'Tis poffible; but fure no man she found; "Twas defart, all, about her father's ground: And yet fome luftful god might there make bold,

Are Jove and Mars grown impotent and old?
Many a fair nymph has in a cave been spread, 85
And much good love without a feather-bed.
Whither would'ft thou to chufe a wife refort,
The Park, the Mall, the Play-house, or the
Court?

Which way foever thy adventures fall,
Secure alike of chastity in all.

90

One fees a dancing-mafter capering high, And raves, and piffes, with pure ecstasy: Another does, with all his motions, move, And gapes, and grins as in the feat of love; A third is charm'd with the new opera notes, 95 Admires the fong, but on the finger dotes: The country lady in the box

appears,

Softly the warbles over all the hears;

And fucks in paffion, both at eyes and ears.
The reft (when now the long vacation's

come,

The noify hall and theatres grown dumb)

100

Their memories to refresh, and chear their hearts,

In borrow'd breeches act the players' parts.

Ver. 84. Are Jove and Mars] Of whom more fornicating ftories are told than any of the other gods.

The poor, that scarce have wherewithal to eat, Will pinch, to make the finging-boy a treat. 105 The rich, to buy him, will refuse no price; And stretch his quail-pipe, till they crack his

voice.

Tragedians, acting love, for luft are fought:
(Though but the parrots of a poet's thought.)
The pleading lawyer, though for counfel us'd, 110
In chamber-practice often is refus'd.

114

Still thou wilt have a wife, and father heirs;
(The product of concurring theatres.)
Perhaps a fencer did thy brows adorn,
And a young fword-man to thy lands is born.
Thus Hippia loath'd her old patrician lord,
And left him for a brother of the fword:
To wond'ring Pharos with her love she fled,
To fhew one monster more than Africk bred:
Forgetting house and husband, left behind, 120
Ev'n children too; fhe fails before the wind;
Falfe to 'em all, but conftant to her kind.
But, ftranger yet, and harder to conceive,
She could the play-house and the players leave.
Born of rich parentage, and nicely bred,
She lodg'd on down, and in a damask bed;

125

Yet daring now the dangers of the deep,
On a hard mattress is content to fleep.

Ver. 118. To wond'ring Pharos] She fled to Egypt, which wondered at the enormity of her crime.

Ere this, 'tis true, fhe did her fame expofe: 129
But that, great ladies with great ease can lose.
The tender nymph could the rude ocean bear:
So much her luft was ftronger than her fear.
But, had fome honeft caufe her paffage preft,
The smallest hardship had disturb'd her breast:
Each inconvenience makes their virtue cold;
But womankind, in ills, is ever bold.
Were the to follow her own lord to fea,
What doubts or fcruples would fhe raise to stay?
Her ftomach fick, and her head giddy grows;
The tar and pitch are naufeous to her nose. 140
But in love's voyage nothing can offend;
Women are never fea-fick with a friend.

136

Amidft the crew, fhe walks upon the board; She eats, the drinks, the handles every cord: And if the fpews, 'tis thinking of her lord. 145 Now afk, for whom her friends and fame fhe loft?

What youth, what beauty could th' adulterer boast?

149

What was the face, for which she could sustain
To be call'd miftrefs to fo base a man?
The gallant, of his days had known the best :
Deep fcars were seen indented on his breast;
And all his batter'd limbs requir'd their need-
ful reft.

A promontory wen, with griefly grace,
Stood high, upon the handle of his face:

155

His blear eyes ran in gutters to his chin:
His beard was ftubble, and his cheeks were

thin.

But 'twas his fencing did her fancy move: "Tis arms and blood and cruelty they love.

But should he quit his trade, and sheath his fword,

Her lover would begin to be her lord.

160

This was a private crime; but you shall hear What fruits the facred brows of monarchs bear: The good old fluggard but began to fnore, When from his fide up rofe th' imperial whore: She who preferr❜d the pleasures of the night 165 To pomps, that are but impotent delight; Strode from the palace, with an eager pace, To cope with a more mafculine embrace; Muffled fhe march'd, like Juno in a cloud, Of all her train but one poor wench allow'd, 170 One whom in fecret fervice fhe could truft ; The rival and companion of her luft. To the known brothel-houfe fhe takes her

way;

And for a nafty room gives double pay;
That room in which the rankeft harlot lay.
Prepar'd for fight, expectingly fhe lies,
With heaving breasts, and with defiring eyes.

176

Ver. 163. He tells the famous ftory of Meffalina, wife to the emperor Claudius.

Still as one drops, another takes his place,
And baffled still fucceeds to like disgrace.
At length, when friendly darkness is expir'd, 180
And every ftrumpet from her cell retir'd,
She lags behind, and ling'ring at the gate,
With a repining figh submits to fate :
All filth without, and all a fire within,
Tir'd with the toil, unfated with the fin,
Old Cæfar's bed the modeft matron feeks;
The fteam of lamps ftill hanging on her cheeks,
In ropy fmut: thus foul, and thus bedight,
She brings him back the product of the night.

185

Now should I fing what poisons they provide; With all their trumpery of charms beside; 191 And all their arts of death: it would be known Luft is the fmalleft fin the fex can own, Cæfinia ftill, they fay, is guiltlefs found Of ev'ry vice, by her own lord renown'd:

196

And well she may, fhe brought ten thousand
pound.
She brought him wherewithal to be call'd chafte;
His tongue is ty'd in golden fetters fast:
He fighs, adores, and courts her ev'ry hour;
Who would not do as much for fuch a dower?
She writes love-letters to the youth in grace; 201
Nay, tips the wink before the cuckold's face;
And might do more; her portion makes it good;
Wealth has the privilege of widowhood.

Ver. 204. Wealth has the privilege &c.] His meaning is, that