known,
By Suit, or Treaty, to be won:
And fuch as all Pofterity
Could never equal, nor come nigh.
For Women first were made for Men,
Not Men for them.It follows then,
That Men have Right to every one,
And they no Freedom of their own:
And therefore Men have Pow'r to chufe,
But they no Charter to refufe.
Hence 'tis apparent, that what Courte
So e'er we take to your Amours,
Tho by the Indirectest way,
Tis no Injustice, nor Foul Play.
And that you ought to take that Courfe
As we take you, for better or worse;
And gratefully fubmit to thofe
Who you, before another, chofe.
For why should every Savage Beast
Exceed his great Lord's Interest?
Have freer Pow'r than he, in Grace
And Nature, o'er the Creature has?
Because the Laws he fince has made
Have cut off all the Power he had
Retrench'd the Abfolute Dominion
That Nature gave him over Woman;
When all his Pow'r will not extend,
One Law of Nature to fufpend:
And but to offer to Repeal
The smallest Claufe, is to Rebel.
This if Men rightly understood
Their Privilege, they would make good;
And not, like Sots, permit their Wives
T'encroach on their Prerogatives.
For which Sin they deserve to be
Kept, as they are in Slavery,
And this, fome precious Gifted Teachers
Unrev'rently reputed Leachers;
And difobey'd in making Love,
Have vow'd to all the World to prove,
And make ye suffer, as ye ought,
For that uncharitable Fault,
But, I forget my felf and rove
Beyond th' Inftructions of my Love,
Forgive me (Fair) and only blame
Th' Extravagancy of my Flame,
Since 'tis too much, at once to fhew
Excess of Love and Temper too.
All I have faid that's bad and true;
Was never meant to aim at you;
Who have fo Sov'reign à Controul
O'er that poor Slave of yours, my Soul:
That rather than to forfeit you,
Has ventur'd lofs of Heaventoo,
Both with an equal Pow'r poffeft,
To render all that ferve you bleft:
But none like him, who's deftin'd, either
To have, or lofe you, both together.
And if you'll but this Fault release
(For fo it must be, fince you please,)
I'll pay down all that Vow, and more,
Which you commanded, and I swore,
And expiate upon my Skin,
Th' Arrears in full of all my Sin.
For 'tis but juft, that I fhould pay
The accruing Penance for Delay.
Which fhall be done, until it move
Your equal Pity, and your Love.
The Knight, perufing this Epistle,
Believ'd he'd brought her to his Whistle ;
And read it, like a jocund Lover,
With great Applaufe t' himself, twice over;
Subfcrib'd his Name, but at a fit
And humble distance, to his Wit:
And dated it with wondrous Art,
Giv'n from the bottom of his Heart :
Then feal'd it with his Coat of Love
A Smoaking Faggotand above
Upon a Scroll
And near it-
For her Ladyship;
Of all her Sex most excellent,
Thefe to her gentle Hands prefent.
Then gave it to his Faithful Squire,
With Leffons how t' obferve and eye her?
She first confider'd which was better,
To fend it back or burn the Letter.
But gueffing that it might import,
Tho nothing else, at leaft her Sport,
She open'd it, and read it out,
With many a Smile and leering Flout :
Refolv'd to answer it in kind,
And thus perform'd what the defign'd:
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