When all things at her with and pleasure move:
Her heart is open then, and free to love.
Then mirth and wantonnefs to luft betray,
And fmooth the paffage to the lover's way.
Troy ftood the fiege, when fill'd with anxious
fit concluded all the war.
If fome fair rival vex her jealous mind, Offer thy fervice to revenge in kind.
Inftruct the damfel, while the combs her hair,
To raise the choler of that injur'd fair;
And, fighing, make her mistress understand,
She has the means of vengeance in her hand;
Then, naming thee, thy humble fuit prefer;
And fwear thou languifheft and dy'ft for her.
Then let her lofe no time, but pufh at all; 420
For women foon are rais'd, and foon they fall.
Give their firft fury leifure to relent,
They melt like ice, and fuddenly repent.
T' enjoy the maid, will that thy fuit advance?
'Tis a hard question, and a doubtful chance. 425
One maid, corrupted, bauds the better for 't;
Another for herself would keep the sport.
Thy business may be further'd or delay'd :
But, by my counfel, let alone the maid:
E'en though the fhould confent to do the feat, 430
The profit's little, and the danger great.
I will not lead thee through a rugged road;
But where the way lies open, fafe, and broad.
Yet if thou find'ft her very much thy friend,
And her good face her diligence commend: 435
Let the fair miftrefs have thy first embrace,
And let the maid come after in her place,
But this I will advife, and mark my words;
For 'tis the beft advice my fkill affords;
If needs thou with the damfel wilt begin,
Before th' attempt is made, make sure to win ;
For then the fecret better will be kept;
And she can tell no tales when once the's dipt.
"Tis for the fowler's interest to beware,
The bird intangled fhould not 'scape the
The fish, once prick'd, avoids the bearded
And spoils the fport of all the neighb'ring
But if the wench be thine, fhe makes thy way,
And, for thy fake, her miftrefs will betray;
Tell all she knows, and all the hears her fay. 450
Keep well the counfel of thy faithful spy :
So fhalt thou learn whene'er fhe treads awry.
All things the ftations of their feafons keep;
And certain times there are to fow and reap.
Ploughmen and failors for the feafon stay, 4557
One to plough land, and one to plough the fea:
So fhould the lover wait the lucky day.
Then stop thy fuit, it hurts not thy defign:
But think, another hour fhe may be thine.
And when she celebrates her birth at home, 4607
Or when the views the public fhews of Rome,
Know, all thy vifits then are troublesome.
Defer thy work, and put not then to fea,
For that's a boding and a stormy day.
Elfe take thy time, and, when thou canft, begin:
To break a Jewish fabbath, think no fin:
Nor e'en on fuperftitious days abstain;
Not when the Romans were at Allia flain.
Ill omens in her frowns are understood;
When she's in humour, ev'ry day is good.
But than her birth-day feldom comes a worse;
When bribes and presents must be sent of
courfe;
And that's a bloody day, that costs thy purse.
Be ftaunch; yet parfimony will be vain :
The craving fex will ftill the lover drain.
No fkill can fhift them off, nor art remove;
They will be begging, when they know we love.
The merchant comes upon th' appointed day,
Who fhall before thy face his wares display.
To choose for her fhe craves thy kind advice; 480
Then begs again, to bargain for the price:
But when she has her purchase in her eye,
She hugs thee close, and kiffes thee to buy.
"Tis what I want, and 'tis a pen'orth too;
In many years I will not trouble you.
If you complain you have no ready coin;
No matter, 'tis but writing of a line,
A little bill, not to be paid at fight;
Now curfe the time when thou wert taught to write.
She keeps her birth-day; you must send the
And fhe'll be born a hundred times a year.
With daily lies the dribs thee into cost;
That ear-ring dropt a ftone, that ring is loft.
They often borrow what they never pay;
Whate'er you lend her, think it thrown away. 495
Had I ten mouths and tongues to tell each art,
All would be wearied ere I told a part.
By letters, not by words, thy love begin ; And ford the dangerous paffage with thy pen. If to her heart thou aim'ft to find the way, 500 Extremely flatter, and extremely pray. Priam by prayers did Hector's body gain; Nor is an angry god invok'd in vain. With promis'd gifts her eafy mind bewitch; For e'en the poor in promife may be rich. Vain hopes awhile her appetite will stay ; "Tis a deceitful, but commodious way. Who gives is mad, but make her still believe "Twill come, and that's the cheapest way to give. E'en barren lands fair promifes afford; But the lean harveft cheats the ftarving lord, Buy not thy firft enjoyment, left it prove Of bad example to thy future love:
But get it gratis; and fhe'll give thee more, For fear of losing what she gave before. The lofing gamefter shakes the box in vain, And bleeds, and lofes on, in hopes to gain. Write then, and in thy letter, as I faid, Let her with mighty promises be fed. Cydippe by a letter was betray'd, Writ on an apple to th' unwary maid. She read herself into a marriage-vow ; (And ev'ry cheat in love the gods allow.) Learn eloquence, ye noble youth of Rome ; It will not only at the bar o'ercome:
Sweet words the people and the fenate move;
But the chief end of eloquence is love.
But in thy letter hide thy moving arts;
Affect not to be thought a man of parts.
None but vain fools to fimple women preach: 550
A learned letter oft has made a breach.
In a familiar ftile your thoughts convey,
And write fuch things as prefent you would fay;
Such words as from the heart may feem to move:
'Tis wit enough to make her think you love. 535
If feal'd fhe fends it back, and will not read,
Yet hope, in time, the business may fucceed.
In time the steer will to the yoke submit ;
In time the reftiff horse will bear the bit.
E'en the hard plough-share use will wear away:
And stubborn steel in length of time decay. 541
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